Breast Feeding at Starbucks Identify

Breast Feeding at Starbucks

Identify the Business Problem

In this essay, the author will a summary of the Starbucks breast feeding case and a description of the most important themes of the case and an argument for why those themes are important. It will include recommendations for improving communication in other organizations based upon Page's Principles. The author is confident they will work in other situations because they worked for Arthur Page. The essay will include specific examples from the case that support the points the author is making.

The main business problem in the Starbucks breast feeding case is determining what should be the most appropriate level of response to community activists who are demand policy changes which are not supported by all customer segments (or even by all of the objective facts. The most desirable outcome is not to determine who was right, but for the Starbucks brand to remain untarnished. The type of public relations attack makes determining the appropriate response extremely problematic. Starbucks does desire to draw further public attention to the situation This would provide the breast feeding group with what it desires the most. The protesters do not represent Starbucks' core constituents, who dislike a coffee shop focused on this problem. Starbucks must maintain control over its corporate policies and the store atmosphere. This means avoiding the desire of breastfeeding advocates in demanding corporate policies that would make Starbucks a driving force to reshape the entire retail community in the United States.

Case Summary

Nicole Coombs claims she was asked to leave for breast-feeding her 4-month-old son in a South Beach, Florida Starbucks restaurant. The manager claims he asked Coombs to leave after he saw her changing her child on a table where people eat. She does not deny changing her child on a table, but maintains that it was after the breastfeeding incident (Weston, 2006).

These protests were not just limited to Florida, but also spread to Maryland

when These protests were not just limited to Florida, but also spread to Maryland

Lorig Charkoudian was also asked by a store employee asked to cover up or go into the ladies' room when nursing her 15-month-old daughter, Aline. The multiple incidents would indicate that the issue has become one of major magnitude foe Starbucks Restaurants ("Moms nurse their," 2004).

Breastfeeding Policy

Starbucks might want to consider breastfeeding policies thatestablished by other companies within its industry. Several other companies (e.g. Burger King) have been faced with similar protests by breastfeeding advocates (Arak, 2003) . It may prove beneficial to see how these companies handled breastfeeding demands and how corporate policies and brand images were affected.

Alienating Customers:

The decision to implement a policy supporting breastfeeding in Starbucks cafes will be extremely difficult because of conflicting views held by different customer segments. Some customers would prefer to enjoy their coffee without the view of a breastfeeding mother while other customers and mothers support the right to breastfeed in public. Starbucks must consider solutions that will satisfy both groups, or determine which party is more essential to the success of the business.

Stakeholder Groups:

Starbucks' Managers and Employees:

These stakeholders want to see Starbucks succeed and do not want the brand image to be damaged. This crisis has the potential to diminish the company's customer base and create policy changes and conflicts within the states that may affect day-to-day managerial responsibilities. Interestingly, union agitation may be a part of the issue in the Starbucks breastfeeding case.

Stakeholders

Different players in the Starbucks case have different agendas. We will examine each of these in turn.

Breastfeeding advocates want the Starbucks' breastfeeding problem to resolve in a manner which enhances the creditability of their cause and pushes in the direction of changes across retailers. Customers may have conflicting views. On the one hand, there is a group of customers (e.g. breastfeeding mothers) which wants to see company-wide policy changes at Starbucks. On the other hand, there are many customers who would like to see policies remain the same and who would like to enjoy Starbucks products without feeling uncomfortable. Other Retailers want to see Starbucks resolve the breastfeeding issue without drastic changes to its corporate policies and procedures. They realize that Starbucks has been chosen to set the precedent for all retailers. If Starbucks loses control of its corporate policies and brand image, they can expect to become the foci of similar protests in the future. State legislators may find themselves under increased pressure as a result of the outcome at Starbucks. Protesters may target legislators under the assumption that some states are lacking sufficient laws regarding breastfeeding. Protesters may be tempted to shift the focus from Starbucks to legislators in order to find another method of advancing their cause. In addition, legislators looking for ways to attract the "soccer mom" demographic may also find this an attractive topic.

The vision articulated by Arthur W. Page (Vice President, Public Relations, AT&T, 1927 to 1946) offers a template for the practice of corporate communication in a crisis. Here are Page's principles that apply and a sampling of Starbucks Corporation's application of each.

1. Tell the Truth. The manager relating a clear narrative that was not fully

2. Prove It with Action. This is more difficult. But clearly, actions will speak much louder than words in this case. If the company is committed to the well-being of its customers, and keen on complying with varying state laws and local ordinances, they'll probably have to invest in some form of privacy accommodation that will permit mothers to breastfeed while not offending other customers. A fine line exists between listening to "customers" and listening to every protest and special interest group with an agenda to advance. In this case, if these women truly are customers careful attention to their needs will pay significant dividends. If they aren't actually customers, corporate management will have to gauge how much space and investment in decor they can afford for facilities that are rarely or seldom used.