Just a Minute!

Starbucks asks us to embrace reverse snobbism (7/17/09)

     It’s not easy being seen.

     When you’re so annoyingly visible that it becomes a liability, the only alternative is to go undercover. And so Starbucks, which remains bent on world domination in spite of closing hundreds of stores this past year, is going the camouflage route.

     It still wants your money. But it doesn’t necessarily want you to know it’s all going to a corporate monolith just slightly smaller than the Borg. Thus, it’s trying out a new concept: Starbucks stores that don’t tell you they’re Starbucks stores.

     Would a Starbucks by any other name smell as corporate?

     We’ll soon see. The company is changing the name of one of its Capitol Hill stores to 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea to better reflect the neighborhood. It’s part of a grand experiment to cater to people who’d rather not be seen consorting with Big Coffee.

     There’s nothing new here. Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors make “craft style” beers under pseudonyms so consumers won’t necessarily know they’re supporting Big Beer. You may not like supporting Colgate-Palmolive, but you’re doing exactly that if you use Tom’s of Maine toothpaste.

     Ironically, it seems we all prefer to patronize the “mom-and-pop” store even after we’ve had a hand in putting it out of business.

JUST A MINUTE! is a weekly essay intended to be read in about 60 seconds. Find more online at seattlepostglobe.org.