Towards the end of last year I saw that Starbucks launched a
new blog (I still had them set up in my Google Alerts from a previous Masters
class I had taken slash I love them). This was actually one of the recommendations my group and I
had come up with for our project since their previous blog had not been updated since 2013 (Schultz,
2013). It’s called 1912 Pike (http://1912pike.com/)
in recognition of where the first Starbucks store was opened and is “dedicated
to connecting with customers and sharing useful information about all things
coffee – where and how it’s grown, how it’s best enjoyed, what it means to our
planet, and more (Starbucks, 2015).
In his book, The New
Rules of Marketing & PR, David Scott devotes several chapters to
blogging and writes about the necessary criteria that should be considered when
deeming a blog as being successful or not (Scott, 2015). These chapters spoke
to me as I have little to no experience when it comes to blogging (this is my first
blog post ever!). Unfortunately in my
opinion, 1912 Pike does not measure up to some of Scott’s standards.
Scott recommends to “think carefully about the name of your
blog” and points out that “the look and feel of the blog could be complementary
to your corporate design guidelines, but not identical” (Scott, 2015, pg. 300).
Aesthetically speaking, 1912 Pike is certainly well branded and the name
follows the cool, hip, and trendy presence Starbucks strives to maintain but it
has a very corporate feel to the page. “Often when people visit a blog for the
first time, they want to know about the blogger, so it is important to provide
background” (Scott, 2015, pg. 301) which puts a face to the content and helps the
reads (or buyers) connect. 1912 Pike needs to pimp out their blog to make it
more relatable. “A pimped-out blog shows the blogger’s personality” (Scott,
2015, pg. 302), they should also add some substance to the contributors bio’s;
perhaps even include their favorite Starbucks drink or a fun coffee fact like
that! The other piece that is lacking from this blog is an about page. If a
reader finds this blog and missed the press release indicating its efforts, you
would have to sift through the content until you drew your own conclusions on
what type of content they were aiming to provide.
1912 Pike gives a reader all the tools they need to share
the article through various social media outlets including Facebook, Twitter,
Pinterest, Tumblr, and email, which is good. Regrettably that’s the most interaction
a reader can have through this blog due to the lack of comment capability. I
understand why some organizations may be apprehensive to allow comments on
their blogs “however, one of the most exciting things about blogging is when
your reads comment on what you’ve written” (Scott, 2015, pg. 300). This fosters
the two way communication between organization and consumer that enables blogs
to be a tool for relationship management.
Scott also advocates for employees having access to run
company blogs and suggests “implementing corporate policies saying such things
as that employees can’t sexually harass anyone, that they can’t reveal secrets,
that they can’t use inside information to trade stock or to influence prices,
and that they shouldn’t talk ill of the competition in any way or via any media” (Scott, 2015, pg. 95). I think his
position stems from the assumption that people are going to do what they want
to do so it’s better to guide their focus and efforts rather than completely
restrict it. He proposes that “rather than… putting guidelines on blogs and
other social media… it is better to focus on guiding the way people behave”
(Scott, 2015, pg. 95).
As is true with many corporate decisions, there are obvious
pros and cons to allowing employees free access to run blogs.
Some of the pros include:
· allocating the work load of posting, commenting, and responding in a timely manner
· shared expertise across different topic areas
· employee buy in to follow the guidelines in a respected manner
· utilization of staff’s social network to share content
Some of cons include:
·
lack of control/oversight in what is said
·
inconsistent or unbranded messages being sent
·
lack of transparency (employee posting under a
different employees name)
·
potential for breach in privacy or other ethical
considerations
I fall somewhere in the middle. I think it depends on the
organizational culture, the industry, and the type of staff they employ.
Scott’s thoughts and theories may be before their time as many organizations
still have not breached the blogosphere. “Blogging is a great front door for
any individual or organization because it is real estate on the web that you
can own” however, “at the same time, the term blog carries a negative connotation with some people who believe
the content contained inside is frivolous” (Scott, 2015, pg. 295).
~Nicole
References
Schultz, H. (2013, October 7). A Call for Civility and Leadership. Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com/blog/a-call-for-civility-and-leadership/1272
Scott, David M. (2015). The New
Rules of Marketing & PR. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley &
Sons, Inc.
