In honour of the World AIDS Day, December 1, the charitable (RED) project in collaboration with global brands gave boost to its international program focused on providing help to HIV-infected people in Africa. They have introduced a new twist of the campaign, which has been running since 2006: this time, (RED) wants to bring attention to the possibility of the first AIDS Free Generation in 30 years by 2015, and is encouraging people around the globe to promote the idea by customizing their social media profiles with (RED) avatars, badges and backgrounds as well as buying the branded goods from iconic manufacturers.

Seattle’s Best Coffee®, part of Starbucks Corporation, today announced a radically simplified packaged coffee line designed to change the conventions of the coffee category. The Seattle’s Best Coffee ‘Level’ System delivers great tasting, premium coffee with an expanded blend offering in conjunction with an innovative and bold new packaging concept. The Level System’s unique array of numbers and vivid colors tell consumers exactly what they want to know: which type of coffee fits their taste profile. Seattle’s Best Coffee is the first brand in the coffee category to offer this unique approach, which will begin hitting grocery and retail store shelves in December 2010.

Starbucks Coffee Company celebrates the launch of the holiday season in the chain with the arrival of Starbucks® handcrafted holiday beverages in the iconic red cups. Starbucks invites customers to bring a friend to participating company-operated and licensed stores in the U.S. and Canada on November 18-21 to receive a free beverage when purchasing a holiday beverage of equal or lesser value, which includes the Caramel Brulée Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Gingerbread Latte, Eggnog Latte, Peppermint White Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Hot Chocolate.

On November 11, Starbucks Coffee Company signed Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) agreements with Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Science (YAAS) and People’s Government of Pu’er City, Yunnan Province. The company agreed to collaborate with the two governmental organizations to help local farmers promote responsible coffee-growing practices and develop localized high-quality coffee.

Starbucks announced the expansion of its Starbucks Card Mobile payment test to nearly 300 company-operated stores in New York City, and Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island. This builds on the successful launch of Starbucks Card Mobile App for select BlackBerry® smartphones, iPhone® and iPod® touch, and the Starbucks mobile payment test which started in fall 2009. Now, Starbucks next mobile move will offer customers in the New York City area an enhanced Starbucks Experience, including the ease and convenience of paying for their favorite Starbucks® beverage with their mobile phone.

On October 20, Starbucks launched the Starbucks Digital Network, in partnership with Yahoo! in nearly 6,800 U.S. venues of the chain. Serving up a collection of hand-picked premium news, entertainment and lifestyle content along with local insights and events, the Starbucks Digital Network, is powered by free Wi-Fi and available only in the chain’s stores. Developed for screens big and small, customers with Wi-Fi enabled laptops, tablets or smartphones can visit the network while in line or while enjoying their favorite beverage in the café.

Starbucks is serious about making recycling an integral part of its stores’ activity. “By 2015, we plan to have recycling available in all of our stores where we control waste collection and serve 25% of beverages in reusable cups,” stated the global coffee retailer last year, and now it is making small steps towards the huge goal. This summer, the brand hold the Betacup competition sourcing customer-generated ideas focused on reusable, recyclable or compostable cups, and this time the Starbucks is into nine-week tests of its recycling initiative in NYC.