[...]How Starbucks Got 10 Million Facebook Fans? -[...]…

Thanks for your very smart and well formulated answer, like it!

Fully agree with culture, but kept that very short, it’s the song that (almost) no brands want to hear again from me. 20% of my posts are about: the right mentality and DNA is needed.

Like Obama DNA: culture to open-up, listen, respond. Most brands do not have that DNA, and do not understand that money can’t buy you love in social. Credit and respect must be earned.

So agree that social offers options to ALL brands. Just speak at too many events and with too many brands to ignore the fact many will fail due to their: bribing and hit and run culture.

Innovative brands: yes.
CRM driven brands: yes.
The right DNA / Culture brands: yes.

Brands with lousy content or advertising / shouting/ sending DNA: entitled to campaigning and some social media ads. In my opinion: that’s social advertising, not social marketing.

Fact is that social media still opportunities to ALL brands. 20% will seize full opportunties. Fully fair is you blame me for being: a pessimist, realist or strategist.

I applaud Starbucks for their approach. Really am a fan of their culture.

However, I have not forgotten that Starbucks maybe would have not tapped into social marketing like they do now for years, if their brand was not demolished by consumers offline and online so heavily.

It seems like most have forgotten that Starbucks devaluated its love brand a few years, and its brand equity diminished from badge of belonging into “too expensive coffee from an arrogant company”.

So my question to you is: would Starbucks have launched My Starbucks Idea also, if they had not gotten thousands of negative reviews online a few years ago?

Understand my point here? They have learned a great deal, and fully changed their attitude and approach, which I really admire most. Since that is even more difficult than starting from point blank.

But social media and digital dictators will maken many more brands very humble. What about BP or other brands that have been vaporized online by consumers?

Cheers

Igor

After “listening,” an organization needs to understand how to build social media into the daily activity of their people. Depending on your industry, goals, etc. the brand can determine what level of support it needs from those internal resources (4-5 employees or all employees, etc.).

While not all organizations are built to support Social Media, I would disagree that there isn’t an opportunity for all brands to find a place to play in a social environment… they just should have realistic expectations. As you note above, “its not smart to focus on just numbers,” so even the smallest brand engagement could yield results. It comes down to level of effort and investment.

Of course many brands are still doing well investing in traditional media. But all those media efforts are mostly aimed at obtaining eg. 1000 brand ambassadors. But those brand ambassadors are out there already, so find them, social media being an important part, because that’s where they are, speak out and have their followers.

And couldn’t agree more: for God’s sake use a strategy and be very wise on how you say what to who…

M.

Thanks. That basics part was the most difficult for me. Not always easy to keep it simple for strategists

Sorry I disagree: I think many brands should stay away from social media, since they do not have the mentality or DNA for it.

And: I know several brands that are on TV for 40 weeks per year and do great. Okay, deep, deep pockets are needed to be able to do so…

Cheers

Traditional media doesn’t work anymore, p2p recommendations is what counts, so as a brand be