Starbucks to Publish Original Stories to Inspire Customers

The Boston Globe reported that coffee giant Starbucks will start publishing stories about inspiring Americans to help the coffee chain deepen its relationship with customers and cement its identity as a positive force on social issues.

The Globe said that Starbucks has decided to channel its resources and customer data into the world of ''content creation'' by publishing a series of text, video, and podcasts on subjects including a former NFL player who helps disabled veterans. The company says it is aiming for the quality level of prestigious newspapers like The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Starbucks announced that it will promote the ''Upstanders'' series in stores and on its mobile app over the next 10 weeks.

CEO Howard Schultz said the mobile app, which accounts for 25 percent of Starbucks transactions, is a ''treasure trove'' that can give content considerable exposure.

Schultz believe that retailers like Starbucks need to evolve to be more ''experiential,'' and that he believes the coffee company will continue to pursue original, engaging and meaningful content.

The Globe said that Starbucks has long been known for its health and education benefits for employees highlighting the company's serious efforts to address social inequality.

Last year, it had employees write ''Race Together'' on cups in the wake of protests over police killings of black men. The move was criticized as opportunistic and inappropriate coming from a company better known for pricey lattes, but such efforts have nevertheless fostered Starbucks' liberal image.

Schultz said the changing ''rules of engagement'' means businesses now have to show customers they're giving back to the community.

Schultz also said that the Upstanders series is not branded content or marketing because it's not about Starbucks but a way for the company to try and connect directly with customers with an inspiring message.

Starbucks had been ''offered lots of money from other media companies'' to feature their content on the company's app, citing movie trailers as an example. The company said a previously announced deal to feature select New York Times stories on its app is still in the works.

Rajiv Chandrasekaran, a Starbucks public affairs executive and a former Washington Post correspondent, said he applied the same standards to the Upstanders series that he would have while he was a reporter.

''We're really trying to create the sort of stories that would stand on their own on the Washington Post and New York Times website,'' he said.