Sometimes stories come along that just land in the wheelhouse. This article would be one of them – Study of the Day: Why Crowded Coffee Shops Fire Up Your Creativity. Hello. I don’t need a study to tell me this fact. In case you didn’t know: Compared to a relatively quiet environment (50 decibels), a moderate level of ambient noise (70 dB) enhanced subjects’ performance on the creativity tasks, while a high level of noise (85 dB) hurt it. Modest background noise, the scientists explain, creates enough of a distraction to encourage people to think more imaginatively. Which leads to this assertion: The next time you’re stumped on a creative… Read More
Continue ReadingBou Branding
Being a coffee addict, this news is huge for me. Caribou is rebranding itself with a new logo an some drinks/products (I’m in it for the coffee so these ancillary items are inconsequential to me). The logo change: Here is the part of marketing/branding that catches my attention: Alfredo Martel, Caribou’s senior vice president of marketing, said that the new logo focuses on “optimism and an optimistic outlook on life.” Don’t you love that? That is a pretty heavy analysis of what seems to be a simple logo. I was more intrigued by the fact that the new logo uses a coffee bean for the caribou’s body. I’ve read some… Read More
Continue ReadingOffice Sludge Known As Coffee
The Sales Machine blog on BNet features one of those posts I wish I had authored. The title – Why Office Coffee Tastes So Bad. A great topic for a Monday morning. This post contains some of the most detailed information I have read about bad coffee. Basically, it all comes down to tannins. Contrary to popular belief, coffee is not bitter. It is supposed to be a naturally sweet beverage. However, the way it is usually prepared tends to concentrate the tanins (sic) in the coffee, which makes it unnaturally bitter. Remove these tannins and you get a good cup of coffee. Tannins come from five sources: Exposure to… Read More
Continue ReadingCoffee Reduces Stress
Here is some wonderful news about coffee to start your Monday. From Yahoo Health: Just sniffing that first hot cup of coffee in the morning may help ease some stresses you might be feeling, a South Korean trial indicates. When rats inhaled the aroma of roasted coffee beans, a number of genes were activated, including some that produce proteins with healthful antioxidant activity, the researchers reported. “The meaning of it is not totally clear yet,” said Dr. Peter R. Martin, director of the Institute of Coffee Studies at Vanderbilt University. “What it does show is that coffee smells do change the brain to some degree, and it behooves us to… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Truth About Coffee
I never had any doubts, but Yahoo offers this story regarding coffee: What restored coffee’s reputation? Caffeine. After years of being viewed with suspicion, caffeine has pulled a scientific switcheroo. Besides helping students pull all-nighters and weekend warriors jumpstart their jump shots, there’s now evidence that it defends against diabetes, Parkinson’s, asthma symptoms, post-workout soreness, and even hunger pangs. I’m purposely omitting the rest of the article regarding moderation. Those lines are nothing more than pure sophistry…now on to my second extra large latte.
Continue ReadingStarbucks Statistics
As a complete coffee addict, I found these statistics about Starbucks remarkable: Starbucks’s closest competitor in the coffeehouse market, Caribou Coffee, is just one-twenty-fifth its size. Every 10 weeks, Starbucks opens as many stores as the total number of Caribou outlets. Starbucks has had 14 straight years with at least 5% same-store sales growth. Contrary to popular opinion, Starbucks increases sales at rival nearby coffeehouses. For example, when it blitzed Omaha with six stores, coffee sales at local joints went up as much as 25%, and more new ones opened shop. According to Starbucks, the company pays more for insurance for its employees ($200 million) than it does for coffee… Read More
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