The best way to show our readers that a serious, planned approach to social media as a key marketing channel can lead to success (when integrated with offline channels), is to provide case studies or corporate examples of triumph and prosperity.

Today’s post is going to do just that. In 2008, Starbucks (YES, I am one of their devotees ) found themselves in some serious hot water. Sales were down, there were major corporate management changes (which included Starbucks former CEO Howard Shultz returning and some management being let go), store closings, and some of the rapid rate expansion was slowed so that the company could go back to basics. The challenge? “How do they get back their relationship with their customer — the one they had when they first began?” Shultz claimed that, “Starbucks had lost its soul.”
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This is such a great story from the Associated Press. It definitely demonstrates the power of being resourceful, creative and tenacious no matter what the circumstances. I love the fact that we all have a story and using social media as an outlet to let that story be heard can lead to the most magnificent things. Bravo to Brianna Karp who, when she wound up in a situation where she had lost a good paying job and eventually found herself homeless, used the time during her job search to blog about being homeless. http://girlsguidetohomelessness.com
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If you’ve been following my posts, you may have begun to recognize a familiar pattern. One that involves me wading daily through all sorts of trend reports, ezines, e-mails and blogs from every industry you can imagine. In my world, meetings never begin before noon (that’s if I have anything to say about it) and my morning kicks off with a potent cup of joe and a mountain of mail overflowing in my inbox.
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