Social Media Cups Of Joe On International Coffee Day

by Ron Callari

Finally, coffee-lovers get their very own holiday, and vendors the world-over are using social media to capitalize on this special event with free 'Cups of Joe.' September 29th marks the day when caffeine-aholics get to celebrate their popular “social” beverage with complimentary deals being offered by some of their favorite baristas.

Historically Speaking. . .

If some how this holiday missed your radar, while the exact origin of Coffee Day is unknown, many countries around the world actively participate in this event. The actual naming of "International Coffee Day" originates from the first National Coffee Day held in the United States, which was mentioned publicly as early as 2005.

It’s said to have gone world-wide when the term was first used by the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. It was at their October 3, 2009 press conference, when they announced the celebration was in honor of 'International Coffee Day,' while marking the first New Orleans Coffee Festival.

Free Brews

So how are vendors taking advantage? Well, Dunkin Donuts took to Twitter to use the day to promote their

new blend - Dark Roast. Stop in your local DD and you’ll be awarded free medium cups on Monday!

For those that think one day just isn’t long enough, McDonald's has reponded to your concern with a two-week long free offering of their McCafe (but unfortunately for those just learning about it - the conclusion of that promotion ends on Monday.)

Tim Hortons, on the other is making a game out of this holiday. Their marketing team launched an innovative promotion where they’ve hidden golden envelopes with "more than $9,000 in cash and gift cards."

The scavenger hunt entails envelopes stuffed with $25 apiece in five cities: Columbus, Ohio; Buffalo and Rochester, New York; Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan. If your city made the cut, on Monday clues are available on all of their social media accounts.

If you are interested in purchasing coffee to brew at

home, Eight O’Clock Coffee has several promotions listed on their Facebook page. You can save $3 when you purchase one Eight O’Clock Coffee package and one complete season of Friends on DVD at the same time. You can also receive a special limited edition Eight O’Clock Coffee Central Perk Mug when you purchase any three bags of their coffee. And their ‘Scratch & Win’ promo gives consumers a chance to win a trip for two to the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, CA.

POTUS caught in Social Media Coffee Cross-Hairs

Social media as we’ve all learned over the last decade is a double-edge sword. While promotion-worthy for vendors and their clientele, on the flip-side it can sometimes shed light on actions less becoming.

Such was the case this week with the Leader of the Free World. Barack Obama, also a fellow coffee-lover was caught disembarking Marine One -- while offering the officers in attendance, with a less-than-formal salute -- while managing not to spill a drop of his precious coffee.

The White House released a video clip of the salute on their Instagram page - not realizing the potential backlash. That initial clip had nearly 2,600 comments as of last week, exceeding more than the five next-most-popular images and videos combined. For instance, a photo of Obama presenting the Medal of Honor posted Sept. 15 garnered less than 150 responses.

While hashtags and catch phrases like #SemperLatte and #StarbucksSalute might have helped out coffee vendors the world-over, some say it didn’t do well for the Commander-in-Chief’s approval ratings. Others think this kerfuffle might be a lot to do about nothing, because when a Twitter account launched with the handle name, @ObamaLatte by “Latte-in-chief,” it was only able to attract 39 followers.

So, IMHO, I'm thinking POTUS’ gaffe -- while a bit disrespectful (granted) -- might have weathered this social media storm unscathed. Happy International Coffee Day, fellow caffeine-aholics - we salute you!