Jeff Bennett's Blog

Brands can utilize social media in many ways.  This can be accomplished by a brand joining in on existing networks like Facebook, Twitter, joining targeted communities like Photo.net, DavesGarden.com, or creating their own site/community like Nike+.  If done properly this type of integration with social media can effect the entire cycle of business management starting with generating new product ideas, market research, launch, growth and service.

Starbucks launched MyStarbucksIdea last Spring.  This site gives Starbucks customers an opportunity to suggest new ideas and ways for Starbucks to improve.  I think that Starbucks should be commended for the effort for proactive engagement with their base.   Continuity and growth for this type of effort requires lots of promotion and incentive for the consumer to participate though.  The “whats in it for me” and “free giveaways” philosophy is at work here for sure.  You have to wonder about the credibility of all of the participants because of this.  When you study the traffic trends of MyStarbucksIdea as I did on Compete.Com Traffic Chart, you see a spike on launch and some noticeable bumps but overall a downward trend.

Reputation Management is a very important initiative for all companies.  I kind of classify MySarbucksIdea as a proactive effort for reputation management.  I think that expectations were a little higher than this for this initiative though.  This is not a failure of social media though.  Starbucks has done a great job on what it has done, it’s just that they only filled the social media coffee cup half full.

Starbucks should expand beyond this effort and plug into other exisiting sites where they can listen and engage with consumers that are their customers and those of other brands.  The Starbucks Twitter presence is one idea.  There are many other sites to tap into as well, such as what was going on at Splitcoaststampers for Keurig in the last month.  By doing this I believe they can get expanded views into other ideas that will help them grow their business.