Perhaps most alarming is that the airline is unaware of the concentrated brand sentiment across the thousands upon thousands of people that have expressed dissatisfaction.

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Now Schultz has not only tainted the Starbucks brand with a sickness most non-investors were unaware of, but he also claims to have cured it.

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Unfortunately, a denial may strengthen the association between the brand and the rumor as it can alert consumers previously unaware of the rumor to it.

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