Ethiopian defense: Starbucks flops on YouTube

Posted by: Stephen Baker on December 21, 2006

In a two-minute YouTube clip, a Starbucks official, Dub Hay, defends the company in its trademark battle with Ethiopia. Idea Sandbox links to it. I can’t find it by myself in YouTube, for some reason. Maybe it wasn’t well tagged. But aside from that technical issue, the video flops because it’s a boring, self-reverential news release. If we’re going to see only one side of the story, the anti-Starbucks protesters on YouTube put on a far better show. If Starbucks wants to use video, it should be at least a wee bit compelling. And it would gain credibility by presenting the opposing side. How about letting Dub Hay debate some of the protesters?

Reader Comments

Zac Rivera

December 21, 2006 11:21 AM

I suspect Starbucks wanted to respond and be a part of the conversation ASAP, hence the dull video. According to YouTube, Dub Hay's video was posted two days after Oxfam's; not awful lot of time for the company to edit something compelling, especially considering the speed at which large corporations move.

A YouTube debate would be a great next step.

Paul (from Idea Sandbox)

December 21, 2006 12:49 PM

Well put! (Although your link in your post goes 2x to the protest link... the first should link to Starbucks' comment at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dteTrEM7mlM

steve baker

December 21, 2006 08:11 PM

Thanks Paul. I've fixed the links in the story, and put one in for you

Michelle

December 22, 2006 12:53 PM

No, two days is not a lot of time to edit something compelling, however Oxfam's video came out 24 hours after the day of action happened, so Oxfam actually had less time than Starbucks did to film and edit their video. There is no comparison in the quality or the message of the video...maybe it's more difficult to come up with something quickly when it isn't true.

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In Blogspotting Senior Writer Stephen Baker and Associate Editor Heather Green take a look at how cutting-edge technologies are changing business and society. Whether its blogs or wikis, data crunching or data targeting, technology’s advances are reshaping the world that we live in.

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