Starbucks: How Starbucks Has Developed A Strong Social Media Strategy

I still remember those times I used to talk about “Brands”, “power of branding” and the importance of a competitive edge to sustain in the rather turbulent, uncertain business world. A few names always used to be on top of my mind when writing/talking/discussing these issues and Starbucks never missed the list; it was usually up there, among really very few other brands, that seem to go all out tugging at caffeine-addicted hearts of some millions of people. Continue reading

Foursquare Badges: Check-in and Earn It All

With a check in each second and counting, check-ins at various locations, and most interesting a sense of virtual achievement by winning badges for everything you do. I am talking about foursquare. Now, talking about foursquare is really incomplete if we don’t discuss the different kinds of badges that are awarded to users based on their activity levels, achievements, etc. Most of the badges are obviously proffered by foursquare, but rumor has it that very soon users will be able to create their own badges (this can only lead to chaos – 50 plus badges and counting?). Here’s a short take on different badges and what they mean to you: Continue reading