March 29, 2012
Starbucks is the Nation’s Most Socially Engaged Company
I love Starbucks. It represents a company that is doing everything right from using green cleaning products to embracing upscale food that has no preservatives or hydrogenated fats. Their CEO Howard Schultz and the company were voted #1 last year and they remain committed to fair trade, the environment and creating jobs. How many corporations do you know THAT STILL OFFER BENEFITS AND OPTION SHARING?
Starbucks is constantly working to improve product. Even their coffee which friends have told me they do not necessarily like has been tweaked upward toward a milder blend. So for me, it’s a no brainer when I read that Starbucks is the nation’s most socially engaged company, according to research firm PhaseOne.
Between July 2011 and January 2012, PhaseOne studied the social engagements of 75 top U.S. brands to determine the rankings. Audi, McDonald’s, Red Bull and American Express were in the top five. Researchers discovered that certain brands that convey a social benefit attract social media users because they identify with the brand and want to send the message to those in their social network about how they should be perceived. The user associates the brand with his or her idealized persona. Starbucks #1 slot was dependent upon a number of other factors, but underscored was the importance of social media to a company’s marketing efforts. PhaseOne used a number of variables to compile its rankings.
To highlight the impact of social media on a company’s marketing efforts, the Business Courier is holding a Social Madness corporate challenge to measure the growth of a company’s social media presence through a bracket-style tournament. Winners on a local level will advance to a national tournament. The social madness concept is only a reflection of how significant social media marketing is becoming to brick and mortar companies who dare not go into business without it!
First published on Technorati by Carole Ditosti.
Author: admin | Share: