Constructive Controversy

In my "Attract More Business" program I talk about how creating constructive controversy can produce a positive impact on our brand. Well Starbucks has raised some eyebrows over its "The Way I See It" campaign, which prints quotes from thinkers, authors, athletes and entertainers on the side of your morning machiatto. The goal, according to the company, is to foster philosophical debate in its 9,000-plus coffeehouses. The quotes aren't all that inflammatory. Take this one from film critic Roger Ebert: "A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it."