Starbucks Sends Thanksgiving Wishes via Facebook; We can "Like" via SMS

I subscribe to Starbucks' Facebook Page updates via SMS because I like to stay current with Facebook's most current brand marketer. With 5.1m Facebook fans, they tend to innovate... and also get seem to trial new Facebook features before others have access. Today, Starbucks sent Thanksgiving wishes to their fans and I noticed a seemingly new feature: the ability to "like" updates via SMS (in updates sent over the last two weeks, only "reply" function was available).

It is a natural product extension and a demonstration (as if one was needed) that brands want more tools to drive engagement and Facebook is working to enable it. It also demonstrates that the "like" function is becoming a more important part of the Facebook ecosystem - for pages, users and the feed.

starbucks sms likes

Apple's Latest iPhone Advertisement: All About Big Brands

In March, I wrote about Apple's full page advertisement in the New York Times touting the iPhone as a weekend tool: "Getting the most out of your weekend, one app at a time."

In yesterday's New York Times, they ran a continuation of the ongoing campaign - but with a slight twist: promote the branded apps (I wrote a post this week about seven of the best branded iPhone apps):

"It's pretty amazing who's on the iPhone these days. From CNN to Nike, Starbucks to FedEx, there are over 100,000 apps for just about anything. Only on the iPhone and the nation's fastest 3G network." It is a poor photo, but you can see that each of the applications comes from a very recognizable name: Nike, Starbucks, eBay, CNN, Gap, ESPN, Facebook, Target, Bank of America, Whole Foods, CNN, USA Today, Avis, eTrade, Pizza Hut and Barnes & Nobles.

Also of note, other than CNN's $1.99 app, all of these applications are free. In many of Apple's advertisements - and certainly in their app recommendations - they tend to promote paid applications... but here, the brand names are intended to sell hardware and reputation rather than micro-purchases.

iphone apps new york times ad

7 Great iPhone Apps from Big Brands: From Paint to Coffee to Sneakers

I spend a lot of time using mobile applications - in part to experience what is going on and in part to experience how brands and top players are thinking about mobile. There are plenty of unexciting and uninspired examples, but here are a few great ones. I am highlighting each for a different reason:

Sherwin Williams: Color Snap

A paint company going mobile... and making it fun and useful? I wouldn't have guessed - but this application is simple and provides clear, immediate utility. Whereas most applications struggle to be more than their .com experience on a mobile screen - Sherwin Williams allows you to snap a photo, select the interior / exterior to be painted, and receive a matching color palette. Like other commercial applications, it also includes a store locator which is location-aware.

sherwin williams color snap sherwin williams color palette

Gucci

Gucci is brand that oozes exclusivity and style... and the application embodies that terrificly. From the photos to the user interface - everything is beautifully done, highly visual and quite innovative: rather than the standard three or four button footer, navigation is controlled through horizontal swipes.

The application also features exclusive products, deals and content - in effect, this is how Gucci attempts to provide utility to the end-user. For instance, the below pair of shoes are an iPhone exclusive style. Additionally, Gucci provides an interactive store locator.

gucci iphone app

Showtime: TV at its Best

More digital media than e-commerce, but Showtime's application is good looking, useful (has scheduling and reminders) and unique (exclusive content about their top shows and episodes):

showtime iphone app

Walmart

Another innovation from a big brand. The application lets you take a photo of your wall or available space and Walmart determines how large of a television you can accommodate. Walmart of course then suggests the best televisions to fit in that space. Clever, useful and unique:

walmart iphone app

Starbucks

Easily the brand application that I use most frequently: Starbucks "Mobile Card" app allows you to pay via your iPhone, manage your account balance, find the nearest store, etc. Starbucks also has a more social and informational application called "Starbucks" which allows users to find stores, create custom concoctions, access nutritional information and – most importantly – share the experience with friends (your favorite drinks, location, Starbucks meeting times, etc). The UI is terrific and consistent with the Starbucks brand and environment.

Starbucks Mobile Card

Starbucks App

Nike ID

I love Nike ID and have ordered a couple custom sneakers in the past... my major critique when it first launched, however, was that it was not social. You could share your creations by email - but when creating unique shoes, collecting feedback is as fun / important as sharing the finished product.

Nike solves that with the Nike ID app - sharing is inherently easier and you can view public creations (which can be starting points for your own shoe style).

