Starbucks enlists public to design the perfect coffee cup
I’m typing this post from Rome, a city where most everyone heads to the bar multiple times a day to consume a shot of caffè, leaving the cup behind for the barista to wash and re-use. The ritual produces a jolt of energy and little stress on the local landfills. Italy is the exception, apparently. Elsewhere, non-recyclable paper coffee cups are the norm and their environmental impact is pretty steep: forcing the felling of 20 million trees and the consumption of 12 billion gallons of water, says Betacup, an awareness group that is trying to eliminate the far-from-harmless paper coffee cup.
Formed last May, Betacup has been trying to get the public to take up the cause too, with limited effect. Its Facebook page counts 220 fans and just over 300 Twitter followers. But this week it scored a major coups, getting Starbucks to sponsor its “Betacup Challenge,” an ambitious crowd-sourcing attempt to get the wired world to tackle the problem of paper cup consumption.
Judging from the early response, the Betacup Challenge is getting a nice buzz from eco-minded coffee lovers. We wish them luck!
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Starbucks enlists public to design the perfect coffee cup http://bit.ly/dbJJ2S
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Starbucks enlists public to design the perfect coffee cup: I’m typing this post from Rome, a city where most every… http://bit.ly/9Q2H0W
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Starbucks enlists public to design the perfect coffee cup: I’m typing this post from Rome, a city wher… http://bit.ly/bQydOH #SocialMedia
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Starbucks enlists public to design the perfect coffee cup http://bit.ly/cEIybt
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Crowdsourcing caffeine addicts 4 good cause! RT @bfbrennan: Starbucks enlists public to design the perfect coffee cup http://bit.ly/cEIybt
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Nice post, thanks for the support. I would argue though, that our successes to date should not be measured by the number of Twitter followers or Facebook fans we have (proven in most circles to not be a particular reliable measure), but rather by the wider circle of influence that we have managed to establish.
This circle of influence consists of sponsors, partners and advisors, many of whom, including Starbucks, reached out to us through the social web having heard about us through their friends and followers. I think its a common misconception in the world of social media that your Twitter count is all that matters.
Thanks again!
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