Starbucks advertisement

[andrew martin]

I recently went in to the new Starbucks coffeehouse in Nicholasville, KY and was looking at the poster add for several new maple flavored desserts and coffees at the store. Pictured was a man leaning against (what appears to me to be a red maple) maple tree while the grass is green and the maple leaves are out. There are buckets hanging from the maple tree as well. I told my wife about the poster, jokingly telling her that I wouldn't eat that stuff because it will be very sour. she sighed as usual, and we enjoyed the rest of our date with another couple we met at Starbucks. I did not say anything to a manager, but e-mailed corporate headquarters when we got home. Maybe I will get a free coupon??
Andrew

[royalmaple]

I guess corporate starbucks ad people thought the leaves and green grass looked better to John Q Public...than mud, dirty melting snow, bare trees with beautiful clear sap running into the buckets :lol: :lol:

I guess at least it wasn't fall foliage with the buckets on the trees.

[HanginAround]

Too funny. But really, that kinda thing drives me nuts. They should be educating, not un-educating.

[brookledge]

Do they use maple syrup in any of their deserts?
If they do not use maple syrup and are advertising as such then they should be reported and required to change their add.
I know from time to time restraunts will advertise maple syrup in their menu when in fact they only serve fake stuff.
Keith

[andrew martin]

I don't know the extent of their maple usage at their stores. They are advertising a maple flavored coffee, whether it has pure maple syrup in it i do not know. I believe that Starbucks as a whole has very high ethical business practices - certainly their employees are treated very well, much better than Wal-Mart employees. A friend of ours works at Starbucks, and she gives Starbucks five stars for employee care. I do not think Starbucks is trying to pull a fast one, they just made a technical mistake in the ad.

Andrew

[markcasper]

brookledge, it seems alot of places advertise "maple syrup", when actually there is NO maple syrup in the concoction at all. It must be ok to do that just as long as they don't have the word "pure" in front of that.

It is frustrating for all of us to see this, yet I have never brought it up at a meeting. Its funny how a product can have no "real" maple syrup in it at all, yet its strictly is sometimes called maple syrup. It'd be like calling water with white food coloring in it "milk". Starnge at best. Mark

[HanginAround]

Tim Horton (Canadian coffee chain) had a big maple promo one spring a couple yrs ago... maple flavoured donuts and other assorted baked goods, lots of advertising, and I'm sure (almost sure?) there was no maple syrup in anything. I never did find out for sure. It was doubly aggravating since it was during "the season".

[HanginAround]

Here's an eBay vendor selling "Authentic Starbucks Maple Syrup"

http://cgi.ebay.com/STARBUCKS-MAPLE-SYRUP-W-PUMP_W0QQitemZ220041322742QQihZ012QQcategoryZ10795 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Looks like "Maple Flavoured Sauce" on the label. Someone should report them.

[super sappy]

I ll bet you 10 to 1 that this seller is a crack head!!!Stolen from the back room.

[mcmp]

I am having a problem understanding why this issue is so disturbing. The large chains are not going to buy your syrup, so you are not missing sales. Who cares !, Use it to your advantage, they sell the Maple Flavor Stuff, you sell the Pure. Hold as open house, put up signs, put in in your local newspaper, invite everyone to your sugar house. Have a few gallons with the tiny catsup paper cups and a pump on a gallon jug, you pump the samples. Let them taste the real stuff, you will gain customers, and the Maple Flavored Joints will drive them to you. Sure its going to cost you some syrup for samples, but you will gain it back in revenue many times over. Don't think everyone has tasted Pure. They have not. I am still surprised how many in the North East tell me they have never tasted Pure.

Or, Polish up your Maple Syrup Police badge real shiney and go arrest all of them.

Paul

[HanginAround]

I know fake doesn't really compete, what bother me is the perception that something that's fake is in fact real. As long as consumers know what they are getting, it's fine by me.

[Revi]

Most people have no idea whatsoever as to where maple syrup comes from. They think it's boiled down by elves in a hollow tree. Even around here a lot of people have no idea when maple season is. They do show up for the syrup, though. We are an anomaly. We still produce a food product here in the US. The US became a net importer of food in 2005. The value of the products brought in exceeded the value of those exported. Maple syrup is one of those things you can't make anywhere else but here and Canada. I think Starbucks should feature pictures of snow covered sugarhouses, people carrying buckets down muddy dirt roads and kids catching the first drop of sap. That's way more beautiful than some fake picture.

[325abn]

I am having a problem understanding why this issue is so disturbing. The large chains are not going to buy your syrup, so you are not missing sales. Who cares !, Use it to your advantage, they sell the Maple Flavor Stuff, you sell the Pure. Hold as open house, put up signs, put in in your local newspaper, invite everyone to your sugar house. Have a few gallons with the tiny catsup paper cups and a pump on a gallon jug, you pump the samples. Let them taste the real stuff, you will gain customers, and the Maple Flavored Joints will drive them to you. Sure its going to cost you some syrup for samples, but you will gain it back in revenue many times over. Don't think everyone has tasted Pure. They have not. I am still surprised how many in the North East tell me they have never tasted Pure.

Or, Polish up your Maple Syrup Police badge real shiney and go arrest all of them.

Paul

Thanks for the idea!! :D I was looking for a GOOD way to give out samples at the Farmers Market! :D I think I will let them pump there own. I am sure this will sell syrup for me. :lol:

[mcmp]

Well.....be careful. Some people will try to drink the Maple, especially kids. May I suggest a nice plastic tray with maybe a dozen catsup cups filled with syrup. As the supply is diminshed you can add more cups. If you see someone or a group guzzleing the maple, say nothing, there is only 12 little tiny catsup cups at the most and they are gone. Just dont put out any more until they leave. Your not the bad guy by telling them they can have no more or for kids to hit the road.

Talk to the people, be friendly, BE FRIENDLY !!! You want to get the message to them that Maple is NOT just for pan cakes. You could have a nice sign listing all the other uses for maple. Tell the that they will kill for Cheese Cake drenched in Maple. Tell them about Maple on Pork, Chicken, Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Ice Cream.

You want them to get hooked on the Stickey stuff, use it on many foods and in turn you sell more.

Don't knock Maple Syrup flavored by Dupont !!!! Don't have fake Maple for them to compare !!!! Some may like the fake more and tell others the fake is better. Just simply push your good Maple.

I hope this helps, there is a great market, good money to be made selling the stickey stuff. Find your spot and go fof it.

Paul

[325abn]

This past season I sold all I had to sell 7 Gals. I sold all of it in 1/2 pint and pint sized mason jars with a nice piece of cloth tied to the tops with jute. The jars really added to my stand of Organic veggies.

[Revi]

I have to say that maple syrup is about the easiest thing to sell in the world. It keeps too, so you can sell it for a year. Having maple syrup is like having money in the bank. I just wish we had more than 25 gallons per year to sell. The real thing is best sold at the sugarhouse. People will actually come to your place of business, out in the woods, slog through mud to get it. Starbucks has nothing on us!

[mcmp]

I was in the local Grand Union this morning shopping. In the Baking aisle was a display for "SUGAR FREE" Maple Syrup. In the tiny, tiny, tiny print, it says imitation. Duh !!! I bet that stuff tastes great LOL

Paul

[Russell Lampron]

I can think of another word for what it taste like and it isn't "great". :lol:

Russ