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Starbucks’ Virus
September 1, 2006 | |
When you employ viral techniques, sometimes the virus mutates beyond your expectations. And so it was with a recent employees, friends and family email promotion by Starbucks. The company sent out an email to its employees in the Southeast that contained a coupon good for a free iced coffee. Starbucks told employees to forward the coupon to family and friends. Well, it got out of hand. Starbucks pulled the promotion.
This is the power of the web that so many companies fail to understand. When going viral, you need to think through the ramifications before you pull the trigger.
