The Starbucks’ Leaf Rakers Society isn’t an indispensable community.
It doesn’t significantly improve the lives of its members.
It doesn’t deliver clear, irreplaceable, value throughout the business.
It doesn’t bring to bear a brand’s unique assets to create an unparalleled community experience.
This time next year, it will be long gone and forgotten.
Sure, it’s only a half-serious community. But remember Starbucks has a unique opportunity to build an amazing community for baristas, remote workers, coffee lovers, and many other related groups. Each of which would benefit from being closely connected to one another.
Instead, they dove straight into the engagement trap trying to create something fun and viral.
Don’t copy Starbucks here. You have audiences that need to be connected, audiences where you can offer unique value and create something that really drives your business forward. Go build that, skip the quick likes.
p.s. The only worthwhile lesson here is if a Facebook group is good enough for Starbucks to get started, it’s probably fine for you too.