Furthermore, there is something more natural and enjoyable about being able to design through finger swipes, color palettes, etc:

Nike ID App nike style shoes

Amazon

Any surprise that Amazon's application is simple to use, innovative (take photos of products and they email matching suggestions) and highly useful (I have bought food, books and music directly through the app). Furthermore, it is the ultimate price checker - before checking out at Best Buy, run a product search on Amazon and you'll realize that you're probably overpaying (by a lot!).

amazon mobile app amazon remembers

Facebook Launches Direct Response Facebook Ads

Facebook is testing several new Facebook Ad formats - recently rolling out surveys and 'become a friend' buttons inside the ad units. These are additional ways to brands and marketers to engage with their audience on Facebook - either directly (ie by collecting polling data) or in an ongoing basis (by converting them into Facebook Fans). Remember, not long ago, almost all of the ads on Facebook took users offsite... but Facebook's marked growth and the increased usage of Facebook Pages has made on-Facebook marketing more effective and attractive.

Facebook is now testing another advertising format: direct response units. InsideFacebook has screenshots of an integration with Chick-Fil-A where users can "get a free chicken biscuit" by signing up for a coupon via Facebook. That action is then viral as users are encouraged to share the event with their friends (like the Starbucks Free Ice Cream giveaway) and it shows up in their feed. Over time, it makes sense that Facebook will allow bundling of actions: sign up for a free sample and 'become a fan'.

facebook-direct-response

These ad units are win-wins for consumers and brands. When Starbucks broke the 3,000,000 fan mark - they asked their fans what they wanted to see from Starbucks on Facebook; the resounding answer was coupons, offers and new product news.

chick-fil-a-facebook

Images from InsideFacebook's Facebook Testing New Direct Response Home Page Ad Unit

Blue Bottle Cafe & Restaurants using Twitter & Facebook

If you live in San Francisco and love coffee, you likely know about Blue Bottle Cafe - it is arguably the best coffee in the city, has a rabid fanbase and was made famous by the New York Times piece, "At last, a $20,000 cup of coffee". Blue Bottle has started dipping its toes in social media - and why not? On any given morning, half of the shop is seen huddling over a mobile device or laptop.

blue-bottle-cafe-coffee-and-waffle It is an interesting example because social media is a natural, ideal fit for restaurants (great imagery, food is often social, and people talk about their experiences). It is also interesting because:

- Blue Bottle has a newly started presence on both Twitter and Facebook

- Facebook is about 3x as popular as Twitter: 600 fans vs. 200 followers

- Blue Bottle routinely posts to Twitter, including great photos and interesting updates... but they have not yet posted to the Facebook stream (despite having 3x the fans and Facebook being better suited for visual posts / sharing)

- Blue Bottle Cafe is actively being talked about on both Twitter and Facebook (on Twitter, there are dozens of mentions each day)

Blue Bottle is clearly experimenting with social media and, as an onlooker and a fan of their coffee / food, I find it both interesting and helpful. If I were a restaurateur, I would be watching closely and experimenting on my own. Both Twitter and Facebook are effective ways to showcase new menu items, specials / sales and interact with customers.

Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and other large chains have found success through social media (and are among the best social marketers)... local shops are starting to figure it out as well. And as mobile continues to play a growing, important role both in restaurant discovery and communication, there will be a stronger opportunity to engage with customers.

blue-bottle-cafe-new-menue

Top Facebook Pages: All-Time vs. Today's Top Gainers

InsideFacebook's PageData tool is useful in understanding trends in Facebook usage, marketing and pop-culture. It is also a powerful way to track a brand's success on Facebook - and if they are engaging in marketing efforts, a way to track the efficacy of that campaign. Compare the top 15 Facebook pages of all-time and of the last 24 hours (measured by total fans and fans added, respectively). Notice that the major difference between the two lists is the mix of brands vs. celebrities: facebook-gainers

All-time Leaderboard: 4 brands (Facebook, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, YouTube); (Mafia Wars & South Park could also be considered)

Today's Top Gainers: 7 brands (Ralph Lauren, Kohl's, Harry Potter, Kellog's Pop-Tarts, Facebook, Herbal Essences, A Perfect Getaway); (Mafia Wars, Sooty & Sweep and Texas Hold'em could also be considered)

Not only are there more brands in today's top 15 Facebook pages, but Ralph Lauren and Kohl's represent the top two positions and 47% of the new fans added. It suggests that:

- users have a natural, organic affinity for celebrities (not shocking - 6 of top 7 pages are celebs) - brands are experimenting on Facebook and are increasingly focused in engaging fans (also not shocking) - marketing plays a significant role in Facebook page growth. Ralph Lauren, Kohl's, Pop Tarts and the Perfect Getaway (an upcoming movie) are likely engaged in on-Facebook advertising campaigns

It will be interesting to revisit data for these Ralph Lauren, Kohl's and Pop-Tarts and see if these bursts in usage equate to long-term, organic user-growth.

