Thursday, October 20

Topic

  • Starbucks Case Discussion

Objective

  • To gain a better understanding of when and how companies should engage in brand activism
  • To strengthen your ability to evaluate alternatives in view of substantive decision criteria

Discussion Questions

  1. What decision needs to be made in the Starbucks case, and what alternatives should Johnson be considering? Arrive at three alternatives, with one being to only engage in brand activism on the topic of race relations in America nonconfrontationally (see Chatterji and Toffel 2018, p. 82).
  2. What guiding principles should Starbucks use to decide among initiatives that it could pursue to improve race relations in America? Define and rank the guiding principles you arrive at cogently.

Assignments Due

  • Answers to today’s discussion questions
    • After signing into Blackboard, submit your answers to this folder
  • Discuss your analysis of the Starbucks case with your group members before today’s class

Assignments Made

  • Starbucks Case Reflection
  • Answers to the discussion questions for our next session of marketing
  • Discuss your analysis of the Tesla case with your group members before our next session of marketing

References

Chatterji, Aaron K. and Michael W. Toffel (2018), “The New CEO Activists,” Harvard Business Review, 96 (1), 78–89.
Craddock, Jenny, Jeff Boichuk, Luca Cian, and Bidhan L. Parmar (2018), Brand Activism at Starbucks–A Tall Order?, Charlottesville, VA: Darden Business Publishing.