ethnographic research draft 3

Starbucks to Dumb Starbucks: Don’t use our trademark

http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/10/news/companies/dumb-starbucks/index.html?iid=HP_LN

Amanda Bentley Professor Klinkowstein

Selected Business Article

Research Article

• Dumb Starbucks- parody/art piece

• Used similar name, menu, sizes

• Added “Dumb” before all names


Research Article

• Starbucks could not contact creator

• Emphasized “no affiliation”

• Weighing options, may sue


Ethnographic Research Options

• People drinking/ buying coffee at school

• People at local Starbucks

• People at other local coffee shops


Ethnographic Research


Students were observed alone and in groups at

Café on the Quad and the Library Café at Hofstra

University while purchasing coffee.

Student at Café on the Quad reads and looks out window with coffee.


Ethnographic Research Observations

• Students at café are mainly alone.

• Everyone is either on a cell phone, laptop, or doing work.


Students in line at Café on the Quad to buy coffee.



• No one makes an effort to talk with other people around them.

• Only voice is boy using an iPad to Skype.

• Music overwhelmingly loud compared to silence of customers.



• Cold gust of wind from doors, most people leave jackets on.

• Customers seem uncomfortable, like they want to leave.

• Most looking out window, avoiding eye contact with others.


Student looks out window, seemingly wanted to leave while alone.



• One girl at window continuously looked out the window uncomfortably, has book open in front of her but isn’t really reading.

• Girl at table across from me checking phone nervously. She has multiple bags and seems to be waiting for something/someone.



• Most people who come in are alone and leave immediately after getting a drink.

• Two people coming in together, a boy and a girl. The girl is talkative and seems out of place among the rest of the customers.



• More people starting to come in.

• Two new girls sit across from me. Whisper to each other as though the people who are not talking will be listening to them.



• Both of these girls stay in their coats. They are talking but staring at their phones, not making eye contact.

• They look up at me continuously.


Student in the Library Café



• Library café is much more quiet.

• More people studying.

• Most listening to headphones.

• Those buying coffee are quick in and out.


Student sits alone and listens to music in Library Café.



• One girl has papers spread unorganized across a table and is drinking iced coffee.

• Boy on iPad has headphones in and his lunch of a burrito bowl taking up much of his table.

• Not many people buying coffee.


Student does work alone, listens to headphones, and drinks coffee.




• A boy and girl are talking to each other and seem out of place with the others.

• Girl consider skipping class because she is tired, but goes to order a medium late instead.

• As soon as the boy leaves, the girl puts on her headphones.

Ethnographic Research Findings

• Students seemed uncomfortable being alone

• Those who were alone made themselves look busy with work, headphones, phones, etc.

• Most seemed easily distracted or impatient, waiting for something to happen so they could leave or speak with someone else.


ethnographic research draft 3

Design

school people

local starbucks people

iced coffee

drinks coffee

local coffee shops

boy leaves

eye contact

silence of customers