Sep 19, 2023
No “reasonable consumer” would think that a Mango Dragonfruit Refresher contains mango or dragonfruit. At least, that’s what Starbucks says.
In a recent class action filed in New York District Court, consumers said product names and “premium prices” led them to believe menu items like the Strawberry Açaí Refresher contained açaí. (Wild!) In response, the global coffee giant says the title of their $5.25, 16-ounce drink is only meant to tell customers what it tastes like, not what it contains. If that’s the case, I’d say the company has a-whole-nother problem on its hands with the Everything Bagel.
Starbucks also responded to the suit by saying that its baristas could have cleared up the plaintiffs’ confusion if they’d asked about the ingredients. I’m sure baristas love to answer questions like, “Excuse me, does the Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher contain pineapple or passionfruit?”
Given that the coffeehouse chain has an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to “Criticism of Starbucks,” don’t expect it to use this experience as any sort of “refresher” on marketing ethics.
