By George Anderson
Now that Starbucks has conquered the music business, the coffee chain has decided to take on motion pictures.
The company announced yesterday that it had signed a deal with Lions Gate Films to promote its movies and sell soundtrack CDs and DVDs in its shops.
The first film Starbucks will tie into is Akeelah and the Bee scheduled for cinematic release on April 28. The movie is about a girl's journey to the National Spelling Bee competition. It stars Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett and Keke Palmer as Akeelah.
Starbucks' deal with Lions Gate includes the chain receiving an undisclosed amount of box-office receipts for its role in promoting the film.
"Given the success we've experienced with music, this is a logical extension to our entertainment strategy," said Ken Lombard, president, Starbucks Entertainment. "Our goal is always to bring a sense of discovery to our customers while maintaining and enhancing the trust they have in us. In this case we're not only offering a powerful means for an independent film company to reach a valuable consumer base and drive theatrical distribution, we are doing so to enhance the Starbucks experience."
NPD Group restaurant consultant Harry Balzar told MarketWatch: "The most important thing that Starbucks is selling is coffee. Make no mistake about that. But Starbucks was successful in changing the attitudes about coffee in this country. There's no question the company has the ability to change the way we think about a lot of things."
Moderator's Comment: What will tie-ins with films such as "Akeelah and the Bee" do for customers' experience of Starbucks? Where do you see Starbucks headed with the entertainment component of its business? - George Anderson - Moderator
- Starbucks Entertainment and Lionsgate Announce a Partnership that Transforms Traditional Motion Picture Marketing and Distribution Model - Starbucks
- Want a movie with that skinny latte? - MarketWatch
- Akeelah and the Bee Movie Trailer - Lions Gate Films/Apple.com