Starbucks has been taking it on the chin lately in certain corners of the blogosphere in response to their “Cheer Chain” promotion. It seems that random acts of kindness began popping up in stores all over the country, in which a person in line quietly paid for the following customer. Some hailed it as a Scrooge-wakes-up-on-Christmas-a-changed-man expression of goodwill among humankind and peace on earth, with a modern twist. One breathless reporter in Pittsburgh noted a two-hour, 100-person chain that even included some customers offering more money to make up for people (Grinches) who broke the chain.
Others weren’t so cheery, deriding it as a contrived PR stunt by a company too eager to cash in on the holiday spirit, with pre-made coupons to start a chain available in some magazines.
On a Starbucks Web site, you can search for Cheer Chains the globe over.
So what do you think – is capitalizing on the holiday spirit a fun way to celebrate, or a shameless profit grab?
40 responses so far ↓
Me // December 22, 2007 at 7:12 pm |
This is what I thought it was when I first heard about it. Thank you for confirming.
inuvikphil // December 22, 2007 at 7:50 pm |
This is fake…everyone knows only overstressed yuppies shop at Starbucks.
nynerd // December 22, 2007 at 8:19 pm |
this is class A premium grade marketing, and it worked.
Heather // December 22, 2007 at 10:06 pm |
Why does it matter if it was a PR stunt or not?
What matters is that people were given an easy way to do a nice thing for a stranger during the holiday season – and it worked. If only all PR stunts inspired such altruism.
Quick252 // December 22, 2007 at 10:16 pm |
I work at Starbucks and this happens every once in a while but only in drive through. The first time I saw it happen a guy was paying for his wife behind him, he said” If I do this maybe she won’t divorce me!”. Another time it was a woman paying for her friend behind her who was pregnant. They both started a little run lasting only about 6-7 people.
alex // December 22, 2007 at 10:37 pm |
Check out this BS story on the AP: …good deed set off a chain of 1,013 customers paying for the next person’s drink.
Link: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gBTZWvKL0R8ytHDSURyKRyUN4JRwD8TM0T1O0
metalphil // December 22, 2007 at 11:08 pm |
Yeah, I work at Starbucks as well… and while this actually hasnt happened when I’ve been working, I’m encouraged that it has for other people. It’s great that Starbucks has done this, I mean, its a step in the right direction. I think we could all use a bit more of this in our everyday lives. God be with us.
Warren // December 22, 2007 at 11:20 pm |
Wow. Makes me want to run out and buy coffee. Overpriced coffee with an attitude. Lots of it.
Sarah // December 22, 2007 at 11:54 pm |
Great PR stunt from a marketing stand point. Think about it… people may be buying the next guy a coffee… but they are all paying Starbucks. It’s pretty lame to think of this as “altruism” – It only proves how shallow people are and how little they really think.
Juliet // December 23, 2007 at 12:21 am |
I work at an independent coffee house, and only go to Starbucks when I have to… That being said, my work is half an hour away from my school, so I’m a bit of a regular at my local Starbucks. On numerous occasions, they’ve randomly given me free coffee (no mention of someone paying for it, just “here, have it on us…happy holidays”) and one time they gave me my entire order, food and all, for free because I’d forgotten my debit card. Admittedly, it is much easier for them to do this than it is for my work place, as they are a large chain, but it certainly makes me slow to bash them. Their coffee may suck, but it is consistent and not the worst coffee out there.
Like Heather said above, who cares if it is a PR stunt? It works and it certainly makes my day a little better… Why complain about PR if it accomplishes something good?
RockinMoe // December 23, 2007 at 12:27 am |
If the person in front of you paid for your coffee and you pay for the person behind you, you’re just paying for your coffee.
monkeyknuckle // December 23, 2007 at 1:20 am |
OK, it appears to definitely be a stunt but more likely something that happens on occasion on its own, they encouraged it and are capitalizing on it. Shameless corporate drek, yes. But confirmed as an orchestrated disinformation campaign? Despite your headline, there is no proof, no “confirmation.”
T-Nizzle // December 23, 2007 at 1:20 am |
Did it today, it was fun.
So, I was going through the drive-through anyway, I never could have known about this happening. How is this a PR stunt?
tikiloungelizard // December 23, 2007 at 1:21 am |
Why give this the headline, “Yes, it was a PR stunt” when it seems like there is still some uncertainty as to whether it was or was not?
