PSFK advised retailers to think of all store locations as flagship stores and treat customer visits as opportunities to tell the story of the brand. Disney stores executed this idea by remodeling their stores to become a family entertainment hub where kids can interact and play with the merchandise. The New England grocery chain Stew Leonard’s organized their stores by stocking merchandise needed for certain occasions together, such as a barbecue or birthday party. Customers then buy items for an experience and possibly pick up a few things they didn’t think they needed, like birthday hats or corn on the cob holders. Stew Leonard’s stores also have animatronic farm animals kids can play with, flat screens that show feeds of their own daily cows and bountiful offerings of free samples.

The important thing to remember is that the store is an extension of the brand and thus offers a unique opportunity to create an immersive brand experience for the consumer. Apple stores capitalize on this opportunity by keeping their design aesthetic relevant to their brand and by offering product testing stations and optional education classes for customers. Lance Armstrong’s bike shop in Austin, Tex., is meant to be a hub for the diverse biking community, whether people are beginners or almost pros. Mellow Johnny’s even has a coffee shop, showers and bike storage systems to encourage more people to join the cycling community. By creating a community and not just a software store or cycling shop, Apple and Mellow Johnny’s make a visit to their stores not just another stop on an errand run but a place to spend an afternoon browsing and talking with others.
 
It’s also important to note that the stories retailers tell require scene changes. In order to keep up with shopping and cultural trends, retailers need to continually reinvent the shopping experience, all the while still keeping the brand’s core message and story in mind. Product displays and merchandise need to be rearranged and transformed to give the customer a reason to return.

Included in the top 10 are: Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Disney, Victoria’s Secret, iTunes, Vitaminwater, YouTube, Chick-fil-A, Red Bull and T.G.I. Friday’s. The criteria for this list was having at least 200,000 friends, employing a dedicated social media staff, length of Facebook presence and amount of money spent on social media.

In general, these companies have continued to offer fresh and original Facebook content and material resulting in a tremendous amount of interest from followers. The ratings also found their Facebook presence to be well integrated with a broader marketing approach.

The names on the list speak volumes about the need to engage in establishing a touch point with consumers via social media. Major brands are embracing the philosophy and are seeing great reward.