Theres a related topic I cant get off my mind - the alignment of strategy, orchestration/feelings and execution - which I believe gets to the core of Starbucks social media stance and should also nurture all companies that have a medium to long term outlook.
Its a nod to the long tradition of diligently publishing incensed letters to the editor which were always useful in reminding us just how divergent peoples views could be. Of course, today, letters to the editor seem almost quaint, thanks in no small measure to Facebook itself. Its on Facebook that every urge, peeve, dispute and rant (as well like, love and ncy) can be instantly announced. Which is why its increasingly absurd that so many companies still fear the kind of open dialog that Facebook encourages. Companies seem to be desperate to build online audiences while at the same time eschewing the whole point of free exchange.
I cannot imagine a company doing well in social media without prior strategic planning and alignment.
Then, later in the month, an anti-gun violence group revived earlier attempts to pressure Starbucks to ban guns in its stores, by calling for a boycott on Valentines Day. One users comment from February 16 announced: Goodbye starbucks..over roasted coffee and supporters of criminals with guns..not to mention over priced. You are going the way of BOAdown!! This post is followed days later by a highlighted comment from another user praising Starbucks: thank you for standing up for the right to bear arms, and not giving in to the anti-gun/anti-freedom pressure.
There really is no exact formula to how many times or when you should post on Facebook. It all depends on your target audience and the messages you need to deliver. But as a general, rule, if you post normally and send relevant and useful content that your followers would appreciate, youre okay.
So a companys positions on the controversial questions of the day are inherently fraught; they have the potential to alter or even sever relationships with consumers. But thats partly what makes Starbucks and its Facebook presence so interesting.
Whereas other brands might police comments not just for offensive statements but also for negative or antagonistic reactions to a brands product, service or corporate positions, Starbucks allows this speech to continue unfettered, even when it rises to the level of being present on their Timeline Highlights.
Track Social monitors, aggregates and analyzes the Social Media accounts of thousands of businesses across multiple social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Track Social provides a self-serve Analytics Platform as well as ...
The last few months have been particularly active for political speech on the Starbucks Page because of two controversial topics: Starbucks explicit endorsement of the marriage equality bill in its home state of Washington, and a boycott organized by the National Gun Victims Action Council to protest Starbucks policy of allowing customers to carry guns in stores when and where its legal.
From gay marriage to gun rights, Starbucks has staked its image on some very public, and potentially risky, social-political positions. And thanks to social media, consumers can interact with brands in the same ways they interact with people. This raises an important question: how does a multi-national mega-brand, responsible for crafting a consistent image all over the globe, manage to navigate the potentially treacherous waters of hot-button cultural and political issues in the places where it does business?
So while some companies whitewash their Facebook Pages with a vigilance that would make the North Koreans envious, Starbucks appears to allow users to speak their minds while still reserving the right to remove comments that are hateful or outright inflammatory.
I think we need to recognize great writing when you see it. Having never read Felicias articles before, I was really impressed.
I see this as the only way to establish clear communication and expectation with all stakeholders.
But that might be changing. Because consumers emerging awareness that their clothes, food, computers, and coffee actually come from somewhere, and that the processes of delivering those things are fraught with all kinds of ethical and political questions, means that brands will have to increasingly engage with consumers over these questions. Its the internet, in large part, which has helped provoke this consumer awakening and its social media that will keep the debate going. Companies would do well to understand that real consumer engagement might mean more than just funny tweets and exclusive bargains.
Morgan J. Arnold is a marketing entrepreneur with a PhD in Engineering. Morgan is CEO of Track Social, the leader in Engagement Optimization.
Its a strategy thats not without risk and needlessly courting controversy isnt usually in companies best long term interests. But for Starbucks, allowing open dissent on its Facebook Page represents a compelling and essential form of consumer engagement that most companies still dont have the stomach for.
This is why improving the customer experience is so important because you always have to know what your customer base wants and doesnt want out of you as a company. Without some hBrewing Controversy - How Starbucks Embraces Social Mediauman interaction, Social Media it may seem to the customers and your ns, followers, ect, doesnt even put in an effort to care at ...
Health Care Reform, Tax Fairness,new york asian escorts The War in Afghanistan, Occupy Wall Street, same- marriage. These are just a few of the hottest and heated issues that presently divide our nation. While individuals look to their political, religious, cultural, and personal beliefs to take a stance on the matters, many companies stay quiet and impartial fearful to not outrage consumers. But theres one major company Track Social has been monitoring that doesnt seem to shy away from the controversy, and in ct, welcomes it.
I believe Starbucks did and still does well their homework with strategic planning, getting buy in (feelings) and thorough execution/communication. Not only should we do so with social media, but in the era of transparency, it is prime to have these 3 elements in place.
Thanks Mark! I really cant take all the credit, this was a group collaboration: the bulk of the writing was done by Andy Parker, our companys (Track Social) writer, and our CEO, Morgan Arnold and I help think of content, rewrite, and make edits. Please check out our blog to see more of our articles. Thanks for recognizing our hard work!
But as big brands come to play greater and greater roles in shaping culture, the positions theyve come to occupy as arbiters of tastes, trends and, yes, values, take on larger significance. Both Microsoft and Amazon have also joined forces to support the legalization of gay marriage. The ubiquity of these mega-brands both online and off amplifies their perceived cultural authority. And in a society in which the marketplace encroaches further and further into our personal lives and is woven ever more tightly into the national bric, the brands we use the most start to resemble significant cultural battlegrounds themselves with boycotts, anti-boycotts and threats of boycotts becoming de rigueur.
Hello Gagan, SearchMetrics conducted a study recently on Googles search engine rankings and how Penguin 2.0 affected those. One of the key takeaways was that social sharing continue to correlate very well with better rankings. I look at this way: Everytime someone tweets or shares ...
Great job on all accounts.
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For most big brands, the answer is refrain from alienating consumers by simply refusing to engage in potentially controversial dialogue.
These trends are surely outstanding. Thanks for sharing this Chris. These trends will maSocial Mediake Internet Marketing easier than before for sure. However, it is not on the trends that the success of an Internet Marketing campaign will rely on. It is on the Internet Marketing Firm that youve hired. The success of a companys Internet Marketing campaign depends on the expertise of the marketing firm. ...
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On January 25, Starbucks posted on its Facebook Page, We are proud to support Marriage Equality legislation in the Washington State Legislature, with a link to an article in the Seattle Times. It was followed the same day with: MARRIAGE=ONE MAN + ONE WOMAN FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God made Adam and EVE not Adam and STEVE! from a user named Rebecca Curry DeMent of Goshen, Indiana. February 6 and 7 highlight posts from two pro-gay marriage groups urging, in one case for people to declare: Im going to Starbucks BECAUSE they support the right thing, and in the other, to sign a thank you letter to Starbucks.
I have and will not purchase any Starbuck item since that abominable law passed the WA State Legistlature.
Hi Felicia, great post. Thanks for sharing your view and for raising this topic; very timely!
And that might just be what sets Starbucks apart in the online space: Starbucks doesnt seem to fear the debate that social media fosters.
Setting up a companys mission, set of values and aligned strategy is a given for Fortune 500 companies, but maybe the SMBs do not prioritise these as much as they should.
With 29.5 million Likes, the Starbucks Facebook Page is a large forum indeed. Besides the usual corporate re product highlights, promos, special deals, and innocuous engagement posts (Coffee and snow go together like _____ and _____.) the Starbucks Facebook Page is also place for spirited discussion not only of its products, but also of the companys positions.
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