By Nicholas Bender
7-Eleven Inc. kicked off a unique political promotion Friday, offering customers the chance to make their voices heard by choosing the mug of the candidate they like most.
Customers can 'vote' by pouring their favorite hot drink into Styrofoam cups emblazoned with the name of the candidate they support. Some may choose a 'Bush' hazelnut latte, whereas others may opt for a 'Kerry' hot chocolate, among other beverage choices.
Though 7-Eleven refers to its polling methods as non-scientific and unofficial, the 2000 election results were uncannily accurate.
'We think it''s a pretty good sampling,' said Kevin Gardner, director of marketing of 7-Eleven Inc. 'Its very interesting how it mirrored the results of the 2000 election almost identically, with Bush and Gore just a percentage point apart in most states and some states too close to call. We''re looking with great anticipation that we may have similar results this time.'
7-Eleven collects the purchase data from its stores across the country, compiles it into three categories and posts it online.
Customers can visit www.7-Eleven.com and click on the 7-Election link. There they will find statistics, updated daily, about which candidate is leading the pack. Customers can also view their state polling figures and even several specific metropolitan areas, like Salt Lake City.
Gardner said he hopes the politically based retail campaign will help people prepare for the November election.
Cole Bobo, 19, from Villisca, Iowa, a frequent 7-Eleven customer, said he thinks the convenience store chain may be on to something.
'It sounds great,' he said. 'People need to be informed. Knowledge is a good thing, especially about something as important as who is running for the president of the United States.'
But results could be skewed. One store, visited in Provo, stocked only Bush cups in its dispensers. When asked about it, one employee responded with a smile, 'Isn''t that the way it should be?'
As of Monday afternoon, 14.81 percent of 'voters' favored Bush nationally, with Kerry trailing with 13.89 percent. Approximately 72 percent registered as 'no opinion.' In Salt Lake, 26 percent purchased Bush cups, whereas 22 percent supported Kerry. Of the 31states listed, Bush led in 11 states while Kerry took 16. Four states were ties.
For the undecided customers who don''t yet know which candidate to drink to, plain coffee cups will still be available. Third-party candidate supporters or those who would rather keep their preferences to themselves may also select the plain cup.
7-Eleven Inc. operates or franchises more than 5,800 7-Eleven stores in the United States and Canada and about 20,000 additional stores across the globe. Worldwide revenues in 2003 were more than $36 billion.