As you can see, there are various types of companies that are accepting new social media tools to help them collaborate more easily with employees and customers. In this article, David Cummings, founder and CEO of Hannon Hill, talks about some advantages that these tools may offer a company. In this post, I will look at how Starbucks is using these tools to hear more from their customers about how they would like to see the company improved.
Since Howard Schultz became the head of marketing for the company in 1982 the company has placed lots of emphasis on their customers. Beginning in 1991, the company implemented the use of mail-order catalogues and licensed airports to help raise sales and to make their products more accessible. Today, the company has advanced to allowing customers to buy company CDs and coffee online.
Their newest feature, “My Starbucks Idea,” is perhaps their greatest illustration of how much the company values its customers. This feature is similar to Dell Computer’s IdeaStorm, which I wrote about in a previous post.
Once users sign up for a Starbucks.com account, My Starbucks Idea implements a simple process of only four steps for customers’ voices to be heard by both employees and other customers. First, anyone with an account can share ideas for new products, or how to improve existing ones. Users then discuss and vote on ideas that they think would be good for the company. Following the voting process, members can then see which ideas the company chooses to implement. If Starbucks decides to use your idea, they even give you credit for coming up with the idea on their website.
I believe that features like this are the best way to stimulate collaboration between a company and users. Giving customers a chance to have their ideas heard give them more incentive to participate in issues. This also provides an easy way to prove your company’s authenticity and dedication to customers. Time will tell if more companies create tools like this and Dell’s IdeaStorm to allow for easier collaboration between their executives and customers.
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