Harnessing the Power of Online Communities with Salesforce Ideas

Vida Killian, DellMatthew Guiste, StarbucksAurore Wu, salesforce.com

Track: Marketing Executives

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Reviews of Consumer Products

Personal Blogs and Twitter Conversations

Reviews of Local Services

The Influence of Online Community is Growing

The Web Provides a New Platform for Customers and Employees to Voice Ideas and Relay Experiences

How do take action and deliver measurable business impact?

How do I expose this wealth of insight back to employees?

Companies See Both Opportunity and Challenges

How do we engage in the conversation and channel this energy?

Dell and Starbucks Have Paved the Way

Engaging Customers, Partners, and Employees Building loyalty and focusing the energy of the community

Gaining Valuable Customer InsightHundreds of thousands of records being written to their CRM database

Created a Closed Loop Process for InnovationFound a scalable way of capturing ideas and seeing them through to fruition

Generated Incredible Buzz

Engage All Your Communities Online

Bubble the Best Ideas to the Top

Spark Conversations Around Ideas

Deliver on Ideas from the Community

Introducing Salesforce CRM Ideas

Provides Community in a Box

A Killer Online Community AppSalesforce Ideas provides an intuitive, engaging experience so it’s easy to drive participation and grow your community.

Full UI CustomizationCustomize the User Interface to match the look and feel of you website or intranet site.

Self-Registration and Single Sign-OnLeverage Salesforce’s out-of-the-box self-registration or setup single sign-on authentication.

Reporting and DashboardsSalesforce dashboards give you a birds-eye view of your community activity

Idea in Action AppTurn your top ideas into projects and track things like owners, status, and estimated completion date

CRM IntegrationCreate one consolidated view of your customer so that you can run rich reports and follow up with customers based on their online activity

What’s New With Ideas?Winter ‘09 Release

Force.com Sites– Public Sites for Ideas*– Visualforce for Ideas**– Self-Registration*– SAML Integration– Syndication*

Moderation and Data Quality Tools– Merge Ideas– Status Tags and Sorts– Validation rules on Ideas and Comments– Expert Icon– Suggested Duplicates***

The Ideas App– Up and Down Voting– Rich Text on Ideas & Comments– Multiple Categories– My Profile Page– My Activity– My Ideas, Votes, and Comments– Community Nicknames– Delete Vote API

New AppExchange Apps– Ideas In Action App – Salesforce Labs– Ideas Dashboard – Salesforce Labs– Account and Contact Integration - BlueWolf– Email to Idea - BlueWolf

* Limited Release – Available after Dreamforce ** Limited Release – Available early December *** Available with Visualforce Pages but not in the standard UI

Greatly Reduce Barriers to Participation

Syndicate Content Across the Web

Content Indexed by Google

Look At Ideas.com – Find Your Inspiration

Example Communities– Product Feedback– CRM Rollout– Cost Cutting Ideas– Dashboard Gallery– Green Office– Sales Feedback and Discussions– Marketing Department– IT Department– Employee Services

Customer Communities– Salesforce IdeaExchange– Dell IdeaStorm– My Starbucks Idea– Network Solutions– Fair Isaac– Model Metrics

Anonymously browse the site or login

post ideas, vote, and join the discussion

Vida KillianIdeaStorm Manager

LEADERS will enter and become RELEVANT in

conversations that occur EVERY DAY in EVERY LANGUAGE all around THE WORLD about their

company or product

Companies that cling to the past may not

realize it, but they will lose relevance.

“These conversations are going to occur whether you like it or not. Do you want to be part of that or not? My argument is you absolutely do.

You can learn from them. You can improve your reaction time. And you can be a better company by listening and being involved in that conversation.”

Michael Dell,BusinessWeek

DELL’S DIGITAL MEDIA vision: Engage in relevant conversations with our customers online 24/7, worldwide in all major languages.

Digital Momentum Grows

What’s

Next?

Benefit

Example

The Story behind IdeaStorm

“A company this size is not going to be about a

couple of people coming up with ideas.

It’s going to be about millions of people and

harnessing the power of those ideas.”

