Could middle school actually be fun??

Remember middle school? Try to dig it out of the drawer in your memory labeled "Let's Just Forget This Happened, ok?" Still foggy? Herein lies my point: middle school isn't much fun for most people. Awkward, acne, and attitude are a few words that come to mind on the subject.

However, there is at least ONE teacher, now published author, that tried to make it fun. More than just fun--a roller coaster ride of emotional fun.

Check out this interview in The Pittsburgh Examiner to get to know the coolest teacher around. Then, if you feel robbed of a middle school experience (the cool kind), check out his website for more info.

Happy schooling!

Until next time,

Sloane and Chelsea

DEbranding to INcrease brand awareness

Someone in the marketing department at corporate Starbucks must be having a good month. Only someone feeling creative, innovative, and unrestricted would be able to come up with adding booze to the menu, free ice cream giveaways, free pastries (only this morning!!), and now trial DEbranding a few of their stores.

Well, we say debranding, but my opinion (and Starbucks' too most likely--we're similar in genius thought) is that they are actually branding their name even more. How so? You've heard about Twitter, facebook, and other insanely popular social networking sites, right? They're allll about connecting people. Connecting people in similar areas, interests, markets, industries, businesses, ideas, opinions, and pretty much anything else you can connect about. Starbucks is simply applying the same strategy to a few of their Seattle locations--connecting with the locals and the nearby community.

If all goes according to plan, we'll soon be hearing how Starbucks cares SO much about their customers that they want to adapt their locations to their customers likings. They'll be known for catering to their customers, being unafraid to think outside of the box, and paving this new marketing road for others to follow.

Think it will work? Time will only tell. We'll give you an update when we hear of anything!

Until next time,

Sloane and Chelsea

Free Ice Cream!

We love free stuff. We love free stuff even MORE when it's in conjunction with social media. (It's all the rage, you know.) So we've got to give props to Starbucks and Unilever for offering 280,000 free pints of its new ice cream to facebook users.

Through July 19, you can visit Apps.facebook.com/starbucksicecream and try your luck. At the top of every hour, you will have a chance to give a pint of Starbucks ice cream to a friend or family member. Here's a TIP, download the app only a few minutes after the hour, or all 800 pints will already be gone. (We know, we tried it.) Although the promotion encourages participants to send the treat to friends, if you don't feel like sharing you can send the coupon to yourself... yeah, we're greedy too.

Until next time,

Sloane and Chelsea