Starbucks is joining the national conversation about race in the latest sign that corporations are trying to tie their brands to big social issues. The coffee chain known for its Frappuccinos says it will elaborate on the plans at its annual shareholder meeting Wednesday in Seattle. Already, workers at its U.S. stores have been told to write ‘Race Together’ on cups and the company plans to start publishing ‘conversation guides’ on the topic. The decision has sparked a backlash on social media, with people saying it’s opportunistic for a coffee chain to try and inject itself into such an important issue. But it comes as corporate executives say customers are drawn to companies that project some sort of feel-good image or embrace positions on social causes. Inserting itself into national issues is not new territory for Starbucks. In late 2012, the chain asked workers to write ‘Come together’ on cups to send a message to lawmakers about stalled budget negotiations. And in 2013, the chain placed newspaper ads saying that firearms were not welcome in its cafes after they became the site of gun rallies. But the company stopped short of an outright ban. CEO Howard Schultz said at the time that Starbucks was neither for nor against guns, underscoring that even a company that wants a voice in national conversations, it must avoid alienating customers, regardless of their political or social views.
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