The PURPLE GOLDFISH PROJECT: 1001 Examples of Lagniappe
PLEASE RT —>
I need your help. I’m desperately seeking a purple goldfish. . .
I’m in search of 1001 Examples of Marketing Lagniappe for the book, In Search of Your Purple Goldfish.
A marketing lagniappe, i.e. purple goldfish, is any time a business goes above and beyond to provide a ‘little something extra’. It’s that unexpected surprise that’s thrown in.
Here are the basic ingredients / rules of a purple goldfish:
Relevant, Unexpected, Limited, Expression and Sticky.
5 examples / thought starters:
- Southwest Airlines – Grab you bag . . it’s on. Southwest doesn’t charge for bags
- TD Bank – TD Bank has a penny arcade in their lobby, a free service to all who want to exchange coins
- Five Guys Burgers and Fries – Free peanuts while you wait and extra fries with your order (lots of them)
- Stew Leonard’s – Buy $100 or more of groceries, the register MOO’s and you get a free ice cream or coffee
- Doubletree Hotels - Complimentary warm chocolate chip cookie when you check-in
REWARD – For each of the first 1001 examples of lagniappe I will donate a non-perishable food item to the Thomas Merton Center. The Merton Center is a soup kitchen in Bridgeport, CT that not only provides food, but other programs that help people move out of poverty to become self sufficient.
In addition – each Purple Goldfish example will be featured on the website and the best examples will be featured in my upcoming book.
3 easy ways to contribute:
- e-mail me your Purple Goldfish to stan [at] 9inchmarketing.com
- click the CONTACT button in the header above
- or write a comment on this page including your Purple Goldfish
Bonus: If your ‘purple goldfish’ makes it into the book in 2010 . . . you will receive a complimentary signed copy.
Which brands have made the cut?
(here is the alphabetical list of the first 210)
[A] adidas #204, Amazon #51+165, Aqua Pools #80, Acura (Bridgewater, NJ) #97, AJ Bombers #152, Alligator Lounge #205, American Girl #112, Audi #133, Apple #147, Aveda Spa & Salon #160
[B] Baron Funds #73, Beaver Creek Resort #129, Bed, Bath & Beyond #85, Ben & Jerry’s #4+13, BLT Steakhouse #182, BMW (Circle NJ) #72+150 (Bridgeport CT) #190 (Darien, CT), Bob’s Discount Furniture #126, bosc Marketing Muscle #139, Bridgeton Hotel #89, Hotel Burnham #141
[C] Canyon Cafe #159, Capital Grille #122, Caribou Coffee #2, Carnival Cruise Line #64+208, Carter’s #27, Chicken Delicatessan #127, Chick-fil-a #125, Citizen’s Bank #33, Classic Barber of Greenwich #157, Classic Shine Detailing #82, Clement Marketplace #209, Coca-Cola #186, Cosi #32+206, Courtyard by Marriott #57, Croc’s #184
[D] Del Frisco’s Steak House #118, Demas #173, Denny’s #7, Diamond Cabs #81, Disney #12+149+171, Doubletree Hotels #5+#16+30, Dr. Drysdale #197, Dr. Greg Preston #169, Dry Cleaning Factory #90
[E] endless.com #181, Enterprise Rental Car #105, Enviro Express #84, Ethan Allen #102, etsy.com #188, Exclusive Resorts #119
[F] Fairfield Granite #59, Father & Son’s #43, Fillmore San Francisco #37, Finger Nail Salon #28, Firebox.com #70, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Foam + Wash #121, Ford #155, Fort Wayne International Airport #176, Four Seasons Hotels #192, Friendly’s #75, Fromagerie Rumson #163
[G] Gallery Furniture #62, GAP #55, Good Giving #21, Google #46, Grand Central Racquet #63, Grooming by Debbie #104, Ground Round #53
[H] Hard Rock Cafe #26, Harley Davidson #178, Heights Restaurant #31, Herman Miller #158, High Voltage Tattoo #151, Home Warranty #201, Horizon Air #78, Hotel Murano #185, Hotel Vitale #194, HSBC #145, Hyatt #10+146
[I] IKEA #41+147 + 191, Ikedas #35, Insomnia Cookies #29
[J] J-six #207, Jason Deli #199, Jet Blue #19, John Allen’s #68, John’s Barber Shop #77
[K] Kid City #88, Kimpton Hotels #109+#110, Krispy Kreme #18