White Men Can’t Wrap… « Thoughts From A Member of the Human Race // December 23, 2007 at 1:36 am |
[...] looked it up on Snopes) and now I’m learning that those wonderful, heartwarming stories about people paying it forward in Starbucks (Starbuckes? Starbuxes?) across the country are probably publicity stunts designed to garner more [...]
BeanThere // December 23, 2007 at 4:04 am |
How amusing. Why should any regular customer of Starbuck’s be upset about this PR stunt? Starbucks itself is one big PR stunt. It certainly isn’t about a good cup of coffee.
nuntapodech // December 23, 2007 at 5:02 am |
hello, test
Martin // December 23, 2007 at 5:17 am |
Everybody still has to pay, and the first person in the chain has to pay twice. There’s no “cheer” for anyone until someone breaks the chain, and they get called Grinches.
Maverick // December 23, 2007 at 7:50 am |
I’m a barista at Starbucks in San Antonio. I’ve witnessed passing the cheer from our regulars a few times. A customer once even paid for a drive thru purchase while inside the Cafe. I think that is great!
I wouldn’t degrade it a “stunt”, but more like a intelligent marketing. Go ask Steve Jobs or whoever is the CEO of the company of the item you bought as a gift for your family this year.
Love is good and free, but it won’t pay for the computer your using.
Your slanted reporting on a simple good willed marketing champaign might have exposed what your holiday spirit is focused on.
Shii // December 23, 2007 at 8:43 am |
Maverick, what about the people who have to pay for the order of a whole family of five?
Damien Mulley » Blog Archive » As much as I try not to, I love this // December 23, 2007 at 10:23 am |
[...] Starbucks got pants-down caught with rigging some fake Christmas cheer this year with their “cheer chain” idea which is [...]
Maverick // December 23, 2007 at 11:41 am |
You don’t have to participate if you don’t want to. Or just pay for a portion of the purchase. It’s all about_your_heart.
jonolan // December 23, 2007 at 3:18 pm |
Stunt or not, it just plain nice.
rationalpsychic // December 23, 2007 at 4:32 pm |
I don’t like this. It brings up some questions for me. Are you giving someone something or aren’t you? Who benefits if the sales of Starbucks’ products increase? If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a noise? The answer to this question canNOT be the same as, “If a corporation encourages you to buy a coffee for your neighbor, have you truly GIVEN something without thought of getting something in return?” For me, the answer is “no” because the corporation is both providing a “prime-the-pump” style impetus to one’s generosity and a type of safety net which unadulterated forms of charity cannot provide by their very definition.
I’ve been a perpetually-awakening consumer since the late ’70’s and it surprises and concerns me that more intelligent people don’t see to the root of these promotional campaigns. Take a break from TV and magazines for a month, then come back and see if the difference doesn’t tell you how deafening the cry of salespeople is through the media.
My best conclusion from looking at this one is that we are starting to have a difficulty understanding the difference between actual acts of kindness, initiated and followed through on our own and the experience of “virtual charity” which acts to provide with a perfunctory gesture you can make and a canned response of, “you may now call yourself a charitable person.”
I’m so glad I have a 4-year-old who will call me on my own bullshit. Merry Christmas!
Law Student Blog // December 23, 2007 at 5:19 pm |
Seems like a PR stunt to me.. but can’t blame ‘em if it works!
Adam // December 23, 2007 at 5:44 pm |
Echoing what some others have said: I doesn’t matter if its a PR stunt. It doesn’t matter if the only person who gets a charitable cup of coffee is the last person in the chain. Each link in the chain is a moment of positive interaction between human beings. This works in two ways: it feels good to do something for someone else, and it feels good to have something done for you. The fact that Starbucks benefits from the marketing of it is irrelevant.
JoyChaser.com » Just Because Something Is Popular, Doesn’t Mean Its Bad - A blog for those in pursuit of happiness // December 23, 2007 at 6:01 pm |
[...] seen a lot of posts recently bashing the Starbucks “cheer chains” as a marketing ploy. So here’s a question for you: why does it matter if Starbucks takes [...]
thelastcenturion // December 23, 2007 at 6:24 pm |
If Starbuck’s wasn’t charging an arm and a leg for their product then I people might be willing to this, Starbuck’s is too expensive, it’s as simple as that.
