What does a lawsuit over corporate fraud have in common with conspiracy theories about the wireless future? At the bottom of both is nothing more than a simple Starbucks coupon.
On August 23, 2006, a Starbucks coupon for a free large iced drink was emailed to selected employees with directions for it to also be forwarded to family and friends. However, once corporate executives saw how widely this Starbucks coupon had been distributed in just the first week – “beyond the original intent” in the company’s words – it was recalled. Thousands of coffee lovers were left out to dry with their Starbucks coupon in hand.
One employee in particular, 23-year-old Kelly Coakley, felt betrayed that her Starbucks coupon was not honoured. Instead of just letting it go, Coakley hired attorney Peter Sullivan and together, the two file a lawsuit against the Seattle-based giant in the New York Supreme Court. Coakley is demanding $114 million in damages for consumers who had their Starbucks coupon rejected. He is also seeking class action status.
“Starbucks should account to the thousands of consumers who relied upon the advertisement, went out of their way to stop by a Starbucks and ended up being charged $3 for coffee,” said Sullivan. He also claims that company executives should have known and expected how quickly a Starbucks coupon would have been spread with the single click of a send button.
The impact of a Starbucks coupon doesn’t stop there. The company has landed itself right in the middle of a conspiracy theorist’s playground. Rumours of a wireless Starbucks coupon first began appearing as far back as 1999, when Business Week did a story on “Smart Phones”.
The scenario is as follows: You’re walking down a block that has a Starbucks outlet. All of a sudden, your cell phone beeps; you have received a virtual Starbucks coupon, which entitles you to $1 off your next cup of coffee at your nearest retailer. Handily enough, as soon as you look up from your phone, you see that familiar Starbucks logo.
The issue is not so much do you or don’t you go into the store to use your new Starbucks coupon. Rather, the wireless Starbucks coupon has sparked a fierce debate about privacy issues. Will cell phones eventually just become miniature tracking devices? Could this location-based advertising become a monitoring tool for governments? Is a $1 off Starbucks coupon worth someone – and, soon everyone – knowing your location at all times? A senior Starbucks VP has said that as of yet there are no plans in the works to produce a wireless Starbucks coupon. However, it has nonetheless become a contentious issue with respect to the direction in which wireless technology is headed.
From within the walls of the New York Supreme Court to on the city streets across the country, people are talking. They are beginning to change the way they see advertising campaigns. How far can you take corporate accountability? How intrusive should companies have the right to be? These are big questions for a little Starbucks coupon.
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