MARKETING LAGNIAPPE

Recorded Webinar – Little Things Can Make a Big Difference in Customer Experience

Stan Phelps — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:43:39 +0000

Lessons from the Purple Goldfish Project

This week I had a chance to join Bob Thompson for a Viewpoint webinar on CustomerThink. Click the image below to view the webinar:

The webinar covers the following areas:

The Biggest Myth in Marketing
Why Purple and why a Goldfish?
What is Lagniappe?
The Five Main Ingredients or R.U.L.E.S of Creating Marketing Lagniappe
Understand Gift Economy Principles
The 12 Different Types of Purple Goldfish

The webinar features 20 great examples of marketing lagniappe from the book, “What’s Your Purple Goldfish? How to Win Customers and Influence Word of Mouth.” We showcase leaders such as Zappos, DoubleTree Hotel, Kimpton Hotels, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Bigelow Tea, L.L. Bean, Hard Rock Hotels, Safelite, Southwest Airlines, Rite-Aid, Nurse Next Door, Rainforest Cafe, Plaza Cleaners, Pacific Cafe and Amazon.

Today’s Lagniappe (a little something extra thrown in for good measure) – Being part of the CustomerThink community was a huge help as I embarked on the Purple Goldfish Project. The community provided examples and helped to shape the framework of marketing lagniappe. The mission of the site is to help business leaders develop and implement customer-centric business strategies through publishing high quality articles, blog post and research. Over 500 authors syndicate or contribute content directly to the site.

CustomerThink Free E-Book

Here is some lagniappe from the site. Give them your e-mail at the bottom of this page and they’ll send you a free e-book, “Customer Experience Management: 10 Big Ideas.” It includes one of my posts on “How Marketing G.L.U.E can Increase Sales by Over 40%.”

A baker’s dozen of takeaways from What’s Your Purple Goldfish?

Stan Phelps — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:28:03 +0000

12 Lessons on How to Win Customers and Influence Word of Mouth

Over two years ago I set out on a quest. It was my belief that “differentiation via added value” was a game changing marketing strategy. I wanted to find 1,001 examples of marketing lagniappe [i.e. Southwest's Bags Fly Free, DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookie, Five Guys Peanuts etc.] Companies that gave little unexpected extras to stand out from the crowd, improve customer experience and drive positive word of mouth.

I really don’t know what I was thinking when I decided on 1,001 examples and started the Purple Goldfish Project, but the good news is that we reached the goal with some fantastic examples.

In honor of giving back, I wanted to share a baker’s dozen of the biggest takeaways from my new book, What’s Your Purple Goldfish? How to Win Customers and Influence Word of Mouth:

#1. What’s the Biggest Myth in Marketing?

The biggest myth in marketing is the ideas of meeting expectations. There is no such thing as meeting expectations. You either exceed them or you fall short. In a world where 60-80% of customers describe themselves as satisfied or very satisfied before going on to defect to other brands, merely “meeting expectations” is no longer an option.

#2. Two Paths Diverge in the Corporate Woods

You can’t be all things to all people. You only have two choices as a marketer: Create to spec and face being a commodity or set out to exceed expectations and become remark-able. Choose wisely…

#3. Shareholders vs. Customers?

Business is about creating and keeping customers. Customer experience should be Priority #1 in your marketing. Stop focusing on the “two in the bush” (prospects) and take care of the one in your hand (customers).

#4. Value is the New Black

Don’t compete on price. Cater to the 70% that buy based on value. Price is only relative to the value received.

#5. Phelps Corollary to the Pareto Principle

Traditional marketing is flawed. Eighty percent of your efforts will net 20% of your results. Focus on existing customers instead of the funnel by finding little extras that are tangible, valuable and talkable.

