Starbucks and Chick-fil-A Drop Out of the Culture Wars
At a time when almost everything seems polarized, coffee and chicken sandwiches might be exceptions.
It’s not trying to make a statement.
Photographer: Michael Nagle/BloombergTheir origins couldn't be more different -- one in the liberal Pacific Northwest, the other in the Bible Belt. And yet despite existing in a consumer brand landscape increasingly caught in the same polarizing trends seen in our politics, Starbucks Corp. and Chick-fil-A Inc. are converging on the exact same customer base, shaping what middle America means in the 21st century.
Succeeding as a consumer brand in the 2010s is impressive in its own right; doing it while pivoting from a distinct cultural base to something more universal is even more challenging when considering larger trends in American business. We've seen media networks sort into outlets that cater to either liberals or conservatives. Pro sports leagues have dealt with the same issues, with the National Basketball Association and Nascar moving in opposite directions. Even a clothing staple as innocuous as blue jeans has seen San Francisco-based Levi's cater more to liberals while Wrangler has trended toward conservatives.