Is the old school “black with two creams” coffee making a comeback? Looking at the expansion plans for Dunkin’ Donuts in the Big Apple, New York magazine plays up the contrasts between Starbucks and its downmarket competitor. Along the way, author Stephen Rodrick hits some points about:

Overeager Flackery

“Imagine my surprise when I was met by not one, not two, but eight Dunkin� employees. There was the flack, the outside-agency flack, three executives, the franchise owner, his son, and someone to drive the trail vehicle. Soon, I was deluged by a shower of business cards, fair-trade beans, and Coffee Coolattas.”

Packaging, Design and Self Identity

“Unlike Starbucks, whose mermaid-logoed paper cups scream �I am a person with some design sense and an environmentally raised consciousness,� Dunkin� serves its coffee in Styrofoam containers emblazoned with the company�s cheerful puffy-fonted pink-and-orange trademark. Viewed through an upmarket lens, Dunkin�s cups suggest landfills and Gymboree classes. �They�re fine in the car up to New Hampshire,� an Upper East Side publicist told me, �but not so much on Madison and 52nd.�

The Value-Added Menu

“Starbucks� cellophane-wrapped $6 sandwiches are a crime against commerce and fairness in pricing, but it�s unlikely those products will kill you. I feel fairly confident, on the other hand, that Dunkin�s new steak-egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwich is what the Grim Reaper packs in his lunch box.”

Retail Merchandising

“Despite its aesthetically pleasing location and floor-to-ceiling windows, members of the ocho mumbled obscenities and rolled their eyes. Apparently, the promotional posters were not up-to-date.”

The Uselessness of Controlling the Message

“On my officially sanctioned guided tour with the Dunkin� boys, all the stops were spacious, airy locales, clearly chosen for their PR suitability. Alas, these turned out to be Dunkin�s Potemkin Villages. Many of the other stores I visited had all the ambience of a Texaco outside El Paso, resplendent with interrogation-quality fluorescent lights and pee on the toilet seats.”

Oh – and Rodrick works in some commentary on the Dunkin’ Donut’s customer segmentation from John Moore of Brand Autopsy fame.

Technorati: retail public relations Design