#6. Growth is Determined by 5 Factors

The growth of your product or service is similar to that of a goldfish. Growth is determined by 5 factors:

Size of the bowl = Market
# of other goldfish in the bowl = Competition
Quality of the water in the bowl = Business Environment / Economy
First 120 Days of Life = Start-up
Genetic make-up = Differentiation

Assuming you’ve already been in business for four months, the only thing you can control is how you differentiate yourself. How you stand out in a “sea of sameness.”

#7. Blue Ocean Strategy vs. Purple Goldfish Pond Strategy

Purple Goldfish Pond Strategy is “differentiation via added value.” Finding signature extras that help you stand out, improve customer experience, reduce attrition and drive positive word of mouth.

#8. Acts of Kindness

Think of lagniappe as an added branded act of kindness. A beacon or sign that shows you care. Marketing via G.L.U.E (giving little unexpected extras). A little something thrown in for good measure.

#9. Lagniappe Economy

There is a middle ground between a Market Economy (quid pro quo) and a Gift Economy (free). A lagniappe economy is where there is an exchange of good and services for an exact value (market economy), plus a little unexpected extra that is given for good measure (gift economy).

#10. v4 Principle

v4 is when a consumer becomes a PROsumer. They stand up for a product or service and vouch for it, giving personal assurances to its value. As a marketer you need to figure out a way to make your product or service remark-able. Are you giving your customers something to talk, tweet, blog and post to Facebook about?

#11. Five Ingredients

There are 5 ingredients or R.U.L.E.S when creating a purple goldfish:

Relevant – the extra should be of value to the recipient

Unexpected – it should “surprise and delight”

Limited – the extra should be something rare, hard to find or signature to your business

Expression – it should be a sign that you care

Sticky – it should be memorable and talkable

#12. There are no traffic jams on the extra mile

The VM matrix calculates how a brand measures up on two important criteria: value and maintenance. The goal is to be seen as “high value” and “low maintenance” by your customers.

There are 12 types of Purple Goldfish based on value and maintenance:

#1. Throw-ins (value)

#2. In the Bag / Out of the Box (value)

#6. Pay it Forward (value)

#7. Follow-up / Thank You’s (maintenance)

#8. Added Service (maintenance)

#9. Convenience (maintenance)

#10. Waiting (maintenance)

#11. Special Needs (maintenance)

#12. Handling Mistakes (maintenance)

Here is a link to my most viewed post on CustomerThink featuring examples from each category.

#13. Creating Sales Lift

This is probably the most exciting takeaway. Giving a purple goldfish can increase your sales by 46%. A recent article in the International Journal of Marketing Studies has revealed that giving a gift before purchase could increase consumer spending by over 40%.

Final thoughts and an offer

There is a tremendous cartoon by Hugh MacLoed about writing a book. It was inspired by some advice Seth Godin shared.

“You don’t write books for the money… you write books to stake a claim on whatever ground you want to own.”

I started this Project and wrote this book because I fundamentally believe that marketing needs to change. I would love for you to be part of this movement. Here is a link to a complimentary advanced reading copy of WYPG? on Scribd. Bookmark the link or better yet download the PDF of the book. Enjoy.

Do the Little Things Make a Big Difference in Customer Experience? 12 Lessons from the Purple Goldfish Project

Stan Phelps — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:06:50 +0000

WEBINAR ANNOUNCEMENT

January 26, 2012; 10-11 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (1-2 p.m. EST) – Sign up here

In late 2009, the Purple Goldfish Project was launched to find 1,001 examples of marketing lagniappe—giving little unexpected extras (glue). The Project’s goal was to explore “differentiation via added value” as a game-changing marketing strategy.

Companies like Southwest (Bags Fly Free), DoubleTree (Chocolate Chip Cookies) and Five Guys (Free Peanuts) use lagniappe to stand out from the crowd, improve customer experience and drive positive word of mouth.

After more than two years, and with the help of the CustomerThink community, the goal of 1,001 has been reached. In honor of the New Year and giving back, the author Stan Phelps would like to share the biggest takeaways from the Project and insights from his new book, What’s Your Purple Goldfish?

