Inspired by the Olympics over the last couple weeks, my buddy Keith and I have decided to create some commemorative posters to honor the games. Here's our first creation -- an ode to Shaun White's supreme snowboarding ability. Respect!
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It's funny. This was actually something I wanted to write (complain) about a month ago, but I completely forgot. Until this morning when I read an article in Advertising Age about how "Starbucks Gets Its Business Brewing Again with Social Media."
Now I have to give Starbucks mad props for their success in social media. While many corporations of their size completely misunderstand and hence mis-apply themselves in the realm of social media, Starbucks actually launched a successful campaign. MyStarbucksIdea.com was a great idea, as were many of their other digital endeavors. And they're apparently big hits. Not just in terms of amassing friends or retweets, but in actual tangible dollars. But there's something I don't quite understand. For a company so savvy with its digital marketing, how can they totally screw up the most basic digital-social attribute to their business -- free wifi. Just a few weeks ago, a buddy and I hit up our local Starbucks to do some work on the patio (it was one of those rare nice days in Houston). After paying for my $5 white chocolate caloric explosion, I found a table outside and proceeded to set up my laptop. However, unlike the Coffee Bean I had just frequented days earlier in LA, getting online was a total pain in the ass. In fact, it never even worked. Apparently, in order to use the wifi at Starbucks, you have to have a special card with a special code and a special personal account. I mean, WTF! I just want to drink my overpriced coffee with my flavored calorie boost and stalk my friends online from the comfort of your chic patio furniture...is that too much to ask!? Seriously though, is it? I mean, the marketers at Starbucks have proven they can execute a solid social media campaign, so why can't they cut the bullshit and just offer free wifi without making me hop through hoops to get it. Perhaps this debacle was unique to that one location. I don't know. But what I do know is that's simply bad business. So while I commend you, Starbucks, for your success with engaging customers online, I also urge you to not forget about the most important consumer relationship -- the in-store experience. In case you haven't noticed, the developing world's gone digital (in fact, virtually the whole world has). Savvy trinkets such as iPhones and e-readers suck the attention from our souls and reformat it as an intricate system of social networks, on-demand news and LOLcats.
Marketers pounced on this brightly colored ball of yarn known as digital advertising, and quickly proclaimed it to be the next evolution in human interaction. "We need a social networking campaign!" they scream. "Let's build a Facebook page and a twitter account and create colorful e-mail blasts to send to our friends!" It's all about building relationships, they say. Well, I'm not here to argue against them. For one, I agree -- digital advertising (and mobile marketing specifically) is the next evolutionary phase in commercial communication. It will allow us to easily stay connected with people, places and brands we want to stay in touch with. It will make access to information ubiquitous and free-flowing. And it will make advertising more fun and engaging. But digital advertising is just a system. A platform. A tool. It's not an idea. Let's not forget that great (i.e. effective) advertising begins with a brilliant thought, not the latest technology. True, digital advertising will make targeting consumers much easier, but it won't make up for crappy creative. The idea still rules supreme. But I have digressed on a rant perpendicular to my point... Building relationships between brands and consumers with emerging technology is all well and good. But when you need to get something done, and get it done fast, sometimes it's best to just rely on some good ol' 19th century technology...the telephone. A couple days ago, my buddy Mykal received an email from his law school regarding a special student offer on Rockets tickets -- the first ten people to request tickets would get to hang out on the court during pre-game activities (or something like that). Since the game at hand happened to be the day after my brother's birthday, I told him to buy the tickets immediately (this was roughly twenty minutes after the email offer was sent). Now, privy to the fact that an entire Phish concert call sell out in a matter of minutes, I was worried we were too late to redeem our prize. Luckily for us, though, Mykal, in his old school ways, opted for a live, real-time interaction with the sales associate rather than lazily clicking the 'reply' button and hoping we were one of the first ten to respond. So Mykal picked up his phone and called the guy directly. Apparently while processing our transaction, the sales associate had received 15 email requests! But we were the first to actually interact with him. So while the digital revolution has undoubtedly made it easier for us to all stay in touch, if you truly want to build 'relationships', try some good ol' fashioned interpersonal communication. You know, actually speaking with someone. No tweets. No avatars. No status updates. Just straight one-on-one conversation. |
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