Thirsty for more business and committed to giving consumers more of what they want, Starbucks recently launched what I think is one of the best examples of a company using the Web to engage with its customers. Earlier this year, the Seattle-based barista launched MyStarbucksIdea.com, an online community where you and I can share our ideas, engage in conversations, and play a role in shaping Starbucks product offerings.

As a side note, a few months ago, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz publicly acknowledged that the company he co-founded in Seattle, Washington, back in 1971 had lost its edge after moving from a culture of entrepreneurship and creativity to one of bureaucracy (something I hope never happens to PureFit). With MyStarbucksIdea.com, Shultz and company are allowing us — the customers — to play a pivotal role in shaping the coffee giant’s future.

For years, Starbucks stores have served as the center of vibrant and up-and-coming communities, welcoming customers and encouraging creativity and dialogue. On MyStarbucksIdea.com, anyone who registers can share an idea for making Starbucks even better, and then vote and comment on ideas submitted by other customers. So, for example, using the site, you could recommend Starbucks carry the award-winning line of wheat- and gluten-free PureFit Nutrition Bars, and then you could encourage your friends and family to support your idea by asking them to register and vote in favor of the idea.

The last time I checked, hundreds of people had logged onto the site and recommended to Starbucks that they carry an assortment of gluten-free goodies, and six people in particular recommended they carry PureFit Nutrition Bars. With the possibility of Starbucks carrying our bars, I encourage anyone reading this blog entry to visit MyStarbucksIdea.com and participate in the conversation, especially if you’d like to see Starbucks carry the award-winning line of PureFit Bars. Registering is easy, as is making a recommendation or commenting on someone else’s idea.