Join us on January 26 to learn:

The biggest myth in marketing
What is marketing lagniappe?
Why purple and why a goldfish?
Understanding gift economy principles
The 5 ingredients or r.u.l.e.s when creating a purple goldfish
The VM matrix and the 12 different types of purple goldfish

Lagniappe: As a bonus for signing up for the webinar, you’ll receive a complimentary executive summary of What’s Your Purple Goldfish?

Today’s Lagniappe (thrown in for good measure)

Vintage Esso spot talking about “a little something extra.”

Highlights from the Launch of WYPG? How to Win Customers & Influence Word of Mouth

Stan Phelps — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:06:42 +0000

Recapping a fun and crazy week

The book launched on Wednesday and it has been non stop. Here are some of the notable moments:

Amazon is a PG Hall of Famer and now my 1,001st Purple Goldfish. One of the highlights has been the Kindle Edition of WYPG?. This version is currently the #1 Bestseller on Amazon in its two categories of Customer Service and Advertising:

Another bonus was receiving a blurb from Tony Hsieh. Zappos is a Purple Goldfish Hall of Famer and I was really interested in Tony’s take on the concept of marketing lagniappe. I couldn’t be happier with the quote,

“In business you do must do something that’s above and beyond what’s expected. Phelps shows the ingredients behind creating signature extras that are unconventional and innovative. Every business should be asking themselves, “What’s our Purple Goldfish?”

-Tony Hsieh, NY Times bestselling author of “Delivering Happiness” and CEO of Zappos.com, Inc.

Yesterday’s highlight was trading tweets with Tom Peters @tom_peters. I mentioned the launch of the book and said that Stew Leonard was a major inspiration for WYPG? Tom wrote about Stew Leonard’s in his legendary business book, In Search of Excellence.

We both share a love of acronyms, especially sticky ones.

The launch was supported by a few guest posts: The 12 most Unique Examples from the Purple Goldfish Project on 12most.com, Twelve Lessons from the Purple Goldfish Project on MENG Blend and Tying the Bow is Just as Important as the Gift on Lou Imbriano’s blog.

There was also a quartet of posts from friends and supporters of the Project:

Drew McLellan’s (who wrote the Foreword for the book) offered “What’s Your Purple Goldfish.”
Jack Campisi (co-host of the Purple Goldfish Video Podcast) penned a book review as challenges everyone to “Think Outside the Bowl.”
Phil Gerbyshak and I sat down for an interview in a post called “Get Some Purple Goldfish to Amp up Your Customer Experience.”
Geri Rosman of GR PR contributed with “WYPG? Do You G.L.U.E.?”

Another high point for Friday was the announcement of a webinar with CustomerThink on January 26th and recording of a podcast with Winston Faircloth of UPIC Solutions for UPIC University.

Looking forward to another big week . . .

Today’s Lagniappe (a little something extra for good measure) – My wife Jenn is an FIT grad. Here is Tony Hsieh giving the commencement to half of the 2011 class at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. Tony talks about pizza, passion, happiness and luck:

How do you stand out in the sea of sameness and go the extra mile to keep your customers happy like Amazon and Zappos? How do you win repeat customers and influence word of mouth? Are you Giving Little Unexpected Extras?

What’s Your Purple Goldfish?

Think Outside the Bowl in Marketing “What’s Your Purple Goldfish?”

Stan Phelps — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:40:22 +0000

Guest post and review of WYPG? from Jack Campisi (@jackcampisi)

Think Outside the Bowl

I can promise that you will learn something from this book. I sure have.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve had a front row seat for the Purple Goldfish Project and this book, What’s Your Purple Goldfish? I co-host the Purple Goldfish video podcast with the author and I saw the list of “Purple Goldfish” grow over the past couple of years all the way to our goal of 1,001. That’s 1,001 examples of marketing lagniappe… companies that do a little something extra, inspire word of mouth buzz and customer loyalty. All sent in by happy customers, brand advocates and raving fans.