[L] Land’s End #128, Langhorne Hotel #24, Les Schwab #17+156, Lexus #1+23+48+69+200, Listel #99, Little Nell #98, Los Cabos #87, Lou Mitchell’s #83, Lovefilm.com #108, Lozano Car Wash #130, LUSH #189
[M] Mario’s Barber Shop #47, Martin + Osa #86, Martin Guitar #60, Maxwell House #183, McDonald’s #8+44+100+114, McLellan Marketing Group #136+137+138, Midwest Airlines #142, MIP #168
[N] Native Eyewear #58, New Belgium Brewery #162, New Jersey #132, NINJA #111, Northwest Airlines #106
[O] Odwalla #198, Ogori Cafe #203, Oxford Stuff #135, Outagamit Airport #180, Overstock #166
[P] Pacific Cafe #143, Panera #45+#50 + #154, Paste Magazine #34, Patriot Bank #61, Peabody Hotel #113, Pepperidge Farm #134, Plaza Cleaners #123, Port Columbus Airport #179, Publix #96+117, Purchasing Power #196
[R] Ralph’s #167, Redeye Grill NYC #79, Reno – Tahoe Aiport #177, Rod Oglesby Realty #153, Roger Smith Hotel #174
[S] Sage Valley Country Club #120, Scrub a Dub #6, Sephora #101, Sky Lake Hospital #187, Slay’s on Main #172, Southwest Airlines #93, Speck #175, Splash Car Wash #67, Starbucks #9+20+36+40, Stew Leonard’s #91+124, Subway #39, Super Food Town #71, Sushi Time #164
[T] TD Bank #49+76+92, Tim Coffey #65, Tom Quick Inn #210, Tom’s Shoes #3, Toyboat Desserts Cafe #144, Toys R Us #15, Toyzam #115+131, Trader Joe’s #42+161
[U] USAA #56, US Postal #14
[V] Velocity #174, VW (New Country Greenwich) #193
[W] Wegman’s #116, Wells Fargo #38, Westminster Hotel #74, Whole Foods #11+22, WineLibrary.com #170
[Z] Zappo’s #107+195
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#203. Submitted by Valeria Maltoni from a post on PSFK
Ogori Cafe
Cabel Saasser brings word of a mysterious cafe that he recently experienced in Kashiwa in Japan. Located inside the Urban Design Center Kashiwa-no-ha, the Ogori cafe looks innocuous enough, but holds a surprise in store for its patrons. In a nutshell, you get what the person before you ordered, and the next person gets what you ordered. Thus, if you’re in on the game, you can choose to be either a generous benefactor, and treat those that come after you – or try your luck at being cheap. Either way, it’s an interesting experiment that explores surprise, kindness and encourages interactions.
[Full Post which includes a funny story: http://www.psfk.com/2009/10/ogori-cafe-service-with-a-surprise.html
#204. Submitted by Eileen Scully
adidas (from an article in Brandweek)
Taking their cue from cereal makers like Kellogg and General Mills and Cracker Jack, which pioneered the idea in 1911, sneaker makers are including a little something extra in their shoe boxes.
Adidas, Nike, Reebok and New Balance have all recently started including in-box codes and other methods that let consumers get an experience that goes beyond wearing their new shoes. Adidas is the latest to jump on the trend. On Feb. 10, Adidas Originals sneakers will include a code that lets consumers partake in an augmented reality program.
The Adidas initiative, via agency Sid Lee and Metaio, which developed the AR component, centers on a virtual neighborhood that the footwear maker created as part of its brand identity and ongoing campaign themed “celebrating originality.” Five sneaker models (Superstar, Stan Smith, Samba, Nizza and Forum) with an AR code printed on the tongue will hit exclusive retailers Champs Sports and Eastbay.com starting next month. By holding the code in front of a Webcam, consumers will be able to access the virtual neighborhood and interactive games (created by Xform) at adidas.com/originals.
The move is part of a scheme by Adidas Originals to use technology to help sneaker lovers form an emotional connection with the brand, said Chris Barbour, head of digital marketing for Adidas Originals. “We think we’re ahead of the curve by using AR in a way that hasn’t been used before—by tying it to a commercial product and online gaming,” Barbour said. “This is about giving consumers an additional benefit.”
[Editors Note: ‘an additional benefit’ . . . a little something extra . . . a purple goldfish. Full article @ http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/digital/e3i68e64a3cf2727350f92301207d9da1bc
Submitted by Matt Sheehan
#205. Alligator Lounge
Matt recommends the Alligator where the pizza is always on the house:
[Here is a snippet from the NY Magazine]
Inside what was once the Galleria pizza place, this bar’s turquoise walls, pink flamingoes and Romanesque details don’t quite gel, yet one crucial feature remains intact: the arched, wood-burning oven. Because of the owners’ sensational idea of serving free personal pizzas every night until 3:30 a.m., this unremarkable joint has turned into a loveable hangout that’s a great first or last barhop stop. Young and old Williamsburg folk congregate along the bar, in the maroon, open-angle vinyl booths, and around the green pool table. A booming jukebox and Big Buck Hunter Pro game in back provide entertainment. A selection of 10 draft beers complements the delicious crisp-crust pies, which are on the house with every drink; toppings like pepperoni, caramelized onions and flavorful sweet sausage are available for an extra $2. — Karen Hudes
Read more: Alligator Lounge – - Williamsburg – New York Magazine Bar Guide http://nymag.com/listings/bar/alligator_lounge/#ixzz0eatdDY4N
[Editors Note: A free pie with every drink . . . that's a lagniappe worth writing home about]
#206. Cosi and there free flatbread samples as you wait in line. Always hot and delicious
#207. J-six
I had the opportunity to visit J-six in San Diego. J-six is a restaurant run by the Kimpton Hotel Group. The conference I was attending was hosting a small networking lunch at J-six. Somehow the lunch order got jumbled and we did not receive a main course. I don’t know if it was the organizer or the restaurant, but suffice to say we walked away with an empty feeling about J-six both literally and figuratively.
Upon my return I received an e-mail from the manager apologizing about the experience. He generously offered to provide a gift certificate, but due to our location (New Jersey) he extended a gift certificate to Nordstrom’s. That was a nice unexpected touch from J-six and the folks at Kimpton. A very purple goldfish indeed.
#208. Submitted by Micky Baehr:
Carnival was submitted earlier in the Purple Goldfish Project at #64. They create animals from their towels and place them on your bed at night. Here is a e-card from Carnival wishing Micky a Happy Birthday. Clever use of the towel animals:
http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/bdayecard/?sender=Carnival&receiver=Maurice%20Warren%20Baehr%20Jr
#209. Submitted by Gibby Hartnett
Clements Marketplace
“At the market that I shop at here in Portsmouth Rhode Island (Clements Marketplace) they do a bunch of “extra” stuff for kids and adults. The one I thought was most impressive is that they will sharpen your knives for free if you bring them in. Just a little something extra that you don’t get at stop and shop or shaws.”
#210. Submitted by John Phelps Sr.
Tom Quick Inn
“Here’s something similar. It might not qualify as an up-front lagniappe, but it sure left a positive impression.
The Tom Quick Inn in Milford, PA has a nice practice… If any part of your dining experience is less-than-hoped for, the manager is most likely to serve you dessert “on the house”. Nice.”
#211. UPS Store
The local UPS store has a nice little extra they offer customers in this tough economy. If you are unemployed they will print 10 copies of your resume and send 3 faxes for free.
#212. From Laura
Jesse’s Toys
The week before Christmas, I was shopping for my youngest nephew in Jesse’s Toys, a family-owned toy store in Orange, CT. The salesperson (who happened to be the owner), saw me admiring a particular toy, and asked me if I needed assistance. I told her I liked this particular toy for my 4-year-old nephew, but that it exceeded my $20 budget. She asked me a little bit about my nephew’s personality and interests, and steered me towards several appropriate toys in alignment with my budget. The perfect toy I fell in love with was actually $2 over my budget. As I asked her to retrieve it for me from the shelf, she asked, “But, what about your budget?” Wow! What really struck me about this was that she really had been listening to me, she was sensitive to my budget constraints, i.e., she cared about the customer. She was focused on selling the perfect toy, rather than selling an expensive toy. $2 may not sound like much, but when you are shopping for multiple holiday gifts, going over budget regularly can really add up! Anyway, I felt so appreciative for her concern, that I ended up also buying some brainteasers and fun jewelry for the older kids (who would have otherwise received impersonal Target Gift Cards), and ultimately spent more overall than on the original one toy I came in for.
From Eric Kutner
#213. TGIFridays are some of the only restaurants that consistently offer a free appetizer for completing their survey after eating there. One could argue this is to get one to do the survey, but it’s still an unexpected offer given that most chains offer nothing or next to nothing for doing the same thing.
#214. Mealey’s Furniture in Philly region has a cafe for anyone shopping there stocked with first class snacks (Doritos and other name brand chips, soda, candy, coffee, and water) and you can have whatever you want.
From Linda Glassel
#215. Was at Mealey’s Furniture over the weekend. they have a whole set-up in the middle of the store, where kids (and parents) can go and get treats including a whole fridge of sodas, water, etc., jars of candy, ice cream…..and then kids can play some pinball, etc. it makes it a pleasure to shop there…..and you can write your order up while dining on twizzlers. it isn’t “one per person” and monitored by someone. just a relaxing little area while shopping.
#216. costco….the king of samples….always a pleasure to shop there….
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