Starbucks looks to media to make an impact

During this election season, we could all use a cup of coffee and a feel-good story. Starbucks wants to have you covered on both.

The coffee chain has made a series of 10 short documentary videos about inspiring Americans entitled "Upstanders," with each piece telling the story of a person who has done something positive for others.

The project is the most recent effort by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to bring about optimism by changing the national conversation, a goal he listed right beside making coffee and keeping his shareholders happy.

Schultz has emerged in recent years as one of the most politically and socially conscious CEOs, routinely speaking out on major issues. During an interview with CNN on Wednesday morning, he endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.

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The media effort is the latest in what has become a signature philosophy of Starbucks and, in particular, its CEO. Schultz has shown little fear in attempting ambitious projects that put the company at the center of societal issues.

"Over the last couple of years as a company, I think we've asked ourselves, 'what is our core purpose?'" Schultz told Mashable. "We thought it was so vitally important to get these stories out."

In early 2015, the company launched a program that encouraged its baristas to discuss race with customers. The initiative, while it might have had the best intentions, didn't last long.

That hasn't done much to stop Schultz, who remains outspoken about various issues. In March at a Starbucks shareholder meeting, he talked about the state of American politics, asking, "Where did our sense of morality go, America?"

"Upstanders" speaks to that concern, but without quite as big a risk of asking employees to talk about hot-button issues with strangers. It could also signal something of a new direction for the company.

The project, launching Wednesday, features a series of heartwarming stories such as a former prisoner named Susan Burton who is working to make sure others don't return to prison. Each piece will be debuted at town hall events hosted by Rajiv Chandrasekaran in various cities. Chandrasekaran is a former Washington Post senior editor who now works as a producer at Starbucks.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

As for distribution, the videos can be seen on the Starbucks app as well as when using Starbucks WiFi. Videos will also appear on Upworty, Mic.com, the Huffington Post, AOL and NationSwell.

Chandrasekaran and Schultz are the writers and executive producers of the project.

"I worked on telling the stories... in the same sort of way that I would have been working on them and publishing at the Washington Post," Chandrasekaran said.

That comparison might seem difficult to believe for what seems like a sponsored content series. Schultz pointed out that the company did not mean for these videos to be seen as marketing, and no Starbucks logos or products can be seen in them.

Why would a company launch a multi-million dollar feel-good project without taking the chance to promote its brand?

Schultz and Chandrasekaran both said the project was conceived as a way of providing people with reasons to feel good, particularly during an election season that has found new depths of negativity.

"The goal here is to inspire and engage millions of Americans," Chandrasekaran said. "It's not to make any money. It's not to promote Starbucks products. It's not to write advertising on it. It's really to help show people that there's a different side to America. There's a better side of America than we see in the headlines." 

Schultz and Chandrasekaran are already happy enough with the results to be considering future media projects. Schultz noted that Starbucks already has the ability to reach millions of people through its app and storefronts and that the company could soon produce another effort.