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The 4th Top 10 List from #151-#200

10.  Herman Miller (#158 Submitted by John Kowalski)  “Ok. Got a good one for you. I used to work at office furniture manufacturer, Herman Miller and one of the Purple Goldfishes that they offered visitors to their GreenHouse facility was honey. Honey that was actually harvested from bees that shared the grounds with Herman Miller. It tied into the sustainability aspect and dedication of Herman Miller. Here’s the entire story from their website,http://www.hermanmiller.com/About-Us/Environmental-Advocacy. Once you get to this page you’ll see on the bottom right of your screen a video labeled ‘Sweeter Solution’.  When I was there, the reactions were total amazement!!”

9.  Rod Oglesby Realty in Stockbridge, GA (Submitted by Don Dunlap) “Rod gives his customers a $500 DIY store (Lowe’s or Home Depot) gift card at closing. I thought it was really cool to use for those inevitable purchases you need when you move in. It was definately unexpected, and much appreciated. I’ve sold two homes with him and gotten a gift card each time. I would still use him if he didn’t do this, but it really separates him from his competitors in this market.”

8.  Hotel Murano (#181 from Mark Brooks) “A friend of mine, Brian Forth, recently made a reservation at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma, Wash.   After making the reservation, Brian tweeted about how he was looking forward to having a staycation with his wife in honor of his birthday. When the couple entered the hotel, they were greeted by name and given an automatic upgrade at no charge. When they entered the room, they found a welcome package including gourmet cupcakes. Naturally, Brian tweeted some more about all the nice surprises. Upon check-in, he inquired about whether the hotel shuttle would ferry he and his wife to a local steakhouse for dinner. Later, he posted the same question on Twitter. About 3 minutes afterward, the phone rang in his room and the concierge informed him that the shuttle would be available whenever it was needed.  So Brian tweeted again. And the culmination of those tweets, from a respected local business owner [Brian], had arguably more marketing power than any local advertisement the hotel could have purchased with the money they spent making Brian and his wife happy. Think about it: the cupcakes cost $5, the rest of it was just awareness and hustle.”

7. Sushi Time (#164 Submitted by John Phelps III) “I travel for work about once a month to Southern Delaware. If I happen to drive past Smyrna DE, about a half hour from my office, I always try to stop at this great sushi joint right off the highway called Sushi Time. The fish is always fresh and the service is always friendly, but what I think is really cool is the sushi chef aways gives you a different free appetizer before your order is ready. It is always something really delicious, always different, and in any other resturant it could be a $4-6 plate.  I always go back and I tell everyone about the place.”

6.  Sky Lakes Hospital (#187 From Marilyn Suttle at Who’s Your Gladys? blog) The Six Foot Rule, “Every employee, hospital-wide, is required to look up, make eye-contact, and say something pleasant when they pass within six feet of anyone – a patient, visitor, or even a fellow employee. This rule has changed the environment at Sky Lakes. The expectation was non-negotiable. People were held accountable. What happened? For some, the workplace got a whole lot friendlier and much more enjoyable.”

5.  Amazon (#165 Submitted by Adam Brett) “The frustrating free packaging is a brilliant idea. I’m sure having your little ones you have battled the wires before trying to open up a gift”

4. Hotel Vitale (#194 Submitted by Michael Tambone) “I often travel to San Fancisco on business and stay at the Hotel Vitale. Because I stay there often, they place a hand written note in my room welcoming me back accompanied by a small box of boutique choclates. And when the valet attendants bring my car around, they place “Hotel Vitale” bottles of water in the cup holders automatically. Nice touches!”

3.  BLT Steakhouse (#182 Submitted by Jamie Goldman) “BLT Steakhouse in White Plains gives a cheddar popover to start your meal along with bread. The popover has a card on the different ingredients and how it compliments the meal.”

2. AJ Bombers (#152 Submitted by Phil Gerbyshak) One of my favorite Purple Goldfish is AJ Bombers (@ajbombers) in Milwaukee. Joe and his team consistently provide the Purple Goldfish by offering free peanuts…shot at you in metal WWII bombers. It’s way fun to get those from the bartenders.  Making AJBombers even more fun is the fact he is on Twitter, recognizing customers and anyone who mentions the place, hosts Tweetups at Bombers, has guest bartenders where he donates shots folks can sell…with all proceeds going to the charity of the guest bartender’s choice. Full disclosure: I’ve been a guest bartender and raised money for my charity.  Last but not least is everyone who wants one can get a Sharpie and put their Twitter handle anywhere they want at AJBombers, so when friends come in, they can look for your Twitter name and leave you a tweet…in real life.”

drumroll please . . . . . . . and the #1 from our fourth Top 10 list is:

#1. BMW of Bridgeport (#150 Submitted by Moi) “I was driving up to New Haven yesterday on I-95. I noticed a interesting billboard from BMW of Bridgeport. It was fairly simple purple goldfish. BMW wants you to take an overnight test drive.  IMAGINE THAT – they are willing to give you a vehicle for an extended period. No driving around with the salesperson (I hate that by the way) and no more imagining what a BMW might look like parked in your driveway.  I’ve done a little research. There is probably a strong reason why they want you take the car. Here is an excerpt from a JD Power survey in 2007:

“When it comes to the test drive, most shoppers expect to be able to test drive the vehicle for an hour or more, with most premium brand shoppers expecting to test vehicles for five hours or more. Most shoppers also expect to be able to take the test drive on their own, without the salesperson accompanying them.”

Strong move from BMW of Bridgeport. Even if those who test drive don’t buy, they are probably going to talk, tweet, post or blog about it.

Click here for the first Top 10 list from the first 50 examples of marketing lagniappe.

Click here for the second Top 10 list from #51 to #100 in the Purple Goldfish Project.

Click here for the third Top 10 list from #101 to #150 in the Purple Goldfish Project.

Click here for the entire list from The Purple Goldfish Project.