Starbucks has taken an innovative approach to improving their products and the customer experience in their stores. Their entire purpose is to create a “third place” beyond home and work where people can congregate and socialize (while having a nice cup of coffee). To engage customers, they created a website called My Starbucks idea (https:// ideas.starbucks.com/ ) that allows customers to post their ideas and then allows customers to also vote on them.

1. Visit the https://ideas.starbucks.com/ site. Do you have an idea for Starbucks? If so, post it. Do you have an opinion about one of the current ideas? If so, then vote for it.

2. Do you think this is an effective way to gain customer ideas for new products? Why or why not?

3. Can you think of other ways that corporate executives at Starbucks can gauge customer interest in their products and in-store experience using social media?