Nespresso silent in the conversation
Why are we not yet seeing European brands take part in online engagement and being stuck in a web 1 mentality?
Take Nespresso for example
I am huge fan and at least 10 of my online friends and 20 of my personal friends own the machine, all this came from a chat with Florian in Paris regarding the mess my existing machine made in my kitchen.
He recommended it personally to me, I purchased it and I recommended it left, right and centre, now my friends are recommending it to their friends.
The question I am asking is where is Nespresso/Nestle in the conversation or are even conversations taking place, Shel and Roberts Naked Conversations book was probably the first thing to turn me on to blogging but the conversation doesn’t appear to have kicked off at Nestle yet?
I have had numerous chats with Mr Mulley on this very topic and am still none the wiser as to why we don’t see innovative groups like Giovanni’s Conversation Group or Andy’s Comunicano operating in Europe.
Link a sidebar on your blog and get commissions from sales via Amazon Merchants. That’s what Adam (burp) Curry did with Senseo. The brand manager has to have both feet in a wide cross-section of the consumer marketing mainstream before you will get any interest in the passions of your kitchen cupboaards.
I only have my nespresso in the office, so I miss it at the weekend - still using a stove top espresso maker and cleaning up the mess.
You should create a list of those brands that don’t engage online - nespresso probably aren’t top of the list. I think small businesses will get there first.
This makes great coffee. I am a kinda snob with a grinder and espresso machine. And loved the espresso that this makes when I tried it for the first time in the Radisson.
When we were in Stockholm in January there was a big crowd in the dedicated Nespresso store.
2 things would stop me ever buying it - being locked into their coffee supply (I much prefer to buy fairtrade beans, and to experiment) and Nestle. One of my least favorite brands for a long time because of their developing world activities.
keith
You’re all a bunch of sissies with your pansy Nespresso machines.
Be a real man and use a caffetiere!
But yes I do agree that Nestle (as the majority of big name brands) still do not understand or under estimate the power of using online conversations as a tool to directly interact with their customers.
It will probably require a big swooping redirection of all their advertising & marketing budgets which, as we all know, takes a long time with big corporates.
The problem is that when it will become the standard approach to customer interaction, marketing and advertising it will automatically lose it’s edge and become less significant.
Look at the recent discussions about bloggers being paid to up-talk product on their blogs….
Innovation, renewal and cutting edge is what keeps our work interesting though…
Pat:
Perhaps something to do with brand inertia as well as brand confidence? Which side Nestle veers depends on one’s perspectives and sympathy I think. Personally a conversation with George Clooney will be very welcome I think
Evert:
I suppose real men also clean up the cafetiere afterwards instead of leaving it to the women in the house (at home) or assuming that cleaning fairies happen upon the office kitchen magically at night? Just wondering!
@Shefaly I fill empty AND clean the caffetiere. I’m that kinda man…
Nespresso may not go out and engage with people but they do respond very quickly and effectively to queries lodged via their contact page which is probably more important.
..and the risretto is excellent.
Isn’t the nespresso one of those machines that turns coffee-making into a proprietary business?
Don’t you have to buy Nestle’s special non-reusable “cartridges” for each cuppa you make?
I’m all in favour of a decent coffee, but can’t reconcile myself to either a mountain of discarded plastic, or the freedom to experiment with sources of coffee other than Nestle.
Hey Pat - that is at least 2 hippies with socialist or green tendencies who have commented here. What kind of filtering system are you running
keith
@ keith
Not sure what definition of socialism you’re using there. I just want the ability to buy any coffee I like and not be tied into one supplier.
@keith @jack
al lwe are short now is the nestle baby formula crowd and it will be a revolution
Seriously its a good product with 10-12 different strengths/Flavours and I really like it, just wish the would engage using this new openess we have available to us.
@ Jack - back out of my corner hippie and get over there into your green one
@Pat - yummy, premix that formula and spoon it in.
keith
@ Pat
Exactly. If there was the option to use the coffee of my choice, I would have a very different attitude to this machine.
Actually, stall the ball, maybe that’s how I could make my millions. Learn something from the inkjet world and supply refillable compatible cartridges.
@ keith, for “make my millions” above read “generate millions from the petty bourgeoisie to be used for the good of the working classes”.
@Jack - superb idea
keith
Real techies don’t drink coffee, we drink decaf tea. At least that’s what I tell people when they find out I don’t ‘do’ coffee
But anyhow.. you’re right - big brands could learn a trick or two from the smaller, tech-savvy ‘web 2.0′ guys. Some of my favourite online services use Twitter, and there have been a couple of occasions where I’ve mentioned them in passing and they’ve got in touch to solve my problems, ask for my feedback, etc.
Pat:
This link on ReadWriteWeb is about a similar topic - should brand owners build communities or go where the communities are:
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/corporate_social_networks_are.php
I doubt if Nestle could generate the amount of conversation as you managed..