-Michael Dell

OBJECTIVE:

Encourage ideas,feedback, inputand dialogue

RESULTS:

IdeaStorm

– >10,000 ideas generated by the community

– 615,000 promotions of ideas

– 81,000 comments

– >200 ideas Implemented by Dell

– Average 10,000 unique visitors/day

www.ideastorm.com

• Feb. 16, ‘07: 1st idea submitted - Home technology makeover show

• May ’07: First BIG idea implemented - Dont eliminate XP just yet

• Oct. ’07: IdeaStorm gets its own blog

• Nov. ’07: IdeaStorm upgraded with new look and colors

• April ’08: Storm Room added to the Dell Community Forum to

provide a place for IdeaStorm members to carry on

conversations not directly related to ideas

• Sept. 11, ‘08: 10,000th idea is Glass Across Entire Screen

• Oct. ‘08: Upgrade to SFDC Ideas 2.0 Platform

• Nov. ’08:IdeaStorm widgets for portability to other communities

• 2009: Further Idea Collaboration & Storms expansion –

private Storms, other languages, PremierStorm

IdeaStormTimeline

23

IdeaStorma rough breakdown

~4% INNOVATIVEPossible game changing

ideas.

~80% IMPROVEMENTS

•Includes both incremental ideas for next generation

products as well as improvements to existing products and services.

•Use existing Ideas Management process to work.

~12% UNUSABLENo action needed.

Breakdown of 200 Ideas Implemented

Case Study – Latitude (August 2008) COLOR OPTIONSA LITTLE ZING TO BUSINESS

LAPTOPS

BACKLIT KEYBOARDFOR WORKING IN THE DARK

DELL CONFIDENTIAL

13.3-INCH DISPLAY COMPACT, BUT BIG ENOUGH TO FIT A FULL-SIZED KEYBOARD UNDERNEATH

BETTER BATTERY LIFEUP TO 19 HOURS ON A

SINGLE CHARGE

FINGERPRINT READEREXTRA SECURITY APPEASES

JITTERY MANAGERS

eSATA PORT LETS USERS CONNECT

EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES AT FAST SPEEDS

Be prepared for the initial spike of ideas

Source: http://blogs.salesforce.com/ideas/2008/07/what-should-we.html

Moderation is critical! Dell received 2,000 ideas in first 2 weeks

Community expects immediate response/engagement

Understand expectationsCustomers

DELL CONFIDENTIAL

Customersand

Employees

Positive Experience

Action taken on Ideas

Recognition

WHOWHAT

HOWTimely

Feedback

Dell (SME) Participation

Idea Status Explanation

Updated Site

Business Review

PR Support

Onsite Events

“Thank You”

Provide regular updates

Beginning - Updates were sporadic Today - A dedicated blog with updates every 2 weeks

Understand expectationsbusiness partners

DELL CONFIDENTIAL

InternalBusinessPartners

Positive Experience

Executive Support

Defined Process

WHOWHAT

HOWTimely Accurate

Reporting

Access to Data

Alignment with Strategic Plans

Informed Execs

Business Champions

Professional Development

Communication Support

PULL

– Engaged Business Partners

– Regularly on site reviewing ideas and comments

– Have Dell Login to the site to engage in conversations

– Provide access to Reporting and Idea Management Tool

– They update Central Team on idea Status changes

PUSH

– Areas that don’t have time. Only want to review top ideas

relevant to them.

– Won’t ask – need to be told.

– Provide regular reporting at appropriate time (i.e. – Product

Planning cycles)

– Involve with urgent or highly voted ideas that need official

response

Idea management

Final Thoughts

Expect and accept negative comments

Community wants to hear from Subject Matter Experts

Transparency is key – must walk the fine line with sensitive

information

Both push and pull methods for idea management need

executive support

Reporting and visibility to ideas is key to business engagement

Internal input is as important as external input

Ideas augment other customer feedback

Ideally manage ideas in the same process as focus groups,

customer visits, surveys, etc.

Key Coordinates

www.dell.com/community

www.ideastorm.com

Vida_Killian@dell.com

QUESTIONS?

Matthew GuisteProgram Manager,

MyStarbucksIdea.com

Agenda

– Why did you create MSI?

– And how do/did you:

• Launch MSI?

• Keep the community engaged?

• Create action?

• Communicate results?

• Keep the team engaged?

• Measure results?

