Starbucks has now joined the growing list of corporations that have recognised the power of putting customers in the driving seat. In the last few days they have launched Mystarbucksidea which like Dells Ideastorm asks customers for ideas on how to improve their offering and then gives them the chance to vote. So if you want a free cup of coffee from Starbucks on your birthday or free Wifi access in all Starbucks stores, click on the link above and vote!
It’s an interesting experiment and one that I’m sure will work. It’s a lot better engaging openly with your customers on your own turf, than fighting a rear guard action on somebody else’s
Of course, now that social networking sites are so popular, a new form would come along. Anti-social networking sites or Badvocacy sites being another way to look at them. THE WEEK, a wonderful magazine if you have not seen or read it, mentioned three “meanie” sites that I thought I would bring to your attention. They sourced the Financial Times as their source. Since Badvocacy can be toxic sometimes, these sites probably are drawing attention:
- Enemybook.info (antisocial website that disconnects you to your so-called friends around you)
- Hatebook.com (website where people can read and write about things they hate. You can vent, associate with others, take things in perspective, or even to find some humor in life, so they say)
- Snubster.com (your list of enemies from Facebook)
Sometimes it’s the advocacy of individuals that matters most. Other times it’s the unexpected that delivers the big boost: the endorsement from someone important you hadn’t counted on.
New Mexico Governor Richardson’s endorsement of Senator Barak Obama today? Not just big… gigantamente grande. Not just unexpected… una sorpresa total.
Sure, maybe too little too late for the upcoming Pennsylvania primary (then again, maybe not). But think of the impact his support, as a former Clinton adminstration cabinet secretary and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and our country’s highest-ranking Hispanic elected official, will have on the insider super-delegates. And it will have positive ripple effects not to mention the needed switch to some positive word of mouth for the Obama campaign.
Say what you will about the intensity and length of the democratic primary, and whether that does more harm than good. But it certainly is a historically rivoting contest. What possibly will be next?
When the bulls run in Pamplona every July, who gets gored–and dozens always do, some fatally–is indiscriminate. Herd of terrified animals… stampeding for their lives… stay clear. Got it.
It’s harder to fathom the herd panic this past week of the most sophisticated investors in the world, Wall Street sharpies, which led to the unprecedented Fed-backed “controlled demolition” of Bear Stearns. Perhaps better than bankruptcy, perhaps not.
So why did they run? Was it a wild implosion of confidence as one opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal put it today?: ”As rumors of Bear’s troubles started early last week, counterparties stopped trading with Bear seemingly as quickly and carelessly as they had traded with it before.” Or was it a more rational response to temporary market failure, as another opinon piece in the same paper suggests?: ”Bear Stearns made the error in these skittish times of relying on short-term borrowing, in the form of of overnight repo agreements, to finance its holdings of mortgage-related secuirities.” You can read the full pieces here (if you subscribe).
There’s a stampede of opinions out there. And we’re interested to hear what you think. By the way, for a great review of the overal credit crisis and how we got here read David Leonhardt’s ”Can’t Grasp the Credit Crisis? Join the Club”
Having spent some time in Spain myself (as a younger, more foolish man), and seen a charging toro or two up close, you won’t have to guess where I stand. There’s nothing rational about a locomotive of panic. Or the shockwave of badvocacy that sent counterparties, creditors and even loyal Bear customers running for the exit doors a few short days ago, and vaporized billions in wealth. This was madness and mayhem like on the streets of Pamplona during San Fermin. People got trampled.
Here’s hoping Fed Chariman Bernake proves to be one helluva a matador. He appears to be for now anyway. One thing’s for sure: volatility will continue to be the norm as will huge tilts in word-of-mouth and confidence.
What’s also clear is that aggressive communications responses, like the one led by Richard Fuld at Lehman last week, will be required. But that’s a topic for another post.
An article in today’s Wall Street Journal (”Ford’s Latest Better Idea”) describes Ford Motor Company’s latest campaign. What caught my eye was their strategy which is a build a grass-roots “army of Ford brand advocates.” As described further, potential customers are meant to “feel something” and “do something” about Ford such as visiting a dealer. Weber Shandwick’s research on Advocates describes this phenomenon well. Identifying your advocates early in the decision-making process is critical and understanding what you are asking them to do on your behalf is where the rubber meets the road.
Eliot Spitzer’s political career is likely over, but considering his personality (many have called it arrogance), he will certainly not fade into the sunset like so many other politicians brought down by personal misconduct scandal (a few examples: Gary Condit relocated to Arizona to open Baskin-Robbins stores and Mark Foley is selling real estate in Florida). It will be fascinating to see how Spitzer repairs his reputation. Unlike Bill Clinton, Spitzer seems to lack ADVOCATES. You can’t help but notice that no one has come forward publicly to support him or vouch for his record, a la “he’s a great guy who made some mistakes.” His base of badvocates may only grow as he prolongs his inevitable resignation.
I recently heard an interesting story that reminded me that advocacy for a brand, cause or reputation works best when it stems from the top. Dutch logistics company TNT CEO Peter Bakker traded in his Porsche for a hybrid car. As part of his company’s corporate responsibility program titled Planet ME which asks people to make choices at work and home to address global climate change, Bakker made his car switch to “walk the talk.” He states that corporate activities combined with individual actions will make the greatest difference in reducing carbon emissions and saving the planet. In addition, all staffs’ company-leased cars at TNT have to be “green.”
Advocacy that works has to stretch from top to bottom, from mailroom to boardroom, from A to Z. That is also one reason why we at Weber Shandwick call our initiative, Advocacy starts here.
