I really don’t understand the meaning of the Starbucks logo to begin with, so a minor change like dropping its name and the word “coffee” isn’t going to keep D. Ruth from getting himself a stiff Pike’s grande. Here’s what I’m working on today. Thanks to team member Jessica Stark for the research and scribing!

Rice U. research shows Starbucks’ logo redesign could prove beneficial to company
Despite mixed US consumer reaction, it’s a good move as company expands in Asia, researcher says

HOUSTON — (Jan. 6, 2011) — Despite U.S. consumers’ threats of protests in response to the redesigned Starbucks logo unveiled yesterday, the new look may be a smart move in the long run as the coffee company expands into Asian markets, according to a Rice University researcher who has studied consumer reaction to logos.

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Rice University scores two stories in Futurity’s Top 10 for 2010. Sixty of the top universities in the country are contributors to Futurity. Kudos go to my team who research and do a majority of the writing. I cherry pick and pitch the media with a blow horn.

Rice scores two in Futurity's Top 10 research for 2010

No. 3
Is being American unhealthy for Mexicans?
RICE / DUKE (US) — Perhaps coming to America should come with a health warning. A study shows that Mexican-Americans who have assimilated into the U.S. culture are less healthy than those who have recently migrated from Mexico.

The effect is more pronounced for men, who tend to start out healthier than women when they first arrive, but whose health declines at a faster pace.

“The implications of our findings run counter to the popular belief that recent immigrant arrivals are taxing the U.S. health care system,” says study coauthor Jen’nan Read, a sociologist at Duke University.

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