Communicating Corporate Responsibility: McDonalds and Starbucks

While reading the New York Times Magazine a couple of weeks ago, I came across an ad for Starbucks. The headline was “Owned and Operated by Human Beings.” The ad went on to describe how Starbucks adds value to their product by adding value to the community. At the bottom, the ad referred readers to a Website: whatmakescoffeegood.com.

I went to the site, unsure of what I would find. The “human beings” bit piqued my curiosity, and I dearly hoped that it meant that Starbucks had finally started a blog. But when my browser finished loading, I was disappointed to find an overproduced Flash site outlining–in marketing speak–the various ways that Starbucks was making the world a better place. Ugh!

Meanwhile, McDonalds–whose French Fry Blog drew criticism from around the blogosphere last year–has changed course and developed an excellent blog about corporate social responsibility. They’re doing a great job of facing McDonald’s previously spotty track record on the environment and obesity while explaining what they are now doing to promote sustainability, healthy lifestyles, and their Ronald McDonald House charities.

The stated mission of this blog is for readers to “get personal perspectives on the issues, meet the people behind the programs, and hear open assessments of the challenges [McDonald's] face[s].” The blog has received some very positive feedback for its unvarnished approach to sensitive issues and how McDonalds deals with them.

This brings up an important point. When you’re trying to convey that you’re a responsible, conscientious corporation, why on Earth would you start a one-way messaging campaign with magazine ads, all to promote a Flash Website that nobody is going to visit? Why wouldn’t you go with the cheaper and all-around more effective option of starting a blog that will actually spark a conversation?

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around this. It’s obvious to me that if ever there was a company in need of a blog–with the exception of Dell–it’s Starbucks. They want their stores to be community hangouts where customers drop in to enjoy high speed internet, good music, and yummy coffee. If they want to get the word out about their good deeds while fostering community involvement, they’ll get much more from a blog than that silly website could ever accomplish.

Starbucks Senior VP of Marketing Anne Saunders said in an interview last year:

The average customer is in our store six times a month. If I look at our heaviest 20 percent of customers, they’re in our stores an average 16 times per month. So I have this great opportunity to have those people have an experience and a relationship with us that in many, many businesses you don’t. So, part of that gives me the luxury to think about marketing in a different way.

That’s great, Ms. Saunders. You’re thinking about marketing in a different way. You’re reaching out to customers on a regular basis and giving them your message in small doses. You’re community oriented. You want a relationship with your customers. We get it. So why the heck aren’t you guys blogging yet?

We at the Blog Business Summit really, really want to know. So we’re making you an offer we hope you can’t refuse. We’ll send you a free copy of Steve and Byron’s book, Publish and Prosper: Blogging for your Business if you’ll give Steve 20 minutes of your time to talk about what you guys are doing to reach out to the community.

If you’re interested, drop me a e-mail at teresa [at] blogbusinessummit [dot] com and I’ll set the whole thing up.

Oh yeah, and feel free to join us at our upcoming conference if you do decide that blogging is for you. We’ll give you the hands on expertise you need to make a Starbucks blog happen.