The Pull Side of Social Media

BARRINGTON, Ill. -- Balvor LLC, in collaboration with Bricks Meet Click, recently examined the value of leveraging online consumer dialogue to continuously improve the brand experience.

"Most retailers are using social media today to primarily push out special deals that help to broaden the companies' online reach, build brand awareness and drive traffic to its site and stores," according to David Bishop, managing partner at Balvor LLC.

On the other hand, far fewer retailers have embraced social media as a means to strengthen their insights and use customer input to guide business growth, he said. So, from this perspective, "we wanted to explore the benefits associated with engaging the consumer in a more interactive dialogue," Bishop stated.

A new article authored by Bishop takes a look at Starbucks' "My Starbucks Idea" website, and highlights how approaches like this can help companies build stronger connections with consumers. Implications from the article are put into context based on the professional experiences of John Schaninger, vice president of marketing at convenience chain Quick Chek.

Schaninger has used social media site Facebook to test billboards for Quick Chek.

To view the full article, click here.