::Saturday, April 23, 2005::
"STARBUCKS EFFECT": A MARKETING COUP
.. Gratis! This was how researchers unwittingly scored a marketing coup for Starbucks when it branded a simple mathematical phenomenon - traffic geometric progression into the so called "Starbucks effect." I experienced this very well when I used to work for Shell as a retail executive. The trick to avoiding gridlock traffic is simply to avoid rush hour usually between 7-9 a.m. and 5-7 p.m, the 2-hr. travel window before and after work. The bulk of the people just simply travel during this period and the number of vehicles pour in a predictable geometric pattern (2x2=4 then 4x4=16) in an instant as opposed to arithmetic progression (1+1=2 cars then +2= 4 cars). The key is to avoid the period when queuing would build up the most. I am leaving out here the rate and speed of acceleration between cars because that is another nightmare altogether. Whew!
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