Lagniappe is the Creole word for “the gift.” If you are in New Orleans, you are sure to hear it. Stan Phelps has an amazingly smart and simple, concept; Provide a little something extra for your customers… surprise and delight them, and you’ll get more back than any print ad or cold call could possibly deliver.

I had the pleasure of visiting many of the places mentioned in the book. I’ve indulged in the extra fries at Five Guys Burger and Fries. I’ve devoured the warm cookies at the Doubletree. I’ve experienced the marvel that is Stew Leonard’s. You will be amazed at how clever and resourceful some of these places can be. And they come from all different industries.

In this book you will find real life examples of actions that companies take to enhance the customer experience, create a unique experience and set themselves above the competition. In this day and age of countless customer options, online reviews, social media and general consumer distrust, I can’t fathom why a business wouldn’t be doing this kind of thing.

Stan lays it all out there for you and gives plenty of case studies to back it up. This book cuts right to the chase. Whether you own a business or represent one, you’ll want to add that Creole word “Lagniappe” to your vocabulary.

As those Cajun fellows might say… “I guarantee it!”

Today’s Lagniappe (a little something thrown in for good measure) - FREE Kindle Version of the e-Book by clicking here (offer good until 1/15)

Here is another blast from the past: The Purple Goldfish Jingle from LovetheJingles

The Official Launch of What’s Your Purple Goldfish? on 1/11

Stan Phelps — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:29:58 +0000

It’s finally here . . .

Over two years ago I set out on a quest. It was my belief that “differentiation via added value” was a game changing marketing strategy.

I wanted to find 1,001 examples of marketing lagniappe with the “Purple Goldfish Project” [i.e. Southwest's Bags Fly Free, DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookie, Five Guys Peanuts etc]. Companies that gave little unexpected extras to stand out from the crowd, improve customer experience and drive positive word of mouth.

I really don’t know what I was thinking when I decided on 1,001 examples. I should have taken a cue from a friend of mine who gave me some sage advice about skiing. He said,

“If you are going to learn cross-country skiing… you probably should start with a small country.”

It took 27+ months, but I finally reached the mountaintop.

Of the 1,001 examples there were 100 which were featured in the book. Here is sampling of those companies:

AJ Bombers, Amazon, Allstate, Avon, Besito, BMW, Boston Market, Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney, DoubleTree Hotels, Fillmore West, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Four Seasons, Hard Rock Hotel, Izzy’s, JetBlue, Johnny Cupcakes, Kimpton Hotels, KLM, Lady Gaga, Les Schwab, Lexus, L.L. Bean, Marriott, Nordstrom, Pepperidge Farm, Porter Airlines, Sephora, Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, TD Bank, Tiffany & Co., Trader Joe’s, Zane’s Cycles, Zappos, Zipcar

In honor of giving back, I wanted to share six of the takeaways featured in, What’s Your Purple Goldfish? How to Win Customers & Influence Word of Mouth:

#1. What’s the Biggest Myth in Marketing?
The biggest myth in marketing is the ideas of meeting expectations. There is no such thing as meeting expectations. You either exceed them or you fall short. In a world where 60-80% of customers describe themselves as satisfied or very satisfied before going on to defect to other brands, merely “meeting expectations” is no longer an option.

#2. Two Paths Diverge in the Corporate Woods
You can’t be all things to all people. You only have two choices as a marketer: Create to spec and face being a commodity or set out to exceed expectations and become remark-able. Choose wisely…

#3. Lagniappe Economy
There is a middle ground between a Market Economy (quid pro quo) and a Gift Economy (free). A lagniappe economy is where there is an exchange of good and services for an exact value (market economy), plus a little unexpected extra that is given for good measure (gift economy).

#4. Vouch for = v4
v4 is when a consumer becomes a PROsumer. They stand up for a product or service and vouch for it, giving personal assurances to its value. As a marketer you need to figure out a way to make your product or service remark-able. Are you giving your customers something to talk, tweet, blog and post to Facebook about?

