Starbucks‘ HOWARD SCHULTZ is one of my nominees for Winning Marketing. When HOWARD SCHULTZ, starbucks ceo till year 2000,came to the company in 1982, he recognized an unfilled niche for “cafes serving gourmet coffee directly to customers“. This strategic initiative helps starbucks achieve loyal customer base in Seatle. In the next growth phase, it applied the same successful formular that had worked wonders in seattle, first in other cities in the pacific Northwest, then through out North America, and finally, across the globe. Once starbucks had established itself as a presence in thousands of cities internationally, it sought to increase the number of purchases by existing customers with “kinetizing strategy“ that led to new in-store merchandise including compilation CDs, Starbucks Duetto Visa Cards that allows customer to recieve points towards starbucks‘ purchases when they use it; and high-speed internet wireless access at thousands of starbucks‘ HOTSPOTS through a deal with T-MOBILE. Finally, starbucks kinetized into grocery store aisles with Frappucino bottled drinks, starbucks‘ self-branded ice-cream, and the purchase of a tea retailer, Tazor Tea!
How do you create a digital strategy that involves customers in an energized social community? How do you create an engaged, active “go-to” website? Prophet's David Aaaker says, You must change the orientation of marketing from selling the offering, the brand, and firm to becoming an active partner with a shared interest program around a customer’s “sweet spot.” A sweet spot reflects customers’ “thinking and doing” time, beliefs and values, activities and passions, possessions or places they treasure. Ideally, it would be a part of, if not central to, their self-identity and lifestyle and reflect a higher-order value proposition, much beyond the benefits provided by the offering. To illustrate, Pampers went beyond diapers by creating the Pampers Village community that provides a “go to” place for all issues relating to babies and child care. Its five sections – pregnancy, newborn, baby, toddler, and preschooler – all have a menu of topics. Its online commu
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