Paper Cup Madness

Sixteen billion paper coffee cups are used in the US every year, adding up to more landfill garbage then is even imaginable. To stop the paper cup madness, Starbucks offers an incentive to customers who bring in their own reusable cups for their morning cup of joe. Good idea, right?

But recently I went to Starbucks (reusable mug in tow) for my usual tall caramel latte. The barista used a paper cup to make my drink, then poured the concoction into my mug and tossed out the paper cup. Hmmm.... The employee simply said he didn't know how else to measure it all right. Good point. But too bad.

Brands aren't just logos, messages and advertising. Brands are made by a consumer's experience with a company. And Starbucks knows that better than most. They don't sell coffee. They sell Starbucks.

The paper cup thing is a simple training fix. But it will go a long way. Because for those of us who choose to bring their reusable mugs around town, it's about our own personal brand: "I'm a caring, informed, intelligent, if not a bit annoyingly smug person."

An Olympic Effort by GM

Have you seen the new GM ad running during the Games? It aims to set GM apart as a "company that gets it," by showing off all the "green" bells and whistles they've got coming out of the R&D lab. It reminds us that GM is an innovator and is bigger than any one of its brands.

Of course, it's hard not to smile a bit smugly as the US car giant tried to unload the albatross formerly known as The Hummer. Maybe they should have left that brand's badge out of the spot...? But you have to applaud GM's willingness to change. But what about the U.S. car buyer? Will they be willing to change along with GM? Will they support a hybrid that doesn't come in the shape of a giant Chevy Tahoe? Will they "pay forward" a few dollars more to make a fuel cell a reality sooner?

Dunno. But times have changed and smart companies—like GM—should lead the mass revolution. Commit to technologies and products it knows people will want. And that only happens from the top. Afterall, it was another car company's founder, Henry Ford, who said, "If I'd asked my customers what they wanted, they'd have said a faster horse."

What do you think?