The brand that’s made me the happiest this year is Wolfgang’s Vault. I go there on a regular basis, often on Friday afternoons when I’m finishing up administrative tasks and need some ear candy. The more I listen, the more often I return. I’ve heard concerts by artists I wish I’d gone to and concerts from the same tours I saw “back in the day” by artists that hadn’t made it big yet. I started going to the site a couple of years ago to relive some great musical moments in my life—but now I’m getting much more.

I love that the Vault has branched out to newer artists and more recent concerts. Their A to Z list of performers is huge and inclusive, so I can experiment. There are artist interviews as well as concerts. There are lots of free downloads as well as ones you have to pay for. Plus concert listings in my area.

The website has improved steadily. It’s become increasingly easy to use and what Wolfgang’s Vault is adding, I’m enjoying. I must be in their target demographic—they’re hitting me in my soft spot and I love it!

What’s the brand lesson? Do one thing really well and build from there. Innovate around what you know and give your customers and fans an easy path to follow as you lead the way. If the substance is there and you demonstrate that you’re listening, you’ll keep your die-hards and win new ones.

Have a great 2010!

Beth Woolley

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Here are a couple of questions posed by takers of the online brand survey:

Would having an online forum at this stage of our development (early-stage startup) provide any value add for users visiting our website?

We are just starting to push our new solution. What should we be talking about to start building a community?

The sooner you engage customers, the better. If you can engage prospects—even more better. Value add will occur if you referee an honest dialog about your product/solution—which includes incorporating feedback into product development and customer service, and calling that out via online communications. When customers experience that their opinions and needs result in actions, they experience you as a full participant in their community. This tends to make them stick with you—and tell others about you in their online and offline travels.

That said, how do you start building that community? Community-building online is as much about where as it is about what. Here’s a good, high-level article on the subject: http://mashable.com/2009/08/25/whole-foods/. It doesn’t matter how big or small your organization is, the key is to focus in on where your audience hangs out and add value to those conversations (whether it’s commenting on someone else’s blog or starting a Facebook page for your business). You can’t control a brand community but you can help shape it by delivering something of value to its members.

Anyone out there have some additional suggestions? Please comment.

And, we’re closing the survey at noon Wednesday, 9/2—so if you want to get your two cents in and have a chance to win that Flip video camera, take a few minutes to complete the quiz (scroll down a couple of entries and you’ll see the whole thing).

Beth Woolley

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Starbucks has built its brand on its ability to deliver a consistent customer experience. When you ask someone what they love about Starbucks, it’s always the same answer—“I know what to expect.”

Why then would a company with such a recognized brand promise veer away from the very thing customers value?

With its recent decision to open “locally-branded” coffee shops, Starbucks has completely abandoned its brand (and received much public criticism for the move). Aside from the fact that the new stores will not be named “Starbucks,” they bear almost no resemblance to the brand experience we’re all used to. Instead, they’ve taken on a Bohemian coffee-shop look and feel, adding alcohol to the menu and showcasing local artists from musicians to poets. To me, the move seems very off-brand and inauthentic—especially when you hear stories that Starbucks sent its employees to neighboring coffee hangouts, like Victrola, to jot down ideas and thoughts in notebooks labeled “observations.”

What are your thoughts on Starbucks’s new strategy? Do you agree with Adam Hanft of Fast Company (and me) that this is a poor and off-brand decision? Or do you, like John Moore of Brand Autopsy, believe it’s a brilliant learning opportunity to help Starbucks put its brand back on track?

-Hiley Spaet

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Sign up to attend PLP’s upcoming webcast on July 16th at 3:00 PM Pacific. Principal Briana Marrah will be hosting the webcast to discuss “Your brand booster: how to leverage every customer experience.”

Visit the BrightTalk website to sign up by clicking here.

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