The Starbucks Idea: Coffee Shop Giant turns to ‘You’ for Ideas

by Djulia Montana ‘tahna’ de Veyra

Starbucks has recently been on a struggle to save its flagging U.S. business. Among its efforts to boost sales, the coffee shop giant’s Seattle-based chain introduced a variant called the Pike Place Roast. It’s supposed to be a cheaper regular coffee that’s brewed in advance, unlike the other variants that are brewed individually for each customer’s order.

Starbucks also recently responded to accusations of fallen standards, closing its U.S. branches for a staff training that lasted for three and a half hours. The company also tried to cut down costs by laying off 600 administrative jobs.

Now the coffee shop giant turns to YOU for ideas.

Starbucks recently launched MyStarbucksIdea.com, a website that offers customers a channel to pitch in their own ideas on how the company should improve its operations. The move received negative feedbacks from skeptics who viewed the site as nothing more than an outdated suggestion box.

As Pete Blackshaw, executive vice president of strategic services for the market research firm Nielsen Online, would have it, “Most brands do not put out a welcome mat for feedback. Generally feedback is viewed as a cost of doing business rather than an opportunity. Starbucks is saying this is an opportunity.”

But the move turned out to be a promising business tactic, with 300 suggestions flooding in only an hour after the shareholders meeting. As the week ended, a total of 100, 000 votes had already been cast.

But even the numbers won’t stop the influx of criticisms; with Jim Romanesko, a media critic responsible for the popular Starbucks gossip blog, stressing that he has yet to see significantly original ideas on the site.

“I think that’s going to be one of their problems … and something my readers have noticed: It’s become redundant after three weeks. There are only so many good ideas,” Romanesko elaborates.

True enough. As a matter of fact, the first few promises the company pushed forward were ones that it already used to offer, like Internet access, loyalty cards and rewards.

But the site does more than just pitching ideas. The Starbuck’s move is making a statement. It’s doing what every business should be doing—listening to its customers.

As Blackshaw aptly puts it, “The ultimate form of dignity to the consumer is to ask for their opinion.”

MyStarbucksIdea.com seems to be doing a great job to this end.

“They really are actually responsive on the blog,” commented Debbie Weil, a corporate blogging consultant and author of The Corporate Blogging Book. He further describes the site as “corporate blogging 2.0..a very interactive, fun, interesting community.”

Moreover, the coffee shop giant has definitely created a buzz. Something every business wants.

Looks like Starbuck’s done it again.

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