What's Your Purple Goldfish? How to Win Customers and Influence Word of Mouth

by Stan Phelps

  There may not be a more cost effective way for brands to drive purchase intent and conversion than sampling.

  The proof is in the numbers as highlighted in this article in BRANDWEEK {Endnote 90}. Here are the top two takeaways from the Arbitron survey:

  24% of consumers bought the product they sampled instead of the item they initially set out to purchase.

  35% of customers who tried a sample bought the product during the same shopping trip.

  But why does sampling just have to be about the prospect? Why can’t you leverage current customers with an additional little extra to increase satisfaction, drive retention and promote word of mouth?

  Let’s look at a seven companies who do exactly that:

  1. This purple goldfish has a fragrant bouquet [PG #505]

  Submitted by Frances Lewis: Sephora

  Thanks so much for the MENG webinar. {Endnote 91} Laughed out loud — I had “three or more” moments in the last week — stayed at a DoubleTree (though had great experience with housekeeping as well as a cookie) and ate at Five Guys.

  My third was Sephora — was searching for a perfume for a gift, and salesperson not only gave great “traditional” assistance, but created customized samples in little spray containers, then bagged and labeled them.

  I grew up in New Orleans and remember “lagniappe” very often as a tray of hard candies given in lieu of a penny’s change. Great concept.

  The act of creating customized samples is a nice touch on behalf of Sephora. If Sephora leverages it in cosmetics... then Kiehl’s absolutely wields it to great effect. [PG #528] According to Real Simple magazine , {Endnote 92}

  “Kiehl’s hands out samples of every product it sells — approximately 10 million giveaways a year.”

  Kiehl’s samples in four different ways:

  At a Kiehl’s store.

  At a Kiehl’s counter in a department store.

  Over the phone

  Online

  What was the third one again? Call Kiehl’s and tell the operator what you’d like to try and the company will send you up to three samples. If you don’t believe it, here’s the number +1 800 543 4572.

  According to Kiehl’s website:

  We understand that no two skin or hair types are exactly alike and that products work differently for each person. To ensure you find the precise products that meet your needs, Kiehl’s pioneered an extensive Sampling Program many years ago. We’re confident that when you try our products, you will recognize the high quality and efficacy of the preparation. We invite you to try three Kiehl’s samples with your first order of the day to discover other Kiehl’s formulations from our extensive line of skin, hair and body care.

  2. This one brings a little extra flavor [#582]

  Submitted by Katie Morrow of Aveus : Izzy’s

  “Izzy’s ice cream shop in St. Paul, Minnesota offers a free ‘Izzy’ with each scoop order. Every scoop gets a free ‘Izzy’ – a mini scoop of another flavor on top.”

  Izzy’s Ice Cream is an iconic ice cream store in St. Paul. The owner Jeff Sommers was told to do two things when he opened his shop:

  Smile... and

  Give away samples

  Jeff disliked the idea of just giving away free samples, so he created his own wrinkle. Customers are allowed to add an IZZY scoop with each scoop purchased. It’s a small scoop of any flavor. Great for customers who can take a “worry free” chance to try a new flavor. It’s a little extra that goes a long way. Don’t take my word for it, Izzy’s was voted the best ice cream shop in America by Reader’s Digest.

  3. Tee Time [PG #378]

  Bigelow Tea was submitted by Jack Campisi,

  I found a Purple Goldfish in a box of tea today. I opened a new box of Bigelow Vanilla Chai Tea and I was surprised to see a different colored label on the tea bag I pulled out. I wondered if I had bought the wrong flavor, but it turns out it was a bonus bag of their “Constant Comment” Orange Spiced Chai Tea.

  It was a nice surprise and a great chance for me to sample another variety of their tea without having to buy an box of a flavor I may not like. And the good news is that I liked it.

  This is a great example of lagniappe because it surprised and delighted me and it was very relevant. If they had not done that, I probably never would have tried that kind of tea… but now I just might go get a box. So mission accomplished Bigelow; you made a customer happy, turned me on to another one of your products and you are generating word of mouth buzz. That’s a Purple Goldfish.

  4. Try something new... on the house [PG #512]

  Courtesy of my neighbor Eric Wiberg: Nagoya Restaurant

  Every time Nagoya Japanese restaurant in SoNo [South Norwalk, CT] delivers their (excellent) food, they add a “compliments of the house” special freebie, which is always high quality, always different and always elicits gratitude. The freebie ranges from complex California sushi roll type samples to edamame, a dessert, or a soup. They are small but of high quality.

  The freebies introduce us to foods we would not normally try and always make us eager to open the delivery and see what is in store for us. On each gift is a simple black magic marker saying “on the house” or “house special”. They have never mentioned it on the phone or delivery person, never failed to include it, and never asked for anything in return.

