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| mystarbucksidea.com |
Have you ever waited in a long line at Starbucks? It can be time consuming and sometimes frustrating when your order’s wrong. Recently, Starbucks announced the development of an ordering app being tested in 150 stores in Portland, Oregon. The app allows you to order and pay for your favorite short, tall, grande, or venti in advance, then quickly pickup your order.
In Chapter 11 of Groundswell:winning in a world transformed by social technologies, authors Charlene Li and
Josh Bernoff describe the importance of tapping into customers ideas and needs.
They write,
“One of the benefits we’ve seen of engaging with the groundswell is that your organization goes through a mental shift—you become so engaged with your customers that you walk in step with their needs and wants.”
With their
community, Starbucks walks in step with your needs and wants.
Starbucks’s success in mobile payment came about in 2009 after a
customer need came to light. After the company learned customers used
gift cards they bought for themselves in an effort to easily pay for their
coffee or food, they saw an opportunity for you
and took it creating the mobile
card pay app. It is no coincidence this app was generated out of your needs. Starbucks connects with customers needs via the groundswell and their own
community at mystarbucksidea.com. Their latest ordering app idea was customer
generated idea via the community blog dating back as far as 2011. Here’s one
from a customer:
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| mystarbucksidea.com |
Similar to what Dell did with their customers through Ideastorm and Bell
Canada did for employees with ID-ah! in chapter 12 of Groundswell, Starbucks’ community allows you to submit an idea—with
a Starbuck’s account—to the customer. Then vote on ideas through a points getting
system. The site categorizes
ideas by popularity, recent, and top all-time
ideas. These categories break down into subcategories based on topics like entertainment
and technology. You can also view ideas once submitted and now are being put
into action. Starbucks ensures you know they listen. They have two “Idea
Partners” ready to help you with any idea. They post the ideas on their Twitter
feed for @MyStarbucksIdea.
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| mystarbucksidea partners |
Guess how many whole grains & seeds our multigrain bagel has. Extra points if you know what triticale is. http://t.co/8gxlqNoZli
— My Starbucks Idea (@MyStarbucksIdea) October 24, 2014
Starbucks
made great progress with this blog and has followed the six dimensions
described in Chapter 13 in creating this culture:
1. Experience
2. Resources and Organization
3. Process
4. Measurement
5. Commitment
6. Culture
Starbucks attained the social
maturity described in Chapter 13 of Groundswell
with this blog and additional social media sites. Li and Bernoff describe why an
array of companies has similar problems, they argue:
“The reason for commonality is this: fundamentally, social technology requires companies to move away from traditional mass marketing and management techniques and concepts of control toward empowering and connecting individuals, whether customers or employees. It doesn’t matter whether you’re Sony, Ernst & Young, or Bank of America—this process is difficult.”
By empowering and connecting individuals, Starbucks creates
new technologies. It
hasn’t been easy for the company, not every idea is a winner. With this blog,
Starbucks relies on you to help them succeed in the groundswell. Beyond helping them succeed with apps and user blogs they get to know you and what works. Will you use
Starbucks' latest user generated app idea to get your coffee fix?
Thanks for sharing! Starbucks is really is good example of meeting customers' needs and using the groundswell.
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