This is a case study of Starbucks online communities aiming to find out how does Starbucks conduct public relations online. The analysis of Starbucks’s online communities reaches following conclusions: (1) Online communities can flood negative news and unfavorable opinions. (2) A company can build a healthy image by fulfilling CSR through online communities. (3) Online communities help to maintain customer loyalty and promote the product and service. (4) Online communities can boost free publicity, add extra value to a company’s culture and attract more customers. Overall, the investigator concluded that online communities have potential to surpass the traditional public relations media and play a significant role in establishing a brand. To be notified, all the research information are collected online.

1. How online communities
help to build a brand
A case study on Starbucks online communities

2. Introduction
 Starbucks is very savvy at conducting
public relations online

3. Main issue of this case study
 What benefits can online communities
bring to a company?

4. Theoretical Frame
 Spiral of silence
 Word of mouth marketing
 Four models of public relations

5. Spiral of Silence
 Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann
 The model is based on three premises:
◦ a sixth-sense
◦ a fear of isolation
◦ reticent to express their minority views

6. Word of Mouth Marketing (WOM)
 Word of mouth
 Word of mouth marketing
 Tactics:
 Buzz Marketing
 Viral Marketing
 Product Seeding
 Blogging

7. Four models of Public Relations
 Press agentry/publicity model
 Public Information model
 One-way asymmetrical model
 Two-way symmetrical model
◦ Uses communication to negotiate with publics,
resolve conflict, and promote mutual
understanding and respect between the
organization and its publics.

8. Background - Starbucks
 History
◦ Began in 1971,Starbucks were a roaster and
retailer of whole bean and ground coffee, tea
and spices with a single store in Seattle’s Pike
Place Market.
◦ Today, Starbucks have more than 16,000
locations in over 50 countries.
 Store
◦ Total stores 16,706 (as of Dec. 27, 2009)
◦ 8,850 Company-operated stores.
◦ 7,856 Licensed stores.
◦ Operating in more than 50 countries
 Products
◦ Coffee
◦ Handcrafted Beverages
◦ Merchandise
◦ Consumer Products
◦ Fresh Food
◦ Brand Portfolio

9. Background - Starbucks
 Recognition
◦ One of the “100 Best Corporate Citizens”
Corporate Responsibility Officer/Business Ethics –
2000-2009
◦ One of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies”
 Ethisphere – 2007-2009
◦ One of “The 100 Best Companies to Work For”
 FORTUNE – 1998–2000, 2002–2009
◦ One of the “Most Admired Companies in America”
 FORTUNE – 2003–2009
◦ One of the “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality”
 The Human Rights Campaign – 2009
◦ Among the “100 Best Global Brands”
 BusinessWeek – 2001-2008
◦ One of “World’s Most Respected Companies”
 Financial Times – 2005-2006

10. Background-Peek Data analyse

11. The Demographic view of
Starbucks group by Peek Data

13. Previous PR practices
 Starbucks entertainment
 Music
 Book
 Movie

14. Research Questions
 How does Starbucks conduct its public
relations online?
 How does public respond to Starbuck’s
online communities?
 What benefits do these online
communities bring to Starbucks?

15. Research Method
 Googling “Coffee”
 Googling “Starbucks”
 Visit and observe the Starbucks’ online
communities
 Gather information from other websites
and articles about Starbucks

16. google

17. Main Websites

18. Case description and interpretation

19. Twitter

20. Facebook

21. Youtube

22. Online attack

23. I hate Starbucks

24. Stop Starbucks

25. Starbucks sucks

26. Starbucks response
 Starbucks hadn't spent much time responding to Stop
Starbucks because their campaign didn't gain much
traction from Starbucks Twitter, Facebook, or MyStarbucks
community.
 “Allow your workers to unionize” was the title of a post in
My Starbucks community, where each vote for an idea nets
10 points. As of today, the post has only gotten 40 points
and 8 comments.
 By contrast, an idea about Dark Chocolate beverages got
5040 points and 38 comments. And one about the size of
lids on cups got 40 points.

27. Conclusion 1
 Online community can balance the
negative views.

28. Starbucks V2V

29. Shared Planet

31. Conclusion 2
 Online community can build healthy,
ethical image of a company

32. MyStarbucks Idea

33. Participation in action

34. Conclusion 3
 Encourage the conversation between the
company and customers, smooth mutual
understanding and it will help to maintain
the customer loyalty and promote the
product and service

35.  Starbucks entertainment
 Starbucks in movies
Buzz Marketing

36. Viral Marketing

37. Product Seeding

38. Blogging

39. Starbucks philosophy

40. Strategy keynote in Social Media
Influence 2010 conference
 It’s about relationship,  Build a coalition
not marketing  Thoughtfully deputize
 Be authentic  Make a commitment
 Don’t outsource your  Ask for forgiveness,
voice not for permission
 Social fits within a  Become a content
larger digital and archeologist
integrated world  Opening new ways to
 Leading to powerful engage
results

41. “All you need is LOVE”
- Starbucks' worldwide Red project for AIDS in Africa
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHAXqwRGoI&f
eature=player_embedded

42. Starbucks va por un Shared Planet
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cATlA
NMv6uk

43. Conclusion 4
 Attract more publicity for free, engage in
greater cause and win more customers in
return

44. Conclusion
 Online communities are building
Starbucks’ company image in the
following ways:
 Flood negative news and unfavorable
opinions
 Fulfill CSR online, build healthy image
 Maintain customer loyalty and promote the
product and service
 Boost free publicity, add extra value to a
company’s culture and attract more
customers

45. Thank you for your attention!