A week before we celebrated Thanksgiving I launched The Purple Goldfish Project.  I’m on a quest to collect 1,001 examples of marketing lagniappe for my upcoming book, MARKETING LAGNIAPPE – What’s Your Purple Goldfish.   For each example I am donating a non perishable food item to the Thomas Merton Center in Bridgeport, CT.

The response has been fantastic. After 4 weeks I’ve had 106 examples of purple goldfishes being submitted.  That’s roughly 4 a day.

I thought it would fun to compile my second Top Ten list from numbers #51 to #100.  Without further adieu . . .

10.  Fairfield Granite (#59 submitted by my Father in Law Fred Wills)  ”I recently had my countertops changed at my condo in Shelton, CT. My contractor Fairfield Granite did a great job of installing the granite countertops. They were meticulous with the measurements and did a flawless job with the installation. The bonus or lagniappe was that they presenting me with a granite cutting board that was mounted nicely with rubber cushions. It was totally unexpected and most appreciated. I’ve since told many other neighbors at the wonderful job done by Fairfield Granite and now two of them are in the process of contacting them about a replacement.” [This purple goldfish literally made the cut]

9.  Lou Mitchell’s (#83 submitted by CAA’s Simon Green) “There are reasons native Chicagoans and tourists alike consider Lou Mitchell’s a must-visit — from the donut holes and milk duds while you wait to the double-yolk eggs that make every dish even more sinfully indulgent, Lou’s knows how to do breakfast. Located in the South Loop, the restaurant has been a Chicago institution since 1923, and decades later, they’re still dishing out thick French toast, enormous platters of pancakes, fresh-baked pastries, and of course, those famous skillets. The extras are just as delectable. Lou’s boasts pure maple syrup, fresh-squeezed orange juice and slabs of toast served with every omelet. Be prepared to make some new friends — chances are good you’ll be seated next to strangers at one of the lengthy tables. Even if you don’t bond with fellow diners, the employees’ perpetually friendly smiles — and free Milk Duds for the ladies — guarantee that you’ll want to return soon.” [MILK DUDS AND MORE – NICE]

8.  Martin + Osa (#86 submitted by David Ackerman) “Martin + Osa has a nice little Purple Goldfish. They offer you a complimentary bottle of water when you are shopping in the store. Not just an ordinary 8 ounce generic, they give you a decent sized bottle of FIJI. “

7.  Super Food Town (#71 submitted by Keith Green) “Free balloons and lollipops for the kids! Not that a grocery store isn’t enough fun for a three year old, but what kid doesn’t love a balloon and a free lolli? There isn’t a set place where they hand them out, but people actually find you in the aisle while you are shopping and hand the great freebies over to your child.”  [Love the touch that they find you in the aisle]

6.  USAA (submitted by Liz DiLullo Brown) “USAA offers a program called Movers Advantage. The program recommends a realtor to use and the opportunity to earn rewards for going through the program. Our first key moment of lagniappe with USAA was when they offered to move UP our closing date. It took us a total of 3.5 weeks to close. In a time of mortgage crisis, they made it painless. Then after closing, we received a call from USAA. It was the representative for the Mover’s Advantage program. Because we had participated in the program and received our financing through USAA, they were sending us a check (equivelant to cash!) for $1,350. Yes, $1,350.”  [Quick, convenient and cash back – the trifecta]

5.  Carnival Cruises (#64 from Micky Baehr) “On Carnival cruises, each night after returning to your cabin, a towel is on your bed, cleverly folded into various animal shapes … elephants, rabbit, giraffes, in addition to a good chocolate mint on your pillow. As if you need more food on a cruise!”  [That’s a fun surprise and delight]

4. Grand Central Racquet (#63 from RD Ferman) “Allows customers to select from a box of grips, vibration stoppers, etc for purchases over $50″.  [Nice touch on the Grab Bag concept]

3. Horizon Air (#78 submitted by Marcia Hoover) “The best one I can think of is Horizon Air – the regional affiliate for Alaska Airlines. They have always served free beer and wine to all passengers on their flights. Given today’s economy and stifling service in the airline industry Horizon definitely stands out as a marketing lagniappe.” [FREE BEER – YEAH!]

2.  Stew Leonard’s (#96 submitted by moi) “Spend $100 or more at Stew Leonard’s and you receive a free ice cream or cup of coffee”.  [We put Stew’s in the Purple Goldfish Hall of Fame.  Huge Bonus – Stew Leonard Sr. commented on the post.  Check it out]

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

#1. Courtyard by Marriott (#57 submitted by PR Workbench‘s and eNR’s Jack Monson)

“A few years ago, I was traveling to the Twin Cities often and stayed several times at the same Courtyard By Marriott in the suburb of Eden Prarie since it was close to two clients’ HQs. By the third trip in a few weeks’ time, I had a nice surprise waiting for me. I walked in after a cold and delayed trip from Chicago to see a big sign in the lobby saying “Welcome Jack Monson”. The manager informed me that I was their guest of the week and gave me a card for free breakfast in the morning. Not a huge thing, but guess where I continued to stay everytime I had to travel to Minneapolis over the next year…”

Unexpected – Jack as totally surprised when he walked through the door and saw his name.

Relevant – Jack travels all the time and it’s a nice little touch to be recognized as a frequent customer.

Limited – only one customer a week gets the honor.  Jack’s name handwritten on the whiteboard made him feel special.

Authentic – the manager hands Jack the free breakfast.  It’s a nice small gesture that leaves a positive note.

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

HELP me catch another 885 purple goldfishes for a great cause.  Click here to send me your example.

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?  Are you Giving Little Unexpected Extras?

What’s Your GLUE?

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