Kudos to Starbucks (and not because they are a Marden-Kane client) on their recent Social Media efforts (and wins!). While Brands (and Agencies) are assessing the available platforms and their go-to-market strategies, Starbucks is walking the walk, and in a relatively short time frame.

In today’s economic climate where “gourmet” coffee could be considered a luxury, Starbucks is using Social Media to drive relevancy and loyalty for the brand and the in-store experience. From the free ice cream coupon (delivered using an Instant Win Game platform) to today’s Free Pastry Day coupon (print and mobile versions), their efforts have been smart.

Don’t take my word for it, just look at their 3.5 million Facebook Fans and the references in Social Media blogs such as Mashable – http://mashable.com/2009/07/21/starbucks-free-pastry-day/. A quick Google search for Starbucks Free Pastry returned over 250,000 search results. Furthermore, Starbucks was named the most engaged brand in a report recently issued by Wetpaint/Altimeter Group (available at www.ENGAGEMENTdb.com).

How did they do it?

From what I can glean, they first did their homework by listening and responding to their customers. They turned this feedback into new products and opportunities to drive deeper relationships with customers. They gave customers a reason to engage in two-way conversations. Most importantly though, they had organizational support coupled with top-down champions in leadership.

I will be curious to see how these efforts impact the bottom line and what the respective ROI’s are, but am reminded that repeated tactics are required to acquire and retain share of consumers wallets.