I'm not really supposed to be blogging, as I'm technically on vacation here in Southern California, where my wife Erika (and "Dos Bebes," our twins) are visiting my family in Pasadena. But even Erika insisted this was too good to pass up. This month's "CGM Recognition Award" goes to Peet's Coffee for an absolutely wonderful program that not only illustrates the power of conumer-generated media (CGM) but also the unstoppable upside of brand evangelism. I also think it provides an excellent contrast to the less-predictable GM Chevy-Tahoe campaign that I covered extensively in this blog.
First, The Set-Up: While taking our twins Liam and Leila on a stroll through the streets of Pasadena, we stopped at a Peet's coffee on the corner of Lake and California. Half way through an absolutely delightful "hang out" session, we noticed a bulletin board full of Polaroid photos. It was enticing because it felt so personal and "community" oriented, not unlike the coffee house bulletin boards in college. In this particular instance, the bulletin board dozens of "Peet Polaroids" -- basically, photos of happy Peet's patrons along with even happier scribbles of text above or below the photo. 
It was almost as though ever darn person in who visited Peets over the past few days had posted a photo on the wall, along with a small note about their experience. To aide this process, Peets had a Polaroid camera attached to a wire as well as a pad of stickies that said "Tell Us About Yourself."
RePEETable Evangelism: So of course we took the bait (how could parents of twins resist) and we promptly posted our own photo on the wall...actually at the very top. It was a sincere (dare I say "authentic") gesture, as we were just wrapping up an absolutely delightful coffee experience at this particular Peet's. Turns out, this was just one building block of Peet's 40th Anniversary program, currently being celebrated throughout April. The anniversary also includes coffee tastings and free distribution of some of the early blends that made Peet's famous (as far back as 1966, when Peet's opened).
Former Boss of Pete's Talks Peet's: Eager to learn more about this program, I e-mailed my former boss Chris Lansing, who just so happens to be Chief Marketing Officer of Peet's. Chris gave me my very first job at P&G, marketing none other than Bounty paper towels (a thoroughy absorbing experience, I might add). "With the 'Family Album,' Chris explained, "we’re inviting customers to join our “family” of Peet’s coffee lovers…to declare what they’re passionate about…and share in the festivities. These albums have been a huge hit. Within a couple of days they’ve been filled with pictures, notes, drawings, etc. People WANT to be part of it…and they certainly have something to say!" On that last point, I would simply say that consumers ALWAYS have something to say; the key for marketers is to figure out how to leverage existing brand passion and evangelism in their favor. In the case of Peet's -- a place that consistently creates a great experiences -- that's really not a difficult proposition. In fact, the "History Album" is such a simple concept that you almost wonder why more brands don't do this. Here are my personal reflections and takeaways from this experience:
A. CGM Has Equal Potential Offline as Online: Yes, online word of mouth travels faster, and perhaps reached more people, but offline CGM programs can be extremely powerful as well, and (evident here) can occasionally go from offline to online. Peet's offered a simple, readly available, highly participatory program close to the "high satisfaction experience."
B. CGM is Best When Meaningful "Ownership" is Nurtured: I loved the fact that I felt like an "owner" of the process. The camera was put in my hands, and I the photo and capture were mine to shape. Moreover, I could put the final product any darn place I wanted on the bulletin board. I felt like I was a co-creator of the family album, and that, as you can tell, is what stuck with me.
C. CGM Always Benefits from an "Assist": The Peet's program also included simple "tell us about yourself" cards that many folks attached next to their photo. This obviously benefited Peet's but more importantly it allowed the patrons to deepen their connection and rationalization toward the brand.
D. Consumers in the Advertising Begets Virality: By being part of the "Family Album" I found myself telling others to check out our "cute and adorable" photo. What Peet's actually gave me was not only real-estate on a bulletin board, but a form of "social currency" to tell others of my participation in the advertising.
In my next post, I'll write about how brand's can put "Family Album" principles to work in their own backyard. I'll also share thoughts about how these types of programs related to what brands do in the "consumer affairs" department. Until then...stay wired with CGM.
Good Stuff. - Chris at Peets forwarded me your blog. I'd been pinging her and the CEO about a first hand experience I had with the 40th anniversary promotion. Check it out. These guys rock!
Posted by: Don Thorson | April 29, 2006 at 01:40 PM