Showing Your Cards

When we started looking at the new Brady boycott of Starbucks, we wondered if they would be silly enough to show their cards. I assumed they wouldn’t when they were making crazy claims like this:

Because we outnumber the NRA’s extremist members by 50 to 1, NGAC’s economic lever gives our side a strategy the NRA cannot defeat.

There’s simply nothing to actually back that up. Under the supervision of actual DC professionals, the official Brady Starbucks protest of two years ago kept their numbers secret for a reason. They collected the “petitions” in order to build their email list, and they could then claim to do “something” even if no one signed other than the staff and board members. This new Brady division seems to have forgotten some of those key points.

They actually started a competing Facebook event for their boycott. As of this post, they have 137 planned attendees. Okay, so maybe it’s still something that Starbucks could be losing 137 customers. However, looking at the comments on their wall, that’s not the case. Here’s a sample:

  • “reeeely EZ to boycott a place I never go lol”
  • “Oh I have HATED coffee shops for many many years..EASY PEASY!”
  • “I ALWAYS boycott Starbucks because of Schultz’ views about Palestine”
  • “I have always boycotted Starbucks.”
  • “I don’t do Starbucks because I don’t drink coffee.”
  • “I am in a perpetual boycott of their sub par hot chocolate and overpriced pretentious products.”
  • “This may not be as difficult for me as some others. I’ve never been in a Starbucks.”
  • “I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A STARBUCKS FACILITY BUT I SUPPORT WHAT YOU ARE DOING BECAUSE YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A CONSIENCIOUS PERSON WHO ADVOCATED FOR ISSUES THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE.”
  • “I quit using Starbucks more than a year ago, but I totally support your efforts on this important issue!!”

There are like two people who have said that they ever visit Starbucks and may reconsider during the boycott. Otherwise, Starbucks is only being “boycotted” by people who already don’t shop there.

Meanwhile, on our side, our folks are going out of their way to support the company. Those who are regular customers are planning on buying a little extra on February 14, so ultimately they win. As of this post, Starbucks is gaining more than 9,200 customers old and new on February 14. So, yeah. Those numbers make the case pretty clearly. Which is why I’m still shocked they actually wanted to show their cards like this.

UPDATE: I guess they were tired of us showing over and over how low their numbers really are since they have now hidden the number of attendees from their Facebook event page. Thirdpower has a screenshot from yesterday morning when they had 132 attendees.

22 thoughts on “Showing Your Cards”

  1. “Which is why I’m still shocked they actually wanted to show their cards like this.”

    Bitter, I know that when you approach an issue with intellectual honesty your integrity usually prevents you from considering this, but it just may be that they aren’t as smart as you.

  2. I’m an infrequent Starbucks customer. However, you can be dang sure I’ll be there on the 14th with a fistful of two dollar bills. Mess with our Freedoms will you? And who knows… the wifey is raving about the new Starbucks Blonde Roast…

  3. I’m the Luke-warm Starbucks goer. The kind they can make extra money on from. An event like this. I’ll usuall follow up a visit with 1-3 successive visits and forget to return. Every time they get me in its worth 3-4 trips.

    FYI. My current beverage of choice is a whip cream with a double shot of espresso. Really indulgent but good.

  4. I’m with Andy. They either just aren’t that smart or the people they are talking to aren’t. Either way, they do not seem to be gaining any ground.

  5. What I find amazing is that industry bends over and takes it up the @$$ when some lobby starts saying boycott… I have seen banks with a sign on the door that says “2nd amendment supported here” and they are getting tons of business from the 2nd Amendment supporters. Myself and my wife only shop where we are welcome. When Olive Garden took their stance with the Obama gang, they lost my business forever. I won’t spend my money to take away my rights. The business’s that take these stances I will expose and not shop there.

    1. +1. Well said. I extend that to states or cities that don’t support CCL–I just won’t go there.

  6. Hey, can someone buy one extra for me? I wish I could be there to support but I am doing my part to defend this country.

  7. I don’t usually do Starbucks (we have local coffee shop that’s significantly better quality-wise, with on-site roasting), but I think I’ll buy a pound from them to go in the next care package to one of our rescue squad members who’s a Marine serving in Afghanistan right now. Two birds, one stone.

  8. The canteen at my work has a Starbucks menu at their grill and sandwich bar.

    Dunno if we in the UK count, but I’ll be buying coffee from there for the next few weeks.

  9. My wife and I don’t do Starbucks because we don’t drink coffee; nonetheless, we’re thinking about going in for some hot chocolate on St. Valentine’s Day.

    Come to think of it, I still have a $10 Gift Card that was given to me by a Math Homework System Trainer that I still haven’t used. I’m not sure if it’s any good, though, if only because of the rubbing off of ink during all these years.

    In any case, it’s difficult to boycott businesses you don’t frequent (I’d like to see the Brady Campaign boycott S&W!) but you could always buycott a business you could otherwise care less for. :-)

  10. Yea..noticed the same thing..I’ve been keeping an eye on it and responding to some of the *ahem* mis-information that’s being put out..I’m honestly surprised they haven’t limited it to only people who “Like” the page.

  11. On 02/14/12, not only am I going to order a large overpriced, bitter coffee with 2%, but I just might go against the very fabric of my personal convictions and call it a VENTI.

  12. We get our bags of Starbucks at Costco, but I like the dopio espresso.
    It seems evident to me that by relying on “social-media” (Facebook) they have narrowed their prospective client-base of protestors to those with impaired brain-activity – just imagine what the comments would be like if they advocated on MySpace!

  13. We will be leaving for Starbucks in an hour or so. Did anyone think that this may be a trick? Knowing we would react, did some one at Brady with a large holding of Starbucks stock come up with this to drive up the stock price.

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