Online effort by Starbucks promotes civic engagement

Back in March, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz made some presidential-sounding remarks in a typically apolitical setting: an annual stockholder meeting. For seven minutes at the close of the coffee giant’s event, Schultz spoke in lofty terms about the lack of civility and leadership in the country, saying, “There are moments when I’ve had a hard time recognizing who we are and who we are becoming. We are facing a test not only of our character but of our morality as a people.”

Nearly six months later, Schultz is taking action in an unusual move for a consumer brand. On Wednesday, Starbucks launched a series of online videos, podcasts and digital articles called “Upstanders” that highlight the feel-good stories of people contributing to their communities and is aimed at prompting more civic engagement. But the Starbucks name and coffee cups are largely absent from the series, which will be distributed on the company’s mobile app and across its other marketing channels. The content is free, offering no obvious revenue stream for the company.

The series was written and produced by Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran, a former senior editor of The Washington Post who is now a Starbucks senior executive.

While the series is not inherently political — the videos depict people who’ve led efforts on issues such as reducing homelessness, keeping women from returning to prison and helping wounded soldiers — it also touches on hot-button issues such as hostility to the Muslim community and empathy training for police officers.

And its rollout did come with some political commentary from Schultz: He not only endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in two interviews related to the announcement, but seemed to indicate the door wasn’t closed to enter the political arena himself.