I was at lunch last week with a new friend and he asked me what is social media? I said to him it is a form of networking that is leveraged using social media tools online such at Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Linkedin and so on. Yes—all things that most of us know!
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I was chatting with a new client today about social media and how it can be utilized to elicit a positve and engaging response from your customers—especially when they are uphappy. In our discussion, we talked about companies who are getting it right—and Domino’s pizza came to mind for us both. Have you seen their recent TV spot about how they “say that customers complained that their crust was like cardboard and their sauce had no taste.” They continue on to mention how they were listening and have made changes to those EXACT things! Bravo Domino’s. Well it gets better…
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Many months back I wrote about the Korean BBQ street vendor: a guy who had an idea for tacos—that featured Korean BBQ. He parked outside of the clubs late at night for weeks with no action. He  then went to the famed Robinson Blvd. where the famous Ivey restaurant resides and the paparazzi shoot the lunching celebrities……still no action. Next up was Twitter and Facebook…and before he knew it, the line ups were around the block.
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I have been watching Whole Foods for a while now and have used their example in the world of social media to many clients. As a fan of the Whole Foods grocery store (even when those delicate personal conversations have touched a nerve), it is a  place where you can get organic foods—both prepared and fresh—with a sense of community attached in the shopping experience. And as a business model, Whole Foods lends itself to social media quite beautifully.
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Today I had lunch with a new potential client. He has a successful business but is looking to grow and educate his customers on a product that does have some challenges in its brand perception. He came to me to discuss the possiblity of creating and implementing a strategy that would provide a forum for engagement and education but was so FEARFUL of failure.
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I was reading today, as per my regular caffeine-fueled morning ritual, and I happened to come across a rather interesting article in The Globe and Mail (to which this article owes its name).
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