Trikinhuelas » Blog Archive » Cadenas en los Starbucks // December 23, 2007 at 8:45 pm |
[...] Via PhotoMatt me entero que en algunos Starbucks ha estado sucediento algo curioso: un cliente paga su cuenta y la de la persona…. [...]
Network Geek // December 23, 2007 at 11:09 pm |
Well, if it was a PR stunt, it worked, didn’t it? How many people have been talking about Starbuck’s as a result? Even the “negative” press is good advertising, after all, there’s no such thing as bad publicity, right?
Adam // December 23, 2007 at 11:16 pm |
Centurion: it won’t cost you any more if you don’t start the chain.
Continuing the chain is still kindness. You’ve got a free coffee. You don’t have to pay for the next person’s coffee. Sure, if you do pay the money you spend is no different to buying a coffee without a cheer chain, but this way you’re still directly paying for the coffee of the guy behind you when you didn’t need to.
diptychal // December 24, 2007 at 4:46 am |
I don’t understand why people are up in arms about this. Even if it started as a PR stunt it still resulted in a sense of goodwill.
Why does it matter how it originated? Did it actually boost their sales? I highly doubt it.
Unbunch your panties people and just appreciate the fact that it resulted in some kindness in a pretty sh*tty world.
mrcorey // December 24, 2007 at 5:10 am |
Well, if you’re in line to buy a coffee anyways…
Chad // December 24, 2007 at 10:09 am |
Let’s see, toys for orphans, food for the needy, or paying for hot water poured through charcoal (Starbucks special blend) for the guy behind me for the same amount of money I was going to pay anyways. This is pathetic. It’s not kindness, it’s not altruism. It’s a way for greedy people to feel like they’ve done something at Christmas to assuage some of the guilt.
Pirates! Man Your Women! » Blog Archive » Leaving a bad taste in my mouth // December 24, 2007 at 10:17 am |
[...] see, toys for orphans, food for the needy, or paying for hot water poured through charcoal (Starbucks special blend) for the yuppie scum behind me… I was going to pay anyways. This is pathetic. It’s not kindness, it’s not altruism. It’s a [...]
app // December 25, 2007 at 6:32 am |
Why does this have to be limited to Starbucks?
Why can’t you give the cashier an extra $1 at McDonald’s and tell them to give the person behind them something from the $1 menu?
Why can’t you buy the person behind you a dozen donuts at Dunkin Donuts? (they have better coffee, for less money than Starbucks, any way)
You can do this anywhere, any time of the year.
Starbucks does not have the market cornered as being the only place you can be generous to a stranger, nor do you have to do it in some sort of chain style, nor can you only do this at Christmas time.
If you want to do something like this as a gesture of generosity to a stranger, make it your goal not to be just part of a chain…start one. And it’s ok if the person behind you breaks the chain and doesn’t pass it on. It’s not being a Scrooge or a Grinch.
People have been doing this in bars for years, buying strangers a drink.
It’s not original, it’s not unique, and it doesn’t have to be part of a PR stunt, if you really want to be generous.
Brian // December 26, 2007 at 12:36 pm |
PR stunt or not, I appreciate human beings acting as the good-will ambassador for a company. Granted they may be planted! Sure beats The Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, or does it?
David G. Johnson // December 27, 2007 at 9:38 pm |
I had NO IDEA I was an overstressed yuppie! Thanks for telling me… I mean, really, how else would I have known?
Now… where did I put that Grande Almond Cappuccino?
Random Thoughts » Blog Archive » Starbucks cheer chain // December 28, 2007 at 12:17 am |
[...] the car behind me, never thought about a chain of giving could be started this way. Funny. Cool. At Starbucks people have been starting “cheer chains” where they pay extra money to pick up the coffee of the person behind them in the drive-thru. Some have gone 2 solid [...]
All Syndication » Blog Archive » Matt: Starbucks Cheer Chain // January 9, 2008 at 1:21 am |
[...] At Starbucks people have been starting “cheer chains” where they pay extra money to pick up the coffee of the person behind them in the drive-thru. Some have gone 2 solid hours. The blogger is cynical, but some of the comments are from baristas that work at Starbucks. I want to believe. [...]