NRA Show Blog

Starbucks Brews Action With Word of Mouth and Social Media

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

Last week's ideas-packed Word of Mouth Supergenius Conference hosted by GasPedal was a smash hit. Thanks a mil to all the speakers who shared tips and ideas on how to be great at word of mouth marketing.

We met up at the conference with Starbucks'  very own word of mouth/social media master Matthew Guiste for a one-on-one interview about how the company creates action with word of mouth and social media.

Q: How [and why] does Starbucks engage in WOM and social media?

A: We view social media not as a marketing channel, but as a way to genuinely connect with our customers outside the four walls of our stores. We meet them through a variety of experiences and online places. Chief among them are Facebook, Twitter, MyStarbucksIdea.com, YouTube and Flickr. We engage in these channels for a variety of reasons, most of which fit into the following three buckets:

• Listen and Learn: Active participation in the conversations in these places help us hear directly from and speak directly to our customers.

11 Great Ideas from Word of Mouth Supergenius Conference

Yesterday I spent a great day with loads of smart people at Supergenius, the Word-of-Mouth (WOM) conference hosted by Gaspedal.

After attending 11 amazing sessions, I decided to share my Top 11 Ideas here. One thing to note – many of the speakers were consistent in messages. So while I give credit here to these specific presenters, I heard similar themes throughout the day.

1. An army of fans becomes a permanent advantage. (from Andy Sernovitz, Floored!'sWOM contributing blogger)

Andy, with all sorts of passion, restated the basics – but often overlooked – aspects of WOM. Fans will always have a better message than a marketing team. A “Tell A Friend” form on your web site will produce higher quality leads that are free. The big question to ask yourself about your service, your product, your message or your company: Would anyone tell a friend!?

2. Movements never end. Campaigns are short-lived. (from Spike Jones)

Spike reminded us it’s about elevating the conversation. The talk is not about your product, it’s about what people do with your product – what do they achieve, what do they feel, and how can you provide space for your best customers and fans? Movements have inspirational leadership and active participants. To create this, there is actually a barrier to entry to a movement so you only get those who really want to be there and participate.

3 Ways to Protect Your Restaurant from Negative Word of Mouth Online

 
By Andy Sernovitz

People are going to say good and bad things about your restaurant. In fact, it might already be happening. And while you shouldn't expect to be immune to negative chatter, there are some basic ways you can establish to protect yourself.

Three safeguards to fend off negative buzz:

1. Build credibility before you need it.
Focus on being a regular participant in key blogs or forums that your customers follow. You can't be everywhere, but by building credibility with a few local critics, it'll make it much easier to share your side of a story if and when you’re being attacked.

Simple Ways Restaurants Can Use Twitter

By Andy Sernovitz

Twitter can be a great social media tool for restaurants of all sizes. It's simple to get started and there's a good chance your customers are already using it.

Just remember: You're not required to be on Twitter. There are plenty of ways to earn and support word of mouth -- and Twitter is just a potentially helpful tool that can be integrated into your overall strategy.

But, if you decide Twitter is for you, here are a few simple ideas to get you started:

1. Share coupons and special discounts.
Dell has made over $6 million in revenue through Twitter by sharing exclusive deals. While you might not make millions, you may be surprised at the response. For a good example of this, check out how Chicago's Wow Bao (@BaoMouth) uses Twitter to share deals.

Live coverage play-by-play: How to Get Bodies in Seats with Word of Mouth, Social Media

This is live blog coverage of today’s webinar, “How to Get Bodies in Seats Next Week with Word of Mouth and Social Media,” hosted by the National Restaurant Association's annual Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB) . The presentation featured word of mouth marketing "supergenius" Andy Sernovitz and Derrek Hull, the NRA’s manager of marketing and communications and blogger-in-chief (Floored!).

1:00 — Maureen Sak, the NRA’s director of marketing, introduces Andy Sernovitz and Derrek Hull.

1:01 — Derrek Hull: Today we’re going to be talking about useful word of mouth marketing skills to get people talking about your organization.

1:07 — Derrek describes various social media tools, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and recommends starting by finding out where your customers live online.

1:08 — Derrek stresses the importance of “not being a robot” when you begin engaging online. He recommends tools like Tweetdeck to organize and make sense of social media information.

1:10 — Derrek introduces Andy Sernovitz.

1:11 — Andy: The big idea here is that happy customers are your best ads. The more people who are out there declaring their love for you, showing their support for you — that’s the marketing that can’t be beat.

Free live webinar today: How to Get Bodies in Seats with Word of Mouth and Social Media

Join Floored!'s very own blogger-in-chief Derrek Hull for a free live webinar on simple, hands-on word of mouth marketing and social media tips you can immediately put into action to generate traffic — hosted by the National Restaurant Association's annual Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show.

I’ll be joined by Andy Sernovitz, CEO, GasPedal and word of mouth marketing supergenius and we’ll be covering:

• Practical, useful word of mouth marketing skills to get people buzzing about your operation
• Real-world word of mouth marketing and social media success stories from top restaurant companies
• Easy ways to use Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to spread the word
• Basics on how to create and promote your blog

Key details:

• Where: Webinar
• When: Today, 1 PM CST/2 PM EST
• Cost: Free
• Follow along throughout the presentation on Twitter at #nrashow
• Register

Making the Best Case for Successful Social Media Programs

BlogWell Atlanta, hosted at Newell Rubbermaid on November 10, will showcase 8 case studies on the best social media programs at large corporations. Coca-Cola, ConAgra Foods, Newell Rubbermaid, UPS, SunGard, Orange Business Services, Turner Broadcasting System and The Home Depot are set to share case studies in corporate social media.

An impressive 3 out of 8 featured companies including Coca-Cola, ConAgra Foods and Rubbermaid will also be exhibiting at NRA Show 2010, held May 22-25, 2010 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Attendees at BlogWell Atlanta, presented by GasPedal and the Social Media Business Council, will receive hands-on tips and advice on how to create great content, get management buy-in, educate employees, keep lawyers and regulators happy, simple and ethical disclosure, and engage fans. If you’re up to the task, go ahead and ask questions, discover new ideas, and get answers from people who have been there, done that -- all in just four hours (with plenty of time to dine out in Atlanta!).

Save the date to check out Coca-Cola, ConAgra, Rubbermaid and nearly two-thousand other exhibiting companies at NRA Show 2010 and the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB).

Stay tuned to Floored! and @nrashow2010 on Twitter next week as we bring you some of the top tips from BlogWell Atlanta.