Starbucks Corporation (2015, September 29). Starbucks Launches 1912 Pike, a Coffee
Education Blog. Retrieved from https://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-1912-pike-blog
Image courtesy of themes.com
Hi Nicole!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post I found myself scrolling through several blog posts on 1912 Pike and while I tried to relate to the content, I think it would be much more interesting if I was a barista- it did not appeal to the everyday coffee drinker other than a couple of recipes. Do you think that the blog is writing for the right audience?
I also completely agree with you that the blog looks more like a company website rather than a blog. I felt like I was scrolling through a news website. Without you providing the background information on why they decided to name their blog 1912 Pike, I would have been completely clueless. An “About” page and section that lists the authors would give it a more personal feel. Most blog posts say they are written by “1912 Pike staff,” which makes it really hard to relate with the blogger. I personally feel more connected to a blog or organization when they have an “About” page, it allows me to connect with the writer and therefore connect with the content.
Simone (2012) discuses 7 mistakes people make on their “About” page in article that appears on Copyblogger.com. She discusses not having an “About” page and not listing your name as the two biggest problems. I wonder why Starbucks would decide to leave out such a fundamental blog element…
References
Simone, S. (2012). Are You Making These 7 Mistakes with Your About Page? Retrieved from: http://www.copyblogger.com/how-to-write-an-about-page/
Alyssa,
DeleteThank you for the reply and sharing your thoughts!
I think you hit the nail on the head, Starbucks is not effectively capturing what is their self-proclaimed target market with this blog. If this were more geared towards an internal audience I believe they would have much more buy in. “Regular features include a coffee drink of the day and coffee beverage recipes” (Starbucks, 2015), which again is more for barista or coffee drinkers who brew their own at home. Perhaps there is a niche for this type of content but without the comments section or a tally of how many likes, shares, and pins, it’s difficult to measure the results it’s producing externally.
1912 Pike is a very good example on the importance of an “About” page of a blog. Many consumers believe “of the many elements of a website, the “About Me” page is among the most important” (Agrawal, 2015).Starbucks has the necessary content in their press release, they simply need to make it more readily available through their blog. Had you not read the background I shared prior to visiting the site, what conclusions would you have drawn about the blog? Would your duration of time on the website been as long as it was?
I’m also glad you pointed out that many of the authors of the posts are labeled “Pike Staff”. Other posts that include the actual author only provide their location as “Seattle” in their bio (Starbucks, 2016). I commend them for adding an image of the author however it makes it extremely difficult for readers to relate and become engaged.
For Starbucks being such a cutting-edge, high-tech organization, what do you think their hang up is in not effectively running their blog?
~Nicole
References
Agrawal, H. (2015, May 10) What is the Importance of an “About Me” Page for your Website? Retrieved from http://www.shoutmeloud.com/importance-aboutme-page-blogging.html
Starbucks (2016) 1912 Pike. Retrieved from http://1912pike.com/
Starbucks Corporation (2015, September 29). Starbucks Launches 1912 Pike, a Coffee Education Blog.Retrieved from https://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-1912-pike-blog
Hi Nicole,
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't for your blog post, I would have not spent much time on 1912 Pike. I also would have thought that the blog is a niche blog targeted specifically to baristas and home coffee brewers since there's very limited content that appeals to just the everyday coffee drinker (like me).
One of the most important reasons for company blogs is to engage with customers and with comments disabled that makes it impossible. It also makes it hard to measure the blog's analytics. I think this also goes back to Scott's (2015) argument that the new rules of marketing and PR now involve two way communication between a business and its buyers. Disabling comments reverts to the old rules that Scott (2015) suggests should be discarded.
I think Starbucks failed by trying to re-brand the blog into something they are not. The blog is educational and is trying to step away from its corporate feel with a new name, but it doesn't seem to be working. Sauer (2015) explains Starbucks suffers from too strong of a brand. "Today, nobody wants to self-identify as living a 'Starbucks lifestyle.' But a '1912 Pike Place lifestyle?' That sounds local, small batch, artisinal, crafted" (Sauer, 2015).
