One of our favorite. Starbucks created this site to provide its customers and employees with an online venue to share ideas for the brand. The goal is to allow the hip coffee distributor to sustain its development strategy and differentiate itself from the competition. The model is not appropriate for all sectors of activity but we should take note of the initiative as an innovative and creative way to approach consumer research.

People can post ideas, vote, and discuss specific topics. It is just a very smart way to build and entertain a dialogue with the market, while tailoring part of the offering to specific customer needs.

A similar approach, defined around greater control and a far more specific target audience can be applied to brands with a higher positioning.