The rate at which communicators are embracing social
networking as a useful corporate tool continues to amaze. Yesterday, Starbucks
CEO Howard Schultz vowed to reverse the popular chain's slide into mediocrity
with a bold and expensive strategy. The new plan includes investing in
the pricey Clover coffee brewer and launching a social networking site for
customers to share their ideas about the company. Some critics have
blamed Starbucks' foray into food sales and flavored beverages for the company
losing its focus on brewing good coffee. According the Seattle
Times, the expensive new machines should hush these nay-sayers.
"There are only a couple of hundred Clover machines in coffee shops and
high-end personal kitchens worldwide,” Nosler told the paper. The retail price
for the commercial machine, which requires plumbing and higher voltage than
found in most kitchens, is $11,000, the Times reports.
Also:
Though users seem to have forgiven Facebook for the Beacon debacle, the startup
presses forward with new
privacy controls.
Kimberly-Clark is partnering
with Meet Up to start a social networking site for Moms.
The trend towards reporting on the sex life of elected officials
continues. The US National Archives released 11,000
diary pages from Hillary Clinton's days as First Lady. The first news story from the
release? Hillary was in the White House during her husband's encounters
with Monica Lewinsky.