Scott, D. M. (2015). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sauer, A. (2015). Starbucks Launches 1912 Pike Pub—Just Don’t Call it Starbucks Magazine. Retrieved from http://brandchannel.com/2015/10/23/starbucks-1912-pike-102315/
Alyssa,
DeleteYou’re absolutely correct. Allowing comments on a blog fosters two way communication between the readers and the organization. “Unlike a one-way conversation, where companies dominate the conversation and don’t really engage, a two way conversation allows companies to interact and engage with consumers in a direct and responsive way” (Edgecomb, 2013). As it stands, Starbucks is essentially talking at their readers.
It looks as though Starbucks needs a new strategy if they are looking to effectively target consumers. Allowing for feedback and/or comments is one way they can gauge their audience’s reaction to the content that is being posted.
~Nicole
References
Edgecome, C. (2013, June 17). Social Media Marketing: The Importance of a Two-Way Conversation. Retrieved from https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/social-media-marketing-the-importance-of-a-two-way-conversation
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI think you picked a great topic for this week’s discussion that is leading into some very interesting and insightful feedback! I have also never blogged before and I’m already retaining tips and tricks from the readings (Scott, 2015) and other websites I’ve come across (I even found my new favorite blog courtesy of Alyssa’s post about Luluemon!). I’m glad you threw in the question about whether or not employees should be able to blog on behalf of an organization. That is something that people could go either way on which should create thought-provoking dialogue.
I was pretty surprised to see that 1912 Pike did not live up to my expectations. To me, Starbucks is highly tech-driven, hip, cool, and encourages conversations with their consumers. This blog speaks otherwise. I know and understand that some organizations might not want to enable comments to ward off any negative ones that may appear. However, I think Starbucks is doing themselves an injustice by not allowing those comments to show up. That is the perfect opportunity for them to showcase their conflict resolution skills to consumers. If they are worried about intense conversations taking place, Scott points out that “debate is one of the best indications of a well-read blog” (Scott, 2015, pg. 301).
Thank you for referring us over to the Hootsuite blog post Why You Still Need Comments, Despite What you May Have Heard (Shoval, 2016), what perfect timing! I completely agree that “comments are the original user generated content” (Shoval, 2016). These comments can add validity and depth to the material that you are already posting. “According to Bazaar Voice, 64% of millennials and 53% of baby boomers want more options to share their opinions about brands, while other studies show consumers trust user generated content more than all other forms of media” (Siu, 2015). What’s shocking to me is Starbucks embraced user generated content in 2014 with their #WhiteCupContest. This contest “encourage[d] customers... to decorate a Starbucks cup with customized art, take a photo of it, and submit the design through social media using #WhiteCupContest (Starbucks Corporation, 2014). The winning design got printed on Starbucks cups. I can’t help but wonder what has happened at Starbucks where they eliminate the opportunity for user generated content on their 1912 Pike blog but developed an entire campaign around it previously?
~ Nicole
References
Scott, David M. (2015). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Shoval, N. (2016, February 1). Why You Still Need Comments, Despite What You May Have Heard. Retrieved from http://blog.hootsuite.com/why-you-still-need-comments/
Siu, E. (2015). 10 User Generated Content Campaigns That Actually Worked. Retrieved from http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/examples-of-user-generated-content
HI Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI agree with several points you’ve made here. I kind of feel like 1912 Pike is a great name for Starbuck’s blog. When I first read your blogpost, seeing the title got me wondering where the name came from which caused me to look into it, where I found that the first Starbucks was located in Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington. I am a big coffee drinker, but I never knew much about Starbucks. Though I did not know the origin of the name Pike, I did know that Pike was a type of coffee served at Starbucks. So the title is informative enough, but leaves room for inquisition- which I think is a good thing! The blog offers an “About” section in the menu and the first piece of information shared is “1912 Pike. It's the address of our first store in Seattle, started by a few people with an intense love for coffee, and a desire to share it with others” (1912pike.com).
I like the feel of the blog- I think it’s trendy and has a very “Starbucks” vibe. It has easy access to all of Starbucks’ social media sites and an easy contact option- but I do think it is a bit busy.
