Feedback

The Starbucks Effect

I just read "The Starbucks Effect" (June) and wanted to thank you for writing such a relevant and considerate piece. After graduating from Boston University in May 2005, I relocated to rural County Kerry where I have been researching and writing a book, largely in the absence of coffee as a support system. As you suggest, one of the challenges facing Ireland as it goes forward is determining the line between "[competition] on quality, or service, or relationships" and BlackBerrys on 24-7.

At the moment, this seems to be based on an urban-rural divide. As the attitudes and approaches to business, social, and community life diffuse from the modernized, European- and globally focused, competitive environment of Dublin (and to a lesser degree, other Irish cities) into the rest of the countryside, it will be a true test whether the Starbucks effect, if not a global imperative, becomes an Irish imperative.

Sean Carlson
Andover, Massachusetts

Uh . . . no. Starbucks has an impressive business model, but Americans have historically taken things to a self-damaging extreme. Rah-rah-rah-ing the fact that Americans often willingly sacrifice everything they can in the name of economic gain does not make this either right or intelligent. We could use more of France's distrust of the behemoths slowly taking over our lives. Instead, we assist them in squeezing out the small companies that might be doing better things but tend to get in the way.

Dylan Brams
Portland, Oregon

Readers Pick the Open Debate Winner

This was a slam-dunk, no-brainer, blow-out win for Ogilvy & Mather's Brian Collins over Saatchi & Saatchi's Kevin Roberts ("Resolved: The most powerful way to touch people is through screens," June). To sum up the debate: "Real" trumps "virtual" any day of the week.

Von R. Glitschka
Salem, Oregon

Open Debate had lots of great thoughts flying around, but I definitely feel that Collins has a much better grasp on what branding should be. Brand/image goes far beyond screens of any size. The screen may be a major vehicle for getting your point across, but it would be amateur hour to say that's the only way to get it done. Any retailer will tell you that the brand has as much to do with the in-store experience as the advertising. Name any successful brand, and you instantly feel something that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Shaun Petersen
Miramar, Florida

The Greening of Goldman

I embraced your recent article, "The Greening of Goldman" (June), wholeheartedly. Goldman Sachs Group signing the Equator Principles supports and updates the efforts of those companies that signed onto the Valdez Principles (1989) (now called Ceres Principles) and Sullivan Principles (1977). Let's keep in mind, however, that investors, especially of the ilk and intelligence of Goldman Sachs, also expect a good return on their investment. Let's make certain that we all support Goldman and all other environmentally based investment, so that it will succeed and grow responsibly.

Robert Bailey
Newport, Rhode Island

The big-picture stuff is great, but I would be more impressed to hear that Goldman has mandated corporate policy that directly reduces energy consumption, e.g. recycling, recycled paper products, compact fluorescence, and thermostats set at 70 in any month. Let's look at where these firms spend extra resources for their own operations to see if they really believe in their front-house investments.

Nicole Hanslick
New York, New York

When Phones Were the Future

AT&T demonstrated two technologies at the 1964 World's Fair in New York ("Picturephones: The Gimme Technology That Wasn't," June). The picturephone was one, and touch-tone dialing was the other. When people heard about touch-tone, they wondered why they needed it. It employed this demo to show a doubting public that touch-tone dialing meant progress.

The fairgoer sat at a table with two phones. One was a common rotary dial, the other a new touch-tone phone. Attendees were invited to dial the 7-digit number they knew the best, then dial a random 10-digit number on a new touch-tone phone. The 10 numbers dialed by touch-tone were always dialed more quickly. Consumers needed to be convinced that this technology was a good thing! Children who attended the 1964 World's Fair now have children downloading the Mosquito ringtone who wouldn't believe this story.

Louis Hansell
Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania