Examples of Successful Corporate Initiatives
What Worked, Why It Worked, and How to Bring Ideas to Life

Corporate initiatives often start with big visions - improved customer experience, increased employee engagement, stronger brand loyalty. But only a fraction of these programs actually stick.

So what separates the ideas that die in the boardroom from those that deliver real results?

Let’s explore a few real-world examples of successful corporate initiatives and what made them work.

1. Starbucks: Elevating Employee Experience

In a competitive industry with high turnover, Starbucks invested heavily in internal culture. Their “Bean Stock” initiative gave employees equity in the company, aligning front-line performance with long-term company success.

What worked:

• Employees felt ownership and value beyond their hourly role

• Morale and retention improved

• Better service led to stronger customer loyalty

Starbucks proved that employee-focused initiatives can directly influence bottom-line performance.

2. Microsoft: Growth Mindset Transformation

When Satya Nadella became CEO, Microsoft was struggling with internal silos and declining relevance. His initiative to instill a growth mindset across the company reshaped its culture from the inside out.

Key elements:

• Company-wide learning and development programs

• Cultural shift toward collaboration

• Focus on listening, curiosity, and experimentation

This initiative didn’t just improve morale - it reinvigorated innovation and helped position Microsoft as a leader in cloud services.

3. Zappos: Customer Service as a Brand Pillar

Zappos didn’t just make customer service better - they made it the centerpiece of their entire business strategy.

They empowered employees to go above and beyond, including removing call time quotas and allowing creative solutions to customer problems.

Outcomes:

• Loyalty through legendary service stories

• Word-of-mouth marketing

• Increased repeat purchases

It’s a classic example of an initiative rooted in values, not just metrics.

4. Vivint: Review-Driven Recognition

Vivint, a home services company, launched an initiative to tie customer reviews directly to employee performance. Using smart technology, they tracked exactly which reps or technicians were generating positive customer feedback.

As part of that push, they used NFC badges from Cheers to capture reviews in the moment when customers were happiest and most likely to share.

In just three months, they earned over 50,000 new reviews across Google and other platforms. But more than that, they built a system of recognition and accountability that made their initiative stick.

The Common Thread: Execution and Visibility

All of these initiatives succeeded not just because they were good ideas, but because they had clear visibility, consistent follow-through, and frontline engagement.

That’s where many initiatives fail - great concepts that never reach the ground floor.

At Cheers, we help companies close that gap. Whether you’re launching a reputation campaign, employee performance push, or customer experience transformation, our NFC badges make sure your initiative doesn’t get lost in translation.

Employees feel empowered. Customers respond in real-time. And leadership sees exactly who’s making it happen.

Big ideas work best when the frontline is on board, and Cheers makes sure they are.