Caffeinated Blog

Starbucks HearMusic

With the ever increasing music CD selections at various Starbucks locations, I thought I'd have a look at Starbucks' Hear Music website to see what else they offer.  It is a very informative site featuring press releases, a Hear Music store locator, and a music catalogue where you can purchase selections. You can even hear what your local Starbucks is playing as well as subscribe to the Hear Music newsletter full of the latest Starbucks news and updates on music and entertainment.

Hear Music

Wikipedia on Starbucks

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia has a lot of great information about Starbucks for those of you who are interested in the history of the company, Starbucks culture and criticism.

Have a look: Starbucks Wikipedia

Starbucks plans to  enter the home video market June 27 with an exclusive version of the Chuck Berry DVD documentary "Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll." 

The Starbucks DVD documentary is a single-disc that revolves around an all-star concert in 1987 and includes 40 minutes of bonus footage selected and edited by director Taylor Hackford. Also on the disc is an exclusive 14-track CD compilation of Berry's hits.

The package will sell for $19.95 at more than 5,200 U.S. Starbucks locations.

via Reuters

Starbucks Wins China Trademark Case

After a two year battle in China to protect their trademark, Starbucks has won their case against coffee store chain Xingbake.

A Shanghai court concluded that Chinese firm Xingbake had infringed the US firm's rights by using a Chinese name and logo similar to Starbucks.

Shanghai Xingbake has been ordered to stop using its name and to pay the US retailer 500,000 yuan ($62,000) in damages.

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Starbucks to Host First Coffee Festival

The first-ever Starbucks Coffee Festival will be held this Saturday from 11-6 at the Reston Town Center in Reston, Virginia. The festival will feature over fifteen different coffees from around the world. Seminars and tastings will be offered every hour in pavilion tents, along with food pairings chosen to compliment
various coffee flavors. Starbucks Coffee Masters will offer tips on how
to brew the perfect cup of coffee at home.

Seventeen-year-old Sonya Kitchell, will provide enterntainment with songs from her debut album "Words Came Back to Me" at 2pm on the entertainment stage.

The Starbucks Coffee Festival is free and open to the public.

"We are excited to bring the world of Starbucks Coffee to Washingtonians in a new and exciting way," said Carter Bentzel, Regional Marketing Manager for
Starbucks Coffee Company. "Each coffee has a distinct texture and flavor
and our passionate Coffee Masters are ready to teach our guests everything
they need to know to find their favorite cup of coffee."

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Starbucks Audiobooks Narrated by Meryl Streep

In keeping with Starbucks "commitment to provide customers with compelling family entertainment", Meryl Streep will narrate a pair of children's classics, "The Velveteen Rabbit" and "The Night Before Christmas," to be released later this year as audiobooks at Starbucks coffeehouses.

The audiobooks feature musical accompaniment by George Winston, the Edwin Hawkins Singers and others.  Random House Inc.'s Listening Library will give the recordings a general release after the initial four month offering at Starbucks.

Starbucks Corp. has been expanding its entertainment offerings with the recent promotion of the movie "Akeelah and the Bee."

The company recently announced an alliance with the William Morris Agency, a talent and literary agency that will help Starbucks identify music, film and book projects to consider for marketing and distribution in its stores.

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