On August 28, Starbucks stores will begin selling "Saturday Night Live: The Best of '06/'07" -- a DVD set that you'll only find at Starbucks (at least for a while). The venture marks the first time NBC Universal Television Distribution has created an exclusive DVD release for a retailer. (Reuters.com)
July 17, 2007
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooo ooo oo o!
Posted by: | July 17, 2007 at 08:28 PM
I wish I worked for the entertainment side of the company....we'll just keep selling all sorts of random forms of media entertainment until we find what works....I do not think this will...Happy Feet, Akeelah and the Bee, books, that White Xmas dvd....waste of our time and nothing to link to coffee what so ever
Posted by: | July 17, 2007 at 08:39 PM
How are they going to spin that this aligns with our company values? This news is sickening.
Posted by: J | July 17, 2007 at 08:44 PM
Really? SNL? REALLY??? Ugh.
Posted by: corianderstem | July 17, 2007 at 10:02 PM
That's gonna be one short dvd.
Posted by: harmaa | July 18, 2007 at 12:16 AM
People, I don't see what's so awful about this..You know they will sell somewhat, and let's not lie, you know people will buy it solely for "Dick In a Box", which means Starbucks will make money off of it, with minimal investment. The brand is expanding, and we will have to take the good with the bad.
Posted by: DuelingDuettos | July 18, 2007 at 12:17 AM
It's fun to think that someone behind the scenes thought it would be a good idea to pile yet more complexity onto the back of the barista without asking or training or pumping up of the folks who will be asked to do not only their regular job, but something that boosts the resume of the creator. If you only knew how quickly this sort of thing will take the company further down the wrong path...
It's only a matter of time before they start outsourcing things like HR and diplacing people.
Posted by: Pat Nerr | July 18, 2007 at 06:58 AM
"It's fun to think that someone behind the scenes thought it would be a good idea to pile yet more complexity onto the back of the barista without asking or training "
You're an idiot, who needs training to sell a freaking DVD? You don't like it, don't work for us. Whiney ass baristas are becoming the norm here. You need special training to ring up a dvd then you gotta be a fool.
Posted by: | July 18, 2007 at 07:06 AM
really? you think 'da bucks would sell a dvd with the 'dick in a box' skit?? that doesn't seem 'brand appropriate'.
Posted by: who? me? | July 18, 2007 at 07:53 AM
I was going to buy this when I heard about it, but after clicking on the link and reading that it's going to include a bonus DVD of "30 Rock" material? I'll be there the night it goes on sale now. "30 Rock" is the funniest show on TV since season 2 of "The Office."
Posted by: Matthew | July 18, 2007 at 08:32 AM
Why do I have a feeling that this is part of the reason stock has been going down? People are getting tired of seeing Starbucks on everything. I work for the company and I'm getting tired of it.
Howie--stick to what you do best and just sell coffee & tea.
Posted by: Stacy | July 18, 2007 at 12:12 PM
I am less concerned about an unobtrusive rack of DVDs than I am about the loud music that continues to blast through every single store. I go to indy coffee shops (with shitty coffee and no employee discount) now on my days off to read because because there I can at least hear myself think.
Posted by: Elizabeth | July 18, 2007 at 01:40 PM
Umm, are there really any "Best ofs" for the 06/07 season?
Posted by: bg | July 18, 2007 at 03:23 PM
this dvd sounds awesome!
Pat Nerr: they did outsource HR http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.aspx?Symbol=US:SBUX&Feed=ACBJ&Date=20070712&ID=7160129
Elizebeth, have you asked your manager to turn the volume down?
Posted by: kcbarista | July 18, 2007 at 08:57 PM
All partners reading this should send in a Mission review and get Starbucks to reverse this decision.
Posted by: R | July 18, 2007 at 09:59 PM
like I said a long time ago....Starbucks Music/Entertainment is run by...........idiots. I don't care if profit is important to Starbucks' growth, but blindly putting out DVDS and CDs in this manner is going to help.
Profit by sticking with Starbucks does best originally in the first place and keeping the quality consistent should be a good focus.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 18, 2007 at 10:18 PM
I guess I'm the odd ball out. But then again, my store doesn't stress me out. I think it's a funny idea that they're selling it. Besides, this proves that Starbucks has what it takes to take a risk and see if it works.
That's good enough for me. It's what made us big, wasn't it? Taking a risk?
Your Friendly Shift Supervisor,
The Case
Posted by: The Case | July 19, 2007 at 02:43 AM
"like I said a long time ago....Starbucks Music/Entertainment is run by...........idiots"
Like we've ALL said before, "anonymous, you're an idiot"!! Every damn one of your posts confirms that, stop talking FOOL!!!!
Posted by: | July 19, 2007 at 06:40 AM
I think there is a very real place in Starbucks cafes for books, music, and video. While at some level, this should be left to Barnes and Noble, I think a well placed, intellegent, and informed rack of offerings is a fantastic idea. That said, why not books on or related to coffee growing regions/counties, cookbooks, and though provokative reads. I hated to see Mitch Albom's book, hated it even more after reading it. Ishmael Beah's Memoirs also was a poor choice, due to shitty editing and on Starbucks' part, an almost complete disconnect with the issues the book attempted to address.
If Bux is going to sell stuff, do it intelligently. Now, I know that a large portion of Sbux customers aren't mentally capable of finding Waldo (hence the recent trend toward stuffed animals, bright colorful mugs, and straws), but smart consumers will buy media properly packaged, properly marketed, properly priced.
What if rather than waste its instore advertising dollars on narissism, lets run posters and ads for a cause or meaningful, though provoking product. Customers who go into Starbucks know where they are without needing to see an orgie of Starbucks self love on every printed item in the store.
Posted by: Weasel | July 19, 2007 at 11:14 AM
to 'no name'
You're the FOOL if you think Starbucks' marketing of SNL is a stroke of genius. It's the stupidest thing they've ever done and unrelated to the brand. They're grasping at straws...LOOK at them! LOOK at what corporate is doing.
Go ahead and kiss Uncle Howie's ass....if you love the mermaid so much. Quit defending the sheer stupidity of the marketing department. You know it. You're so ingrained into the culture that you cannot SEE what the hell is going on.
Go take a vacation, far away from every coffee house and just watch Starbucks' from an outside POV. I have every right to make an opinion, but you don't have the right to attack it.
You're the intolerable vermin.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 19, 2007 at 04:02 PM
anonymous,
You need the vacation, I can almost see the veins popping out of your head as you write this. Please tell me you don't work for starbucks. I see what corporate is doing, they are branching out. Are you that narrow minded? I'm going to say this one last time, you are an ass....can we put it to rest now?
Posted by: | July 20, 2007 at 10:40 AM
Let's knock off the name-calling so I don't have to start deleting posts and banning people.
Posted by: STARBUCKS GOSSIP WEBMASTER | July 20, 2007 at 11:30 AM
I think Sbux needs to drop the whole 'music' thing all together. We never sell CDs...EVER. I keep hoping one day I can ring up the SKU but no....... no one... ever.... buys the music we offer. Paul McCartney hasn't sold annnnything in our store....
Posted by: Starista17 | July 26, 2007 at 01:54 AM
i thought too it was irrelevant but i wouldn't stress too much about it. if you despise SNL, just walk to the counter without looking through the dvds/music..ur coffee/frap/tea will taste just fine. anyone find out the price of the dvd??
Posted by: | August 25, 2007 at 11:21 PM