Another Opportunity to Learn from Starbucks & Facebook

I write a lot about Starbucks and their social media activity - in part because I drink a lot of their coffee and in part because they are one of the best big brands doing it on the web (don't just take my word for it...). By following Starbucks on Facebook (and Twitter to a lesser degree) you get a sense for: - how a big brand uses social media - how users engage / interact with the brand - how Facebook plays a role in that engagement / interaction The below example showcases Starbucks' integration a new Facebook poll within the feed. While the question is very insightful, the poll is clearly a powerful way to collect targetted feedback and data. Within 24 minutes, Starbucks collected 1,600+ comments, 2,250+ likes and 1,000s of votes.

Equally important, it showcases the types of products that Facebook is working on to help brands connect with users (similarly, Facebooks Ads now integrate ways to drive fans and create polls). Ultimately, advertisers will pay for a fans, engagement, data, etc than for a standard click or pageview:

starbucks-facebook-poll

Starbucks: Four News Feed Interaction Lead to Three New Fans

Starbucks was named the "Most Engaged Global Brand" in Charlene Li's ENGAGEMENTdb study. I have written about Starbucks as a leading example of Facebook marketing ("A Lesson in Facebook Marketing and Engagement") - this document is helpful because it reveals Starbucks though process, team organization (six people with centralized focuses) and viral data:

“Recently, we found that for every four people that interacted with a particular news item, another three people are added virally as friends of those people.” Just to put it in perspective, the announcement of the mini-Starbucks card on Facebook drew 1,406 comments and 12,382 people “liking” the post so that it showed up in their news feed. Facebook is not only about messaging to the 3.5 million fans, but also allowing the fans to talk with each other about their love for the product and experience.

Contrast that to Twitter.com/starbucks where one person responds to inquiries, such as replacement blades for coffee grinders, or even questions from baristas about changes in the menu. With 250,000+ followers, Starbucks uses Twitter as an “in the moment” channel to deliver timely customer support and spread word about the latest breaking news and contests.

Other great brands to follow / study: - Zappos - Dunkin Donuts (my favorite Facebook brand) - Amazon - Jetblue (Southwest and Virgin are also good) - Redbull


ENGAGEMENTdb: Most Engaged Brands On Social Media -

Starbucks' 3 Million Facebook Fans: A Lesson in Facebook Marketing, Engagement

Starbucks is approaching 3,000,000 Facebook Fans (a huge number - they have 220,000 Twitter followers) and is engaging those users to find out how to better utilize Facebook and their popularity:

Starbucks Coffee Company: About to pass 3 million fans here on Facebook. Wow! We are honored and humbled by this. Question for you all: what more or what else would you like to see us do on this site? By that I mean what type of content, discussion or offers regarding Starbucks would you like to see on this page?

Within two hours of the post, ~7,500 users "liked" the discussion and 3,500 comments. There are several takeaways:

- the ratio of comments to likes is astronomical (1:2)

- the quality if the content is fantastic... Starbucks asked for feedback and got a huge amount of relevant, valuable answers:

I would say since we took the time on FACEBOOK to be your fan then maybe you should offer coupons or a half off day at a local starbucks just for facebook users and fans. And you could use this to let us know about new products and specials. Maybe a discussions about what we like about starbucks and their products and we could learn some things from other people

Janet at 2:23pm June 19 I would say since we took the time on FACEBOOK to be your fan then maybe you should offer coupons or a half off day at a local starbucks just for facebook users and fans. And you could use this to let us know about new products and specials. Maybe a discussions about what we like about starbucks and their products and we could learn some things from other people.

Jim: at 2:23pm June 19 Have Pike Place Blend Decaf brewed all day, not just in the morning. Many of us drink decaf or half-caffs.

Marianne at 2:23pm June 19 Bring back the almond flavoring please.

- Users want coupons and exclusive offers... the theme among the comments is that discounts through Facebook would be welcome. While this is unsurprising, the marketers at Starbucks must be thinking about ways to engage 3m fans via time-sensitive coupons (Dunkin Donuts has done this wonderfully). Furthermore, it's proof that mobile / social ads can be powerful and welcomed by users.

- Finally, coffee companies get social media! When asked who does social marketing best, I always encourage people to look at Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks (in that order) on Facebook and Twitter. Their marketing teams are innovative, responsive and in tune with the web.

starbucks-facebook-group-3mil