#5. Five Ingredients
There are 5 ingredients or R.U.L.E.S when creating a purple goldfish:

Relevant – the extra should be of value to the recipient

Unexpected – it should “surprise and delight”

Limited – the extra should be something rare, hard to find or signature to your business

Expression – it should be a sign that you care

Sticky – it should be memorable and talkable

#6. There are no traffic jams on the extra mile
The VM matrix calculates how a brand measures up on two important criteria: value and maintenance. The goal is to be seen as “high value” and “low maintenance” by your customers.

There are 12 types of Purple Goldfish based on value and maintenance:

#1. Throw-ins (value)

#2. In the Bag / Out of the Box (value)

#3. Sampling (value)

#4. First & Last Impressions (value)

#5. Guarantees (value)

#6. Pay it Forward (value)

#7. Follow-up / Thank You’s (maintenance)

#8. Added Service (maintenance)

#9. Convenience (maintenance)

#10. Waiting (maintenance)

#11. Special Needs (maintenance)

#12. Handling Mistakes (maintenance)

Here is a link to my most viewed post on CustomerThink featuring examples from each category.

Lagniappe Takeaway: Creating Sales Lift
This is probably the most exciting takeaway. Giving a purple goldfish can increase your sales. A recent article in the International Journal of Marketing Studies has revealed that giving a gift before purchase could increase consumer spending by over 40%.

Final thoughts and an offer

I started this Project and wrote this book because I fundamentally believe that marketing needs to change. I couldn’t have done without a tremendous amount of help. Special thanks go to my beautiful wife Jenn, Jack Campisi (vodcast co-pilot), Keith Green (copy editor), Steve Curtin, Susan Borst, Jack Monson, Kelly Ketelboeter, Lee Silverstein, Sarah Gore, Ted Curtin, James Sorensen, Denise Barlow, Bob Thompson and the whole crew at Synergy Events. I want to offer my own bit of lagniappe to say “thanks” to everyone.

#1. FREE Kindle copy. Inspired by a Jeff Bezos and Purple Goldfish #1,001. Anyone can download the Kindle version (don’t need a Kindle) for free courtesy of Jeff Bezos today through 1/15/12 by clicking HERE. After that you can borrow the ebook for FREE, but you’ll need a Kindle and to be a member of Amazon Prime.

#2. FREE PDF of the book. Inspired by Chris Anderson, author of FREE. You can download and read the book here on Scribd. If you enjoy it, feel free to share it with a friend or 3,000.

#3. FREE Book. This is inspired by one of my favorite Purple Goldfish… the IZZY. Buy the book today [January 11, 2012] on Amazon [click here] and forward me a copy of the receipt (a screenshot will do) to stan @ 9inchmarketing.com and I’ll send [US only] a signed free copy of the book to you or whoever you’d like to give one to as a gift.

Two inspiring stories of marketing lagniappe from WYPG?

Stan Phelps — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:19:46 +0000

“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.”

- Albert Camus

Two day before launch and I thought I’d share a couple of interesting stories from the prologue of What’s Your Purple Goldfish? In both of these examples a business was born because of marketing lagniappe.

Here you go:

The first is the story of a boy from upstate New York named David McConnell. At the age of 16 David started to sell books door-to-door. When his fare was not well received, McConnell resorted to a little lagniappe. David would promise a free gift in exchange for being allowed to make a sales pitch. The “little something extra” was a complimentary vial of perfume. It was a signature extra as David concocted his original scent with the aid of a local pharmacist. McConnell soon learned his customers adored his perfume, yet remained indifferent to his books. Soon he would concentrate solely on cosmetics, starting a company called the California Perfume Company that would soon become Avon Cosmetics in 1886. Who knew the first Avon Lady was actually a boy? Today, despite competition from hundreds of American and foreign brand name cosmetics, Avon is #1 in sales nationwide, with Avon Ladies ringing doorbells coast to coast.

