Controversy: Dueling Videos---YouTube Becomes a Battleground for Starbucks and Ethiopian Farmers in Trademark Dispute

The essence of the Starbucks brand is about reaching out a helping hand to the coffee growing communities in Guatemala, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and other countries around the world where the company does business. But now they find themselves accused of obstructing the efforts of often desperately poor Ethiopian farmers' efforts to trademark their coffee. Trademarks on highly prized Ethiopian coffee could enable the farmers to make significantly more money from the sale of their beans and help them to improve their lives.

Although the 'blocking bid' was put in by the U.S. National Coffee Association, Oxfam, a British charity dedicated to helping to overcome poverty and suffering, has accused Starbucks of obstructing the application. Starbucks has denied the accusations and recently placed a video on YouTube defending themselves. Blogspotting wasn't impressed by the video, calling it boring and "self-reverential," and caling Oxfam America's video more compelling. Even though the Starbucks is more professional it lacks the emotional punch of the Oxfam video. For many viewers emotion equals authenticity and authenticity equals truth---regardless of whether Starbucks has tried to block the trademark bid or not. Clearly there is much to learn about communicating within these new media environments.

Update: Idea Sandbox provides excellent texture about the trademark dispute from his perspective as a former Starbucks employee (Via Stories by Rel), and Here's a post from Stories by Rel that reinforces the points above.  

Via Reuters and BusinessWeekOnline Blogspotting Blog

Comments

[Michael Hoffman]

There is no way to know from these videos who is right because there isn't enough information presented to understand the issues and Starbucks role. Clearly the Oxfam video is better. It makes a case that is hard to argue with -- 3 cents doesn't sound like a lot of money to earn from something with a $2 retail price. Also, Starbucks guy's comment that they gave $2.5 million to Ethiopia -- ha! Like that's a lot for them? Your comment that the Starbucks piece is more professional is not right. The Oxfam piece has multiple interviews, on location, with music, cuts to still photos. It is a much more complex piece of video making - and it is quite professional. Oxfam is not out-gunned by Starbucks in their ability to create this kind of media. Seeing this I think -- Starbucks better do more quickly to nip this in the bud or they could have a real situation on their hands.