Starbucks and Zeitgeist (the Spirit of Our Times)
Interesting article on why Starbucks is so successful. John D. Markman from MSN Money says that Starbucks success comes from getting us to pay $3.22 for a latte which is basically coffee and steamed milk (I like Caramel Macchiato's myself - yum!). It is basically financially irrational. So, how to they get us to do it? Well, they provide things like atmosphere, community, status, a sense of peace and routine, and a good product. With all of that, they are able to wring our dollars out of us. Even the compassion that Starbucks shows (go to their website) fits the image of a company that is making a difference in our lives and the world. Interesting concept. I wonder what the implications are for our daily lives? Maybe things like beauty, art, acceptance, community, peace, transendence are pretty important to humans, even if we have to find them in a cup of coffee. Maybe those things are important because they speak to the God who created us and wants us to live in relationship with Him so that He can provide us with those things. Maybe us Christians who claim to know Him should take note of what really speaks to people.
posted by Alan Cross @ 2:16 PM
3 Comments:
At 8:59 PM,
Anonymous said…
I agree. why do we pay so much for so seemingly little, the people and the atmosphere. and interesting thought.
At 10:03 AM,
Alan Cross said…
I think that maybe atmosphere is pretty important to us. Our society has become so functional that we have left beauty, art, and a sense of atmosphere out of most places. The modern age taught us to always choose function over form. You ever go to a college campus and see the buildings built in the 1950's and 1960's? They are ugly boxes for the most part, while the buildings built in the 1800's are less functional but they are beautiful. That is what I loved about Europe - so much of the old beauty still remains while in the U.S. we tear down everything to put up a new Wal-Mart. While Starbucks does not signal a return to romantic architecture, I still think that the success of it has to do with the fact that we want to hang out in a coffee house rather than just have a cup from our own pot. It has to do with aesthetic appeal, community, and a sense of identity. In this case, we see form beginning to take precedent over function. Um, plus, I reallly like the Caramel Macchiatto.
At 10:04 AM,
Alan Cross said…
I think that maybe atmosphere is pretty important to us. Our society has become so functional that we have left beauty, art, and a sense of atmosphere out of most places. The modern age taught us to always choose function over form. You ever go to a college campus and see the buildings built in the 1950's and 1960's? They are ugly boxes for the most part, while the buildings built in the 1800's are less functional but they are beautiful. That is what I loved about Europe - so much of the old beauty still remains while in the U.S. we tear down everything to put up a new Wal-Mart. While Starbucks does not signal a return to romantic architecture, I still think that the success of it has to do with the fact that we want to hang out in a coffee house rather than just have a cup from our own pot. It has to do with aesthetic appeal, community, and a sense of identity. In this case, we see form beginning to take precedent over function. Um, plus, I reallly like the Caramel Macchiatto.
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