Dunkin Donuts vs. Starbucks Democrats

The battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is sometimes boiled down to Starbucks vs. Dunkin Donuts Democrats. What can the candidates learn from the business world about these two political tribes?

NPR

Your Chance to be Starbucks' CMO

Help shape the future of Starbucks—with your ideas

My Starbucks Idea

Starbucks going back to grinding beans

"There will be a fundamental change in the taste and experience of going to Starbucks," Schultz says. He returned as CEO eleven weeks ago and has pointed to this meeting as the moment he would begin to offer substantial details of his revival plan.

Unlike many CEOs these days, Schultz isn't blaming the economy for his troubles. "The problems we are facing have been self-induced. That's why I think we'll be able to fix them."

USA Today

Consumers face a jolt as coffee prices turn frothy

Breakfast is getting a lot more expensive. Coffee is now up there with other increasingly expensive essentials such as milk, bread and eggs. Overall, the cost of groceries is rising at the fastest rate since 1990, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Los Angeles Times

Kraft raises prices on Maxwell House and Yuban coffees

The latest increase in price by Kraft follows Procter & Gamble's hike in Dunkin' Donuts and some Folgers coffees prices citing the same reason as Kraft.

Drinks Business Review

UPDATE 2-P&G ups cost of Folgers, Dunkin' Donuts coffees

"Green coffee prices have continued to rise sharply over the past three weeks. This past week New York "C" arabica and London robusta markets have traded at more than 20 cents per pound versus our previously stated price for Folgers mainstream coffee," Brown said.

Reuters

Big Coffee's Wake-up Call

In their attempt to reach Gen Yers, Folgers et al. are reminiscent of another old industry that's married to an old demo—newspapers. Like newspaper reading, coffee drinking is a habit that is generally started fairly young and if you miss that opportunity, you miss it forever. While newspapers grapple with new competition from the Internet plus old competition from TV and the radio, those coffee marketers face energy drinks, herbal teas and bottled water, not to mention take-away coffee chains like Starbucks. And Starbucks itself is something of a red herring. In the town where I live, the local Starbucks outlet is frequently packed with teens, but they're usually ordering frou-frou drinks that often contain no coffee. Since image, rather than caffeine, is at the heart of their choice, it's easy to see such fickle customers drawn away by McD's or even Cold Stone Creamery if either is suddenly perceived as the new hip locale.

BrandWeek

What About Bob?

The comedy series follows the misadventures of Bob, a quirky character in an office setting who obsesses over the little things that have nothing to do with work. Bob loves his Tassimo machine to the point of being fanatic about it.

Who Hired Bob?
Hollywood Reporter

Premium coffee comes to China

As a sign of the growing sophistication of luxury culture in China, and one of the first signs of ‘accessible luxury’, the first premium coffee brand cafe, Citta Espresso Club, has just opened in Shanghai.

Agenda Inc.

TROUBLE IS BREWING AT DUNKIN' DONUTS

"Dunkin' Donuts, the ubiquitous coffee-and-doughnut chain, is at odds with dissatisfied shop owners who complain the company is watering down the iconic brand.

"Specifically, the franchise owners oppose several deals that Dunkin' Donuts has struck with other companies to expand distribution for the coffee, arguing it cuts into their profits and hurts the brand."

New York Post