MSI Was Established to Fill a Need for Dialogue

Customer Contact Center

Online Surveys

Passion Panel

Customer Voice

Focus Groups

PartnerView Survey

Promotional Websites

(e.g., itsredagain.com)

Mission Review

External Websites (e.g., StarbucksGossip.com)

PartnersCustomers Both

Current communications

Customer Comment Cards

Starbucks.com

Partner Portal

In-Store Experience

Before MSI: many touch points, no meaningful dialogue

Community Moderators (Idea Partners) 30-40 throughout the organization, 2 hours per week is asked 2-3 per department (Beverage, Card, Food, Human Resources, etc),

MSI responsibilities are on top of regular role Two primary functions: respond to community and review/promote

ideas

Leads (Generally the manager of the Idea Partners, usually VPs) 1 per department Two functions: support time commitment for Idea Partners,

implement or promote ideas that are favorably reviewed

Executive Level (C-level) Support or approve action on compelling ideasThis structure has generally worked well, still in place

today

Company Involvement Structure

Initial Marketing Efforts and Results

NY Times Homepage Dual Marquis

The “bug” on Starbucks.com

Starbucks Cardholder email blast and banner

Banner AdsLaunch Only

(the only paid marketing)Email Blast

Starbucks.com

Bug on every page

In-Store Signage from 3/20-5/12

Shareholder Meeting

6,000 mouse pads, interactive booth, part of

the transformational agenda

Headquarters Signage

99% of lifetime traffic is unpaid

Philosophy: How we think about engagement

Today we’ll talk mostly about 1 and 2

Idea Partners Gather Information

Ideas are vetted

Shared with LeadsLeads help build

Businesscase

Presented to ExecutiveTeam for approval

Blog post announcing

decision

MSI is a way of doing business,Not a one-time event

Ideas In Action Process

Involving Executive Level Leaders

Tip: You’ll get more Leads support if you use Ideas to support their goals

Top Issues & Recommendations

Action ScorecardIdeas: “Under Review

Ideas:“Coming Soon”

Ideas: “Launched”

35 14 19

NOTE: “Top Issues” are the highest vote getting and most passionate

issues across all categories

Keep Executives Informed

Support Initiatives for Individual Business Leaders

Compile data for business cases

Use MSI reporting process to elevate or amplify proposals

Issue Recommendation- PPR/Bold Coffee after noon Expect to post new update shortly

- Recycling (white cups) Need Executive sponsorship of well-defined program

- More customer-friendly WiFi Monitor response in Canada, consider adopting in US

- Automated ordering Find leader for project to look at short-term wins within current systems

- Loyalty Program Proceed with current Gold Card plan, inviting top 100 MSI communitymembers to participate for free.

- Bigger Personal Cup Discount Announce the plan to move to $0.25, ASAP.

- Great Conversations Continue current efforts

NOTE: “Top Issues” are the highest vote getting and most passionate

issues across all categories

Communicating Decisions

Ideas in Action page (re-launched in August):

– Frequent “blog” posts on actions taken

—and further discussion

– Sortable by a variety of methods

– Authors from every level and

department

– Besides reporting action, a place to

hone discussion

The single most important page on the site

Keeping Moderators engaged Frequent monthly contests Formal recognition program (Moderator of the Month) Informal recognition—reporting numbers, quarterly

newsletter Make it fun! “Passive Aggressive Post of the Week”

Training and Mentoring Moderators Moderator handbook, formal training (functional and legal) Resources for any question, and a Community Manager Finding the right people to start with

Ongoing support is required

Keeping the Discussions Strong

Goals

For Every 1,000 Visits– 5 Ideas

– 10 Comments

– 50 Logins

– 120 Votes

Actual Results

For every 1,000 Visits– 44 Ideas

– 37 Comments

– 116 Logins

– 348 Votes

Tip for estimating activity on your site: take x% of volume for the main site, use this as high and low bounds.

KPIs for You!

Key Learnings

The conversation about your company

will happen whether you like it to or not.

Your only choice is whether to join it.

Great content trumps slick design: the

MSI site is popular because it delivers

relevant, interesting content. Still,

people have a limit, especially your

core.

“Internet time” is much shorter than

“company time”.

Even so, people understand some

things take time. In the meantime, keep

engaging, the written equivalent of a

“head nod” goes a long ways.

Customers are willing to donate a ton of

time to your company

A few “negative” leaders can tank an good

conversation. Nip them in the bud.

Conversations can turn quickly.

A community site like MSI is a good place

to add context—complete and accurate

information—to the ongoing public

discussions.

A successful community like this requires a

significant philosophical commitment from

many levels of the company: a new level of

transparency, a willingness to give up

control, and a sustained commitment, to

name just a few.

Further Discussion

Contact: Matthew GuisteEmail: mguiste@starbucks.com

Website: www.MyStarbucksIdea.com, Facebook, LinkedIn

Twitter: twitter.com/MyStarbucksIdea

Don’t be shy.

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