Kim Kardashian and Starbucks are under fire after allegedly plotting a PR stunt to counter $11 billion loss following global calls for boycott.
The 43-year-old reality TV star was spotted on Sunday (December 17), stepping out for a coffee run in the upscale neighborhood of Calabasas in Los Angeles.
Kim showcased her very slim waist in a white crop top with low-slung leather trousers, as she carried a tiny black snakeskin Hermes Kelly bag, her mobile phone, and a festive red Starbucks cup, all in one hand.
The entrepreneur’s drive to the coffee chain, using her $185,000 silver Mercedes-Maybach S580 (as per the Daily Mail), wouldn’t appear to be groundbreaking news at first if it wasn’t for the massive boycott calls against Starbucks that have been spreading like wildfire worldwide.
Kim Kardashian and Starbucks are under fire after allegedly plotting a PR stunt to counter an $11 billion loss following global calls for a boycott
Image credits: vidapress
Boycott calls against the multinational coffeehouse are stemming from a series of issues, with the main one concerning lawsuits involving its union.
Starbucks and the union organizing its workers have been suing each other in federal court over a social media post that was sent out by employees supporting Palestinians in light of the Israel-Hamas war, NorthJersey.com reported.
Image credits: kimkardashian
The coffeehouse chain reportedly sued Starbucks Workers United in federal court in October, alleging trademark infringement after the union sent out a social media post saying "Solidarity with Palestine!" a few weeks after the Hamas attack against Israel, which took place on October 7.
Starbucks Workers United subsequently countersued Starbucks, asking a federal court in Pennsylvania to rule that it can continue using its name and similar logo and saying "Starbucks defamed the union by implying that it supports terrorism and violence," NorthJersey explained.
The calls for a boycott haven’t been confirmed as the reason for Starbucks’ huge decrease in market value, although they can’t be completely ruled out as a cause
Moreover, the multinational company reportedly distanced itself from the workers' union's pro-Palestinian stance, putting out an official statement that read: “We unequivocally condemn these acts of terrorism, hate, and violence, and disagree with the statements and views expressed by Workers United and its members.”
With the Israel government’s military operations in Gaza being denounced as genocide, hundreds of protests erupting worldwide calling for a ceasefire, and over 20,000 Palestinians killed since October 7, as of Friday, December 22, Starbucks’ official statement has sparked public outrage that has continuously grown at a rapid rate.
Image credits: Meech
Since last week, the TikTok data center shows that the hashtag #boycottstarbucks has been used in 760 posts. In total, the hashtag has generated over 183 million views on TikTok.
Meanwhile, the Seattle-based coffee company’s share price has seen a sharp decline since mid-November, falling by about nine percent, meaning a decline of some $11 billion in its market cap, Vox reported. Other outlets have reported a $12 billion decline.
Siye Desta, equity analyst at CFRA Research, told the publication: “Starbucks’s stock is experiencing a historic losing streak, influenced by a confluence of factors.”
“Starbucks’s stock is experiencing a historic losing streak, influenced by a confluence of factors," an equity analyst said
Image credits: Dom J
The calls for a boycott haven’t been confirmed as the reason for Starbucks’ huge decrease in market value, although they can’t be completely ruled out as a cause.
Sara Senatore, senior research analyst at Bank of America, told Vox: “I don’t think it’s the protests that are driving this.” The timeline on foot traffic declines doesn’t really line up with the boycotts, she said. Plus, Starbucks is no stranger to controversy. “This is not the first time that we’ve seen this kind of activity, and so it’s hard, in my view, to conclude that’s the reason that traffic has been so slow.”
With Kim’s seemingly suspicious timing of stepping out in public with a Starbucks cup in hand, many TikTokers were quick to point at a potential PR stunt
Nick Setyan, an equity research analyst at Wedbush, further stated: “The boycotts ... could be making a little bit of a difference on the margin, a very small impact. I don’t see that having a lasting impact.”
With Kim’s seemingly suspicious timing of stepping out in public with a Starbucks cup in hand, many people on social media were quick to point at a potential PR stunt.
“Did you think we wouldn’t notice?” TikToker Robyn said in a video on the video hosting service. She continued: “You think the leather pants and a crop top for the Starbucks cup is gonna get people to come back on board?”
"What’s happening here is that Starbucks is getting desperate," comedian Nasser Al-Rayess theorized
Tori, a public relations and branding strategist, took to her TikTok page to analyze Kim’s Starbucks paparazzi shots. She said in a video: “I’m not surprised. But in the middle of a boycott, Kim?”
Comedian Nasser Al-Rayess also took to his TikTok page to comment on the situation. In a video, he asked viewers: “Do you think this is a normal photo of Kim K holding a Starbucks Cup?”
Nasser went on to point to an episode of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop podcast, to which Kim was invited. At the time, the mom television star revealed that she wasn’t much of a coffee drinker.
The comedian further theorized: “What’s happening here, is that Starbucks is getting desperate,” before suggesting that the coffeehouse chain was trying to influence people to buy their product by sponsoring Kim.
Seeing the Skims boss has nearly never been spotted in such paparazzi shots, where she has held a Starbucks cup in hand, with the last known picture of this kind dating back to 2020, the theories aren’t such an improbable stretch.
"They're doing it because they know that celebrities still have some type of pull with people," user ItsRobyn said
When asked about the claims made online that such a PR stunt had been orchestrated, using Kim Kardashian, a spokesperson from Starbucks told Bored Panda: “This is not accurate, we did not coordinate with Kim or her team on this visit to our store.”
Moreover, Starbucks' CEO recently wrote an open letter where he stated: "We see protestors influenced by misrepresentation on social media of what we stand for. We have worked with local authorities to ensure our partners and customers are safe. Nothing is more important. Our stance is clear. We stand for humanity."
Speaking to Snopes about its litigation with the union, Starbucks said: “To be clear, Starbucks respects Defendants’ right to express their viewpoints about the conflict in the Middle East and other political and social issues; Starbucks does not bring this action to stifle their speech or express a view on Defendants’ positions or those issues.
"Instead, Starbucks brings this action to protect the safety of those working in its retail locations around the world, and to halt the damage to its business that has resulted from Defendants’ misuse of Starbucks name and logos when expressing their view."
