My Starbucks Idea: Getting Web 2.0 right

First of all, Web 2.0? If you are calling your efforts Web 2.0 you are already starting behind and with the wrong foot. We are currently verging on Web 4.0.

Starbuck's has decided to join the social network bandwagon by creating My Starbucks Idea, a site that in its infancy week is already receiving some harsh criticism. Even Starbuck's customer blog, Starbucks Gossip is giving it a thumbs down and criticizing its treatment of customers ideas.

I think requiring people to register in order to provide an idea and vote for one is a really bad idea; though it's not necessary not for viewing suggested ideas and number of votes. Centering your social media marketing efforts on "a digital suggestion box" is too one-dimensional, made worse by the fact that you actually have someone entering previous customer suggestions.

Social media marketing is about conversation and creating community; it is designed to create and increase customer loyalty and devotion, and of course brand equity. This Starbucks effort misses the point entirely and as the news say, it is stale from the start.

For Thursday's class, come prepared to discuss Starbucks as a case analysis and discuss new ideas (no pun intended) that they could incorporate into their effort to really make a splash.