Starbucks heads into the holidays with a steaming cup of crisis

Valuable PR lessons from Starbucks that you can apply to your own crisis management strategy

Starbucks is no stranger to controversy, and this week’s release of a new coffee cup that the industry titan hoped would celebrate community stirred up some more.

Debuting at U.S. stores on November 1, for a limited time, the green and white cup features a mosaic drawing of more than 100 people and was meant to promote goodwill. And not all customers are pleased. Many took to social media to express their disdain for the cup’s design – and for Starbucks’ supposed political statement.

As it always does, Starbucks is handling its pre-holiday PR crisis with a winning strategy. Read how your company can use these lessons to uphold a positive reputation throughout a crisis too.