As a coffee lover and admitted coffee snob, I've followed the trials, successes and tribulations of Starbucks for many a year, both from the inside as a patron, and the outside as a curious follower of brand trends.  As an NPR article notes (Starbucks Shuns Name At New Cafe), the Seattle based coffee behemoth recently opened a "new kind of store" in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood that gives nary a hint of its ownership, save for the beans used to make the coffee.

Note the missing and iconic Starbucks logo out front.  In it's place, a sign stating "15th AVE COFFEE & TEA".  From the article:

For more than three decades Starbucks has been building a brand, spreading its name around the globe.  Now the company is setting aside that corporate image as it tries to create a store with the vibe of an independent neighborhood cafe.

"We'll be handcrafting beverages, using French presses and traditional espresso machines," says D. Major Cohen, the cafe's project manager.

Customers can grab and go, or sit in this spare and sophisticated space that looks and feels more like a wine bar than a coffee shop. And the menu is also different, including wine and beer along with cheese platters and other fare. 

The new concept is a "re-imagination" of Starbucks, Cohen says.

This is an intriguing move by Starbucks, born out of CEO Howard Schultz's proclamation back in January, 2008 that the company he started needed to "return to its roots" (see ConsumerPassion post: Starbucks Announces Return to its Roots).  The question that begs asking:  does Starbucks need to ditch its name and all hit of its brand to pull off that much needed return?  My answer is no. I think you can bring back the neighborhood coffeehouse essence without masquerading as a mom and pop neighborhood cafe.  What's your opinion? 

Butterfinger recently unwrapped details of a user-generated video competition called "Nobody's Gonna Lay A Finger On My Butterfinger".    Butterfinger says it's searching for "an irreverently-clever, commercial creator".  And that directorial talent-in-the-rough will have the opportunity to see his or her video air as a national 15-second commercial. 

"We know that no one can express the one-of-a-kind Butterfinger experience better than a real-world fan," said spokesperson Tricia Bowles of Nestle USA Confections & Snacks, "and since our biggest fans are also avid social media users, we're hoping to find 'a vlogger with a vision' to potentially become the next commercial video sensation."

The skinny:  contestants can submit a video at www.protectmybutterfinger.com (up to a minute in length) in one of the following four categories: 1) Best Use of a Gadget; 2) Epic Fail; 3) Sweetest Kung Fu Moves; and 4) Workplace Shenanigans.  Amongst other requirements, each video must incorporate a Butterfinger bar, showing how far one would go to protect their Butterfinger, and must include the tagline: "Nobody's Gonna Lay A Finger On My Butterfinger."

One grand-prize winner will receive $25,000, and have their video featured in a 15-second TV commercial, as well as online on the Butterfinger Comedy Network, the Butterfinger Facebook page (Facbook.com/Butterfinger), and www.ProtectYourButterfingerBar.com. The grand-prize winner also receives a one-year supply of Butterfinger candy bars.  Additionally, three first prize winners each will receive a $1,000 check and a one-year supply of Butterfingers.

In an interesting marketing/social media/passionate consumer twist, Butterfinger is tapping the creative talents of four 'FUNterns' (picked from a nationwide summer job search pool).  These social media savvy brand ambassadors will, according to Butterfinger, "tweet, text, vlog, blip, flickr, digg, and then some" about the video contest and their summer adventures hanging with the Butterfinger bunch. Why didn't they have summer jobs like that when I was a teen?  

   

We Americans are passionate about our hot dogs (mustard and relish please, hold the ketchup), and July is the month we celebrate this tasty backyard tradition.  July is National Hot Dog Month - designated so back in 1957 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - with two notable days:  the hot dog eating contest at Nathan's Famous on July 4th, won for a third consecutive time by American (yes!) Joey Chestnut, who consumed an unfathomable 68 weiners (with buns) in ten minutes;  and National Hot Dog Day, which takes place on the third wednesday in July, marked by the annual Hot Dog Lunch on Capitol Hill.  That happened to be yesterday, July 22nd, and NOT July 19th, which hundreds of people on Twitter were ignorantly celebrating as the big day.  Sometimes you have to dig a little.  For whatever reason, National Hot Dog Day does not draw a lot of attention, so I went to the source to confirm the festivities:  the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (thanks Tom!). 

This year's Hot Dog Lunch, an invitation-only event for members of Congress and their staffs, was held at the Rayburn House Office Building, drawing some 1,000 people, including members of the House and Senate, Hill staffers, industry officials, media, and in a nod to the relationship hot dogs and the great American pastime have, baseball greats Phil Niekro, Vince Coleman and Jack Morris.

From the American Meat Institue press release: 

The Annual Hot Dog Lunch, which was hosted by Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK), remains one of the most popular events of the summer on Capitol Hill.  

“There are few icons more recognized in U.S. culture than the hot dog,” said AMI President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle.  “Year after year, this social event on Capitol Hill, which is one of the most popular of the summer, is a testament to the continuing national – and bipartisan – popularity of hot dogs.” 

In coordination with Hot Dog Lunch and National Hot Dog Month, the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council unveiled a new, interactive map on its Web site, Hot-dog.org, eaturing hundreds of hot dog restaurants across the country.

“Members of Congress represent constituents throughout the country, but as you will see from the map, the hot dog is pretty well represented, too,” said Council President and Queen of Wien, Janet Riley.  “Whether you are visiting a particular region and want to find the hometown dog or want to send the link of your favorite restaurant to a friend, you can find it on our new map.  And if you don’t see your favorite place to get a hot dog, let us know and we’ll be sure to add it!” 

 

 

Chipotle, that wonderful purveor of ginormous, super delicious burritos, announced recently that it'll pay one winner $10,000 for their ad submission ... and may put the winner’s favorite food combination on its menu as part of its “My Chipotle” advertising campaign.  The Mexican grill chain launched the user-generated campaign in May, without the lure of a ten grand prize. 

“When we launched the My Chipotle campaign, our intention was to harness the power of our most loyal fans and to empower them as messengers for Chipotle,” said Mark Crumpacker, chief marketing officer of Chipotle.  “While we have received hundreds of submissions and registered thousands of users at the My Chipotle website, we wanted our customers to know how much we appreciate their contributions to the campaign by giving them an opportunity to be rewarded for their best submissions.”

I'm always on the prowl for a better way to explain what ConsumerPassion is all about, and Crumpacker hit my nail on the head when he said their intention was to "harness the power of our most loyal fans and to empower them as messengers for Chipotle".  Amen.  There's no better way to ignite your marketing than to empower your customers by super serving them and exceeding their expectations.

From the press release:  

Winners will be determined by a panel of Chipotle marketing staff and the company’s advertising agency based on how well they discuss Chipotle menu items while remaining consistent with the company’s values and image.  Chipotle will announce winners August 26.

The first prize winner will receive $10,000 and may have their burrito added to the Chipotle menu for a limited time.  Second prize is $5,000 and a party at a local Chipotle restaurant for 50 people, and third prize will be burritos for a year (amounting to one burrito a week for a year).  Additional prizes will also be awarded. To be eligible for the contest, entries must be submitted via mychipotle.com by August 14.  Any spots submitted to mychipotle.com could be used in the company’s ongoing advertising.