The second story is about a company founded by a social worker and a psychologist with a passion for good food and a commitment to healthy living. Without the capital to open arestaurant, Stacy Madison and Mark Andrus began serving healthy pita bread roll-up sandwiches in Boston’s Financial District. Their lunch cart was popular and soon lines started to form around the block. To make waiting more palatable (literally), Stacy concocted a lagniappe for customers waiting in line. Each night they baked the leftover pita bread sprinkled with seasoning to create different flavored chips. The chips were a huge hit and soon Stacy’s Pita Chip Company was born. Stacy’s experienced rapid growth, doubling sales every year which led to a multi-million dollar acquisition by Frito Lay.

How do you stand out in the sea of sameness and ride the extra mile to keep your customers happy like Avon and Stacy’s? How do you win repeat customers and influence word of mouth? Are you Giving Little Unexpected Extras?

What’s Your GLUE? What’s Your Purple Goldfish?

Don’t Buy the Book What’s Your Purple Goldfish?… Let Jeff Bezos

Stan Phelps — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:00:08 +0000

We’ve reached the mountaintop and it’s time to share some lagniappe

Let the record show that on January 9, 2012… the Purple Goldfish Project logged in its 1,001st example of marketing lagniappe. I thought long and hard about what example should be the capping milestone. Thanks to some advice from Dr. Kent Gustavson at Blooming Twig books, a lightbulb went off. He suggested I consider going Kindle exclusive with the e-Book for the first three months. The benefit being is that I could offer the e-Book for FREE on Amazon for 5 days. Done and done. I’ve selected January 11-15 for my promo days. Click here to download the book for free.

I’m also glad Amazon is my 1,001st example because they (and subsidiary Zappos) are Purple Goldfish Hall of Famers. Former Amazon entries into the Project have included:

Frustration Free Packaging – a genius move to reduce packaging, colored dye and the inherent “wrap rage” that results from clamshells and wire ties. Full post here and great video here.

Free Video Streaming – Amazon offers streaming video and 2 day shipping for free to Prime members. Full post here.

Free shipping – all orders over $25 qualify for free super saver shipping.

Wait… I don’t have a Kindle, iPad or Nook!

OK, not everyone has an e-Reader. As much as I’d like us all to drink the Kool-Aid and let Jeff Bezos buy everyone a book, it ain’t gonna happen. So I’ve decided to put a full advanced reading copy of ‘What’s Your Purple Goldfish?’ up on Scribd. Let me explain why I made this move. I didn’t write this book to make money. I embarked on this crazy quest for 1,001 examples because I firmly believe traditional marketing needs to change. I want to shift a paradigm and make marketing more about the customer and less about the prospect. Invest in the “one in your hand” and opposed to the two in the bush. It would make my millenium if 100,001 people read WYPG? on Scribd or on the Kindle / iPad for free as opposed to a few thousand buying the book.

Click the image below to view and / or download the book on Scribd:

Today’s Lagniappe (a little something extra thrown in for good measure) – David Letterman tries to figure out where the page numbers are on an e-Book. Paul Shaffer takes him to school:

How do you stand out in the sea of sameness and ride the extra mile to keep your customers happy like Amazon? How do you win repeat customers and influence word of mouth? Are you Giving Little Unexpected Extras?

What’s Your GLUE? What’s Your Purple Goldfish?

Marketing Lagniappe: Looking back at 2011, looking forward to 2012

Stan Phelps — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:21:05 +0000

Looking Back

I thought it would be interesting to look back on my Top 10 posts from 2011. I looked at my stats on CustomerThink.com, the world’s largest community for customer-centric business. Always interesting to see what stands out, the wheat amongst the chaff. I posted roughly 175 times in 2011. These dozen represent the Top 5% of my posts:

1. Customer Experience: 12 Little Extras that Make a Big Difference (14,286 views) – This is a monster. My usual posts will cite one example and a short insight. This post introduces a framework for the extra mile (the VM Matrix), 12 different types of purple goldfish and stellar examples from each category. It almost has more views than the next nine combined.

