Of all the ridiculous things that make it in the news Starbucks got into 'hot water' when some interest group found out that they are using beetle juice to add color to the pink concoctions sold at their outlets. Now beetle juice to a ghati or desi of certain persuasion might mean the deep reds left to dry on railway stations or public spaces where an errant truant has used the space as their personal spitoon. This after chewing on beetle nut and calcium powder squeezed between beetle leaves.
What the largest coffee company resturant got into trouble was the actual use of the bug - not the car - the critter, specifically its ground up extracts that have the ability to lend a pinkish hue to the beverage that contains it.
Frankly all the moronic people that want to consume the IT brand run the risk of consuming a hitherto unknown quantity of chemicals or substance which is what makes it new and unique. But we do not know this when we buy and now want a piece of the action through a potential class action. Class idiocy more like!
Many such examples continue to make the headlines what with McD still unable to get out off being sued for old hack like scalding an unattentive person Again when said unattentive and likely brainless person dumped the beverage on self instead of proceeding to drink it as is expected.
Then there is the new and improved cola wars that have gone to a head with intrusive style of advertising boinging its way into a web site that you are perusing. These pop ups boast more taste, more kick, less sugar and same great COLA taste. I mean have people not got over COLAting themselves already?
Then there are the newest of teas - right - not coffees but teas sold through outlets sold like Teavana - some Nirvana through moderated caffiene dosing. Coffee has taken on a new format too through one time use flavored coffee cups called K cups - I know they had to find a letter not used by the women underwear industry otherwise we would have had a serious tempest in a cup!
Today's world is hyper connected. I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot. It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is. Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy. It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff? Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality. So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing? Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...
Why this Colaveri Di (after the new Indian national anthem) should be the Cola Giants' stolen tagline- position the cola as the solution to the angst, of course..
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