Would you like a free e-book with that grande caramel macchiato?

• In an effort to boost profits, Starbucks is trying a new promotion with partner Yahoo! to bring free e-books, movies, online news subscriptions, and mp3s to customers using its free wifi.
• The online freebies will only be accessible through Starbucks wifi networks, meaning customers will have to return to a shop to pick up where they left off with their books and movies. Alternately, they can purchase the product from the provider, which gives Starbucks a portion of the profit.
• To make the program happen, the company has partnered with The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Apple, Patch, Zagat, HarperCollins, Penguin Group, and SnagFilms.

Facts & Figures

• Starbucks made its wifi free to everybody this July.
• Users logged in to Starbucks wifi over 30 million times in September.

Best Quote

“Users across the Internet are moving more into this ‘snackable behavior’ to begin with.” – Burke Culligan, Vice President of Product Management at Yahoo!

Tags: consumer spending, free stuff, marketing, online content, starbucks, Yahoo