I also agree, not having a comments section is a bummer. When a company doesn’t allow comments and encourage two-way communication, the typical first thought is – “why?” I think not having a comments section shows a lack of confidence in the brand. Giving consumers an outlet to express themselves and interact with the brand through comments seems like a no-brainer these days, so for a company to deny that one can’t help but wonder what their apprehensions are.
Overall I think it’s a really cool blog though. The menu options let the consumers really dive into what Starbucks is up to and all about.
I think this was a great example to use for this assignment, as it is a blog that hits several of Scott’s (2015) nails on the head, but is lacking one major important attribution.
Scott, David M. (2015). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Danielle/Sarah,
DeleteI went back to re-examine 1912 Pike and in the 4 days since I posted my initial blog, they have updated the look and layout of theirs! The drop down menu on the top left was not there and neither was an about page (which was very surprising to me!) The topics also weren’t grouped nicely together as they are now in the menu bar, and they have at least added job titles to the author’s bios. Way to go Starbucks! Unfortunately as Danielle pointed out they still don’t allow for comments which is disappointing.
Danielle, being a big coffee drinker (as am I) do you feel as though Starbucks’ tone and voice in their blog is effectively targeting you? If comments were enabled, are the posts engaging enough to make you want to contribute your thoughts?
~Nicole
Sarah,
DeleteI completely agree that is's been hard to adjust to these companies blogs- they still feel very corporate to me and I'm not sure if they have so much of a blog feel to it.
What do you think of the Nordstrom blog: http://blogs.nordstrom.com/fashion/ I recently discovered this one as well and I really like the look and feel of it. It feels like I am actually reading a blog and has lots of great photos, memes, and video to show off some of the store's latest fashion styles.
That's crazy! That was a really quick and ... coincidental (?) change! I guess it worked out that it took me a couple of days to really look at the blog!
DeleteOne thing I will say is that their blog's responsive design really translates well on mobile. I appreciate the format and think it is nicely put together on mobile.
Truth be told, I would most likely not engage in the conversation with Starbucks. This wouldn't be as a result of engaging posts (or lack thereof), but more so my overall lack of interest commenting on public forums. I only do so if I am overly impressed or overly unimpressed and want my voice to be heard, and this happens approximately never. I do think that if they enabled the comments section on their blog posts that they would hear from a lot of people because they have quite the avid following.
In terms of their overall voice- I’m not sure. Something I really appreciate about their information delivery is that the blogposts are formatted differently from one another. One blog post is a podcast / audio track, another is a video, another is a slew of photos describing processes, and others are written content. I think it has a number of different formats to appease a lot of people. And they share recipes- which for people who drink more than just plain black coffee [me] that’s really awesome.
What do you think? How do you feel about their overall tone?
Alyssa - Great example with the Nordstrom’s blog! Something I immediately noticed (besides the delicious looking recipes!) is that although they do have comments enabled, I was hard pressed to actually find one. Carlos had talked about the need for a call to action on his blog () and I think he’s right. It’s not only about allowing readers to post comments, it’s also about creating the lead in or direction for them to post. This definitely was aligned with the Nordstrom brand but, like you said, did not feel as corporate as other blog we’ve examined!
DeleteDanielle – I could not believe they had updated it! Supporting responsive design is huge right now. I am currently working on a project at work to transfer our website to this after the results of a focus group I conduced where participants struggled research us prior to the engagement due to our currently un-responsive design. This totally ties into the phenomenon of consumers moving away from desktops and onto mobile devices.
I also enjoyed the various formats that were used on the posts, especially under the “How to” section (http://1912pike.com/). Presenting those as a video makes it so much easier to follow than still images with directions would be. I think the tone that is used throughout the blog makes it feel as though you’re talking to a friend (perhaps over coffee ha-ha) and sharing stories. The posts are easy to read and follow along with. I personally wouldn’t engage with Starbucks through this medium at this point due to my comfort level with blogging. Perhaps as I become more comfortable and confident in my posts that may change. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
~Nicole
I completely agree that is's been hard to adjust to these companies blogs- they still feel very corporate to me and I'm not sure if they have so much of a blog feel to it.
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