Upstanders

What do you love about Starbucks? Is it the coffee, pastries, or the great atmosphere? Now, Starbucks is giving us even move to love. 

Starbucks has recently released a new campaign called "Upstanders". With all the negativity and hate going on in the world, Starbucks seeks to recognize Americans to do the extraordinary to make a positive change in their communities. With a series of 10 inspirational stories written and produced by the CEO and executive producer, Starbucks strives to showcase the positive things in our world.

Starbucks has always been a storytelling brand, so now it is time to share the stories that really matter. So many incredible things happen everyday that get ignored and pushed aside by different News platforms, but Starbucks is changing what we hear.

"Upstanders" stories include from a college student creating a web-based solution so save thousands of pounds of food a year, an ex-convict creating a safe place for other female ex-convicts to live, and a father creating a business for is autistic son. Throughout the month of September, Starbucks continued to celebrate these "Upstanders" across the country. 

Personally, I think this is a smart move on Starbucks' behalf. Most company campaigns are for product promotion or for a very popular charity, but no one ever recognizes the everyday, average person. This makes Starbucks stand out even more by showing compassion and respect to the community, which is only going to improve their outstanding reputation. 

Want to watch "Upstanders" for yourself? Go to starbucks.com/upstanders and keep up with the weekly downloadable podcasts. 

Chick-fil-A One is #1

Do you like free food? Do you like free food from Chick-fil-A? If you answered yes to both questions, then you're already ahead of the game. 

As many of us know, Chick-fil-A released their new app over the summer called Chick-fil-A One. This is a huge trend among quick serve locations such as Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, and Chipotle. This app has a wide array of features ranging from pre-ordering your food for a quick pick up, paying through the app, and free treats to say thanks for being an awesome customer! Let's be real, the only reason we downloaded the app is for the free food. 

While Chick-fil-A One gave its users a free sandwich when the app was first launched, they are still giving out free food every month. During the month of September, Chick-fil-A was giving away free breakfast for every customer with the app. All you had to do was go to your nearest Chick-fil-A location and scan your app at the register! This was perfect for those who are on the go and don't have time to sit down and eat breakfast (AKA me because I ate it while driving to school). 

Chick-fil-A One is perfect for the die-hard fans and even the people who visit Chick-fil-A every once in a while (I have to be honest...I'm one of those people). The loyal fans can pre-order their meal and pay via their phone without having to deal with the stress of standing in line. For those no-so loyal customers, they are encouraged to stop by and grab some free food in hopes of them eventually becoming a loyal customer. 

Even though I'm not a huge fan of their food, I can always appreciate a company reaching out to the consumers to meet their needs. I think that this is something we are going to see more and more as Chick-fil-A proves how successful their app is at retaining their current customers and reaching out to a new audience simultaneously. As other companies jump on this bandwagon, they need to make sure they are giving consumers what they want without annoying the audience with endless notifications.