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Top Facebook page does not rescue a brand in trouble

07/24/09 12:06 PM Filed in: Social Media
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From Online Media Post comes this little nugget; Giveaways pay on Facebook. Starbucks has surged past Coca-Cola to become the most popular corporate brand on the social network, powered by its recent free pastry promotion. OK, and that means what for sales? Last time I looked Starbucks was still a brand in trouble and is not toying with the idea of serving beer and wine at some locations. Their lack of a coherent branding strategy and poor vision of who they are has contributed to the brands decline but at least they can say they have the number one Facebook page !!




If any consumer products marketing manager went into her/his boss and said “we have the number one page in Facebook” but the brand was in trouble I believe that person would quickly be shown the door. I don’t care how many people are following you on Facebook or Twitter if it can’t be tied back to key business objectives (sales) than in most cases it’s worthless. Sure there are some technology products where social media support is needed, i.e. computers, HD TV’s, but for the most part giving away coupons for free coffee is NOT going to be the savior of a brand in trouble.


Advertisers will tell you time and time again about impressions and message recall but in today’s economy that is not relevant anymore. Today it’s about solving consumers problems with your product and the more expensive your product the harder it is to get consumers to part with their hard earned money (unless of course you are Apple !). The Online Media Post would have us believe that because Starbucks has millions of followers that their social media strategy is a success but they are dead wrong. Chances are that the people who are following Starbucks are the people who are still going to Starbucks not the people who have found that McDonalds serves Lattes that are just as good and cheaper.

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Lot of people switched to McDonalds and a Starbucks Facebook page is not going
to get them back !

Marketers and reporters are too impressed with numbers but in the end the only numbers that count are on the balance sheet not in followers on a Facebook page.

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