(Graham Brown mobileYouth) Starbucks Case Study in Brand democracy

Brand Democracy Starbucks Case Study Trend #6 YouthTrendsReport.com YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

We've moved into an era of Brand Democracy - where it's no longer appropriate to tell the brand's story. We need to help youth tell theirs. YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

Are you still telling stories about your own brand or helping customers tell theirs? YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

“Without our customers we’d be nothing.” “They are the brand.” -Jake Nickell, Threadless YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

Brands need to empower youth to tell their story by building platforms that facilitate this new narrative. YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

MY STARBUCKS IDEA CASE STUDY Started in 2008, My Starbucks Idea is an online ideation platform. At the core of this online community is the philosophy that consumers who beneﬁt from the Starbucks experience need to be involved in creating and advancing the it. Members can submit ideas on what new products, new locations or changes to existing products and locations they want to see. YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

MY STARBUCKS IDEA CASE STUDY Starbucks has democratized its own brand by empowering customers to create, vote and discuss ideas for improving the brand experience. The conversation is monitored and guided by Starbucks employees. Ideas that become popular are ﬁnally take up for action. YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

MY STARBUCKS IDEA CASE STUDY “We could give away free stuff for days but in the end we're not earning your loyalty, we're picking up your frequency which don’t get me wrong is a good thing, but it's not lasting. It's how Starbucks makes you feel when you walk in, take a sip, or sit down for a moment that should earn your respect.” -Starbucks Representative flickr: shewatchedthesky YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

YOUTH RESEARCH PARTNER OPINION PANEL With the current all-time high hype about the online world and how brands think they "should" get onto the internet (be it Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, and microsites) is just merely creating a lot of noise for the customers. What customers DO NOT need are irrelevant information and marketing messages. What customers DO need is a platform that is not selling but instead providing them the real opportunity to Youth Research Partner participate and continue to be part of the brand Bernard Hor experience. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Through My Starbucks Idea, its customers (especially the fans) begin to feel the sense of belonging with the brand and the sense of pride that they are "connected" with a brand like Starbucks. YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

YOUTH RESEARCH PARTNER OPINION PANEL What differentiates Starbucks among others is their consistency in building this democratic process with their customers. Like real politics, it creates trust and people become a Starbucks identifier in some way. On the other hand, I believe this Starbucks campaign is not just some PR gimmick for their branding but they really really listen to their Youth Research Partner customers and make their ideas reality. This Muhammad Faisal means they've broken the internal barriers within Jakarta, Indonesia the organization that prevents the customer from reaching them. Kudos to Starbucks. YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

YOUTH RESEARCH PARTNER OPINION PANEL My Starbucks Idea has helped Starbucks stay relevant in the face of a bearish retail sector and competition from lower margin operators like McDonald's. In the medium term it's about survival. When consumer confidence returns and retail begins to grow again, ongoing dialogue with their customers will be core to Starbucks' Youth Research Partner expansion. Graham Brown London, England YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

YOUTH RESEARCH PARTNER OPINION PANEL With My Starbucks Idea, Starbucks has made a commitment. It's not just a microsite that sits there where customers can play a game and then leave. It’s very interactive with the brand, at any given time there are 30-50 "idea partners" on the site who are engaging around ideas. (Look at the homepage for featured idea partners). Idea partners are Starbucks employees monitoring Youth Research Partner and responding to the online discussion. So the Freddie Benjamin person responsible for espresso is looking into New Delhi, India ideas tagged under espresso and engaging with customers who submit ideas and comments. YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

YOUTH RESEARCH PARTNER OPINION PANEL Starbucks is collecting some serious social currency here. It feels very much alive. I only miss the audience. Can't people add a picture to their profile, holding a Starbucks coffee? That would reinforce the feeling that you are at a Starbuck store online, with friends that care Youth Research Partner about the brand just as much as you do. Ab Kuijer Amsterdam, Holland YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

YOUTH RESEARCH PARTNER OPINION PANEL Customer and brand relationships are moving from being transactional to becoming partnerships. This relates to the concept of ‘brand democracy’; the theory that you don’t own your brand – the people do. It’s about creating an opportunity to make a product their own and ‘democratize’ the brand. It is beneficial to consider the new consumer as creative partners. Youth Research Partner However, it is important to note, this does Andrew Mackinnon not necessarily class them as decision makers, Melbourne, Australia but as influentials in the process based upon established parameters. Consumers still expect the brand to satisfy unmet and unrealized needs. YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

YOUTH RESEARCH PARTNER OPINION PANEL I love this approach where the customers are given the power in marketing, product development or even strategy. A lot of times, though, it's difficult to give away your power over the brand to the consumers. But the key thing is that you don't need an overnight revolution from brand autocracy to brand democracy. What you Youth Research Partner need is an evolution and start with smaller things Mikko Ampuja and build the democracy brick by brick. Helsinki, Finland YOUTHTRENDSREPORT.COM BRAND DEMOCRACY

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(Graham Brown mobileYouth) Starbucks Case Study in Brand democracy

by Graham Brown (mobileYouth) on Aug 25, 2010

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(Graham Brown mobileYouth) Starbucks Case Study in Brand democracy — Presentation Transcript