Howard Schultz is at it again. This time, the increasingly outspoken founder and CEO of Starbucks has issued a Fourth of July rallying cry, in the form of a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal calling for nothing less than the restoration of the American dream.

The brand's new coming-together campaign, called Indivisible, echoes the slogan on the fundraising wristbands for its Create Jobs for USA campaign that launched last November, while giving it a political voice in the U.S. election being decided this coming November.Continue reading...

Giving back is proving is good business and good for morale at Starbucks. The brand just named a new corporate community officer, and reported the results of its second annual Global Month of Service, in April. The global commitment to "30 days of inspiring service" yielded 700,000 individual acts of service in 34 countries, covering cities from Beijing to Berlin to Nashville, with local volunteer efforts including:

• 400 Starbucks partners and families across China gathered in Beijing to restore local community parks and teach residents of the Hujialou North community how to be more environmentally aware and incorporate “green living” tips in their every day lives.Continue reading...

Energy drinks aren’t just boosting people’s bodies to push on to new heights. They are also seriously boosting the bottom line for plenty of companies. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Monster, Red Bull, and Rockstar all enjoyed "double-digit increases" last year.

So if you’re already a beverage company, it seems like a no-brainer to get into the energy drink space, right? That’s apparently the thinking at Starbucks, whose drinks already have a generally uplifting effect on consumers. As USA Today puts it, the coffee giant is entering “the $8 billion energy drink category” in April with “a new line of ‘natural’ energy drinks, Starbucks Refreshers” that according to the press release will be sold not just at Starbucks locations, but at groceries and convenience stores.

The Refreshers ready-to-drink line is based on “fruity, carbonated drink that's high in antioxidants” and use “unroasted, green coffee extract for the energy boost,” but won’t have any coffee taste, the paper reports. Flavors include raspberry pomegranate, orange melon and strawberry lemonade.Continue reading...