2. In-N-Out Burgers uses simplicity, efficiency, code-words and the Bible to maximize #custserv (1,935 views) – a purple goldfish post about a SoCal legend. Insert bible verses for lagniappe.

3. JetBlue Handles Delays By Doing the Little Extras (1,836 views) – Short and to the point… how to handle delays and service issues proactively.

4. Spanair Surprises and Delights Customers on Christmas Eve (1,644 views) – a heart-warming tale on Christmas. Great video. Timing is everything and use of the conveyor belt in baggage claim is pure lagniappe.

5. Allstate Good Hands Roadside Builds In Value (1,588 views) – a simple little extra from Allstate. Love the fact that it applies to both customers and prospects.

6. Purple Goldfish Strategy: Is Differentiation Key to Growth? (1,564 views) – looking at the 5 factors that determine the growth of a goldfish and the importance of standing out in a “sea of sameness.”

7. Zane’s Cycles: Lessons in Maximizing the Lifetime Value of Your Customer (1,488 views) – an in-depth look at Chris Zane’s book, Reinventing the Wheel. A strong dozen examples of how Zane’s provides marketing lagniappe.

8. Are You Giving Extra? Amica Insurance Understands the Power of Lagniappe (1,435 views) – a post about Amica. They get that lagniappe should really begin with your employees first. Happy Employees = Happy Customers.

9. Nordstrom Sizes Up and Delivers a Signature Customer Service (1,391 views) – a great example taken from Ron Kaufman at Up Your Service.

10. Coke vs. Pepsi: Branded Acts of Kindness (1,331 views) – the soda wars rage on. A look at three activations by Coke and Pepsi, plus an interesting bit of insight by Coke’s CMO Joe Tripodi on “expressions.”

Looking Forward

OK – enough looking back. Let’s take a peek at 2012. On January 11th What’s Your Purple Goldfish? book will launch. We’re nine days away.

Here’s a peek at the cover:

We will also be hitting #1,001 in the Project. It took almost 800 days, but we’ve reached the mountaintop. You are going to like the final Purple Goldfish. It will be filled to the gills with lagniappe.

Stay tuned…

Summit Bicycles tunes up customer experience to pump up loyalty and drive differentiation

Stan Phelps — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 04:36:32 +0000

This CX by Summit Keeps Customers Coming Back

#999 in the Project was submitted via e-mail by Bob Thompson, CEO of CustomerThink:

Summit Bicycles

“I just visited Summit bicycles in Burlingame and chatted with “Chris” who has been there many years now.
Chris is a good story all by himself. He started as a bicycle mechanic and learned the business from the ground up. Now he spends most of his time out on the floor helping customers. And he’s great. Very knowledgeable about bikes and approachable.
I confirmed they still give that free tune-up with all new bikes. If this service is purchased separately, it would cost $90.
And it’s not just one tune-up a year. Bring your bike in as much as you like, there’s no limit!

How do they justify all this free labor? It keeps customers coming back, and provides some differentiation from Internet sellers competing only on price. Also, some tune-up customers end up buying parts if needed for repairs (the tune-up includes just service), or other accessories.

I bought my current bike a few years ago and it’s still in good shape thanks to Summit’s service. Every year in the spring I dust off the cobwebs and take it in for a tune-up. And usually end up buying a few other things too.

Next time I’m in the market for a new bike, I’ll buy it at Summit because they do more than just sell the bike. The free tune-up has both a real value ($90 x several years) to me, and is good business for Summit, too.”

Today’s Lagniappe (a little something thrown in for good measure) – Here’s a classic from Freddy and the gang:

How do you stand out in the sea of sameness and ride the extra mile to keep your customers happy like Summit? How do you win repeat customers and influence word of mouth? Are you Giving Little Unexpected Extras?

What’s Your GLUE? What’s Your Purple Goldfish?

Download the FREE eBook here