A lesson from America’s first seaside resort

#586 and #587 in the Project highlights the Jersey Shore.  Not the cheesy freakality show on MTV, but the beautiful coastline of the Garden State.  These purple goldfish were shared by Vige from Hamilton College.  We met during the PRSA Northeast Conference in Troy, NY.

Queen Victoria Hotel in Cape May, NJ

In Vige’s words:

“The hotel has this wonderful Bayberry soap in the bathroom. They give you a little custom bag upon checkout so you can bring the soap home with you

Upon checking in they asked if we were celebrating any special occasion during our stay. I informed them it was my husband’s birthday. When we entered our room there was a nice matted card on the nightstand wishing my husband a happy birthday”

Takeaway: Cape May is the bottom of New Jersey, but Queen Vic and its focus on customer experience takes it to the top.

Today’s Lagniappe (a little something extra for good measure) – a little bit of history courtesy of a shipwreck in Cape May.  Ever heard of a concrete ship?

Lagniappe defined: 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 for good measure.

How do you stand out in the sea of sameness? How do you win repeat customers and influence word of mouth? What’s Your Purple Goldfish?

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