Faced from rivals McDonalds and Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks Corp. is stepping up their game to remind you how great their products are. Slower sales this year bring about a push by the company to remind consumers with coffee tasting and a series of podcasts on their web site.

A few months ago, McDonald’s made a push to promote their new coffee blend and has taken away much market share this quarter. Likewise, Dunkin’ Donuts had launched a new advertising campaign to expand its business into Western North America where Starbucks currently dominates. Analysts have said that there is no evidence (ya right) that Starbucks customers have down graded to buying their morning cup of joe from McDonalds or Dunkin’ Donuts. This fall marks Starbucks 35th anniversary and the company will be inviting customers across the United States to in store testing events. Never have I thought of coffee being of wine quality but the company feels the move will help boost sales. In addition, a four piece podcast episode featuring “Coffee Conversations” will take place on the company’s web site this fall. I believe that the reenforcement of customer satisfaction and superior quality is something we all have to do when marking a premium on our products. A $5 cup of coffee from Starbucks might seem like an irrational pricing decision to those unaware of the quality of the product. Starbucks promises to do everything they can to get your butt back in there this fall.