  In return we give them our total loyalty for all Asian food purchases for our house and guests. We’ve never even eaten in the restaurant or met the staff (aside from friendly drivers) but because of this simple “Purple Goldfish” gesture, we are die-hard fans of Nagoya of SoNo and suspect that we are not the only recipients of their discreet kindness.

  5. A Guarantee, Free Gift Wrapping, Handwritten Notes and all the Nonpareils You Can Eat In-Store [PG #225]

  Cheryl Ahto offers up Josh Early Candies. A sweet example of marketing lagniappe:

  Word of mouth marketing will get you into the store. Sampling their famous nonpareils will turn you into a repeat customer before you’ve even walked out the door. Josh Early Candies is a fifth generation family business based in Allentown, Pennsylvania and they understand marketing lagniappe. The quality of their candy and their friendly, hard-working sales people make for an unforgettable customer experience. But it’s the purple goldfish – the free, incredibly delicious, nonpareils that will keep you coming back for more. Believe me. I’ve been buying their chocolate for decades!

  Fantastic example. Josh Early Candies is a Lehigh Valley institution. Cheryl sent me a box of the nonpareils as a “thank you.” There a few things in life that can live up to high expectations... Josh Early nonpareils needs to be added to the list. Hand-made chocolates with hand-made extras.

  6. Smell, see it, touch it and taste it [PG #383]

  In the words of Nicolas Nelson:

  The Great Harvest Bakery is a relatively small franchise chain of wonderful American-style bakeries that is growing slowly on purpose–they want to make extra sure that every new Great Harvest Bakery is top notch and fully reflects the ethos of the original one.

  Lagniappe is what Great Harvest Bakery is all about– it comes across in a dozen ways. But the first one any visitor will notice immediately is the free bread tasting every time you come in the door. Yep, everyone who even stops by gets a free slice of their choice of the day’s fresh-baked bread. A generous free slice.

  Whether or not you buy something. Whether or not you even stay in the bakery after you take their bread. Whether or not you say thank you. Free bread, every visit! Of course, there’s a catch: the bread is unbelievably good. That free slice of bread will convince you to buy a whole loaf. We do, almost every week. The panini sandwiches are pretty amazing too, by the way (but not free).

  Marketing Lagniappe Takeaway: As a general rule, “People don’t know what they like... they like what they know.” You need to figure ways to get people to try new products. Make it easy and risk free. Great Harvest gets to pick the bread of the day and let customers experience something new
.

  7. Try a new coffee or tea drink while in line [PG #351]

  #351 in the Project is submitted by Ted Simon:

  Starbucks in Terra Linda

  “When the line gets really long, it’s common for one of the staff to come out with a tray of complimentary samples of the latest and greatest beverage. A nice treat while you wait.”

  Chapter 16

  #4 - First / Last Impressions

  “We don't know where our first impressions come from or precisely what they mean, so we don't always appreciate their fragility.”

  - Malcolm Gladwell

  THE POWER OF PRIMACY AND RECENCY

  One of the foundations of marketing lagniappe is the idea of leveraging primacy and recency. They say (whoever they are) that people tend to remember the first thing and the last thing they see. A ton of attention is paid to the importance of a first impression (primacy), but little is made of the last moment (recency). The concept of doing a little unexpected extra at the time of purchase is a recency strategy. This is partly explained by Nobel Prize Winner Danial Kahneman as the Peak - End Rule. {Endnote 93} Kahneman believes that we judge our past experiences almost entirely on how they were at their peak (whether pleasant or unpleasant) and how they ended.

  According to Forbes columnist Dean Crutchfield , {Endnote 94}

  “Designing for the peak-end rule is another way of not focusing on what is less important, but about focusing on what brings the most value to the customer experience. In other words, make sure that your peak and end is memorable, branded and differentiated.”

  You never get a second chance to make a first or last impression. Translation: You need give the customer something to talk, tweet, blog, Yelp or Facebook about right before they leave, hang up or log out.

  Let’s look at six examples:

  1. How does a hotel launch itself all the way to #6 on the Conde Nast Readers Choice Best List? [PG #185]

  Answer: Lots of Amazing Glass and Service that’s First Class

  Mark Brooks wrote an excellent post about the Hotel Murano on LostRemote.com. {Endnote 95} Here is an excerpt:

  A friend of mine, Brian Forth, recently made a reservation at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma, Washington... After making the reservation, Brian tweeted about how he was looking forward to having a stay-cation 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 three 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 [Brian] a respected local business owner, 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.

  Give them something to talk, tweet, post and Facebook about

  Mark talked about how the Hotel Murano was voted #6 on the Condé Nast Traveler’ s Reader’ s Choice list. {Endnote 96} He went on further to state that this distinction has puzzled many of the locals, especially those in Seattle. So – how do they do it?

  The proof is in the pudding... or maybe in the cupcakes. The companies who understand marketing lagniappe tend to get the little things right. Whether it’s greeting a first time customer by name (they probably had Brian’s picture from his Twitter address @brainfroth), to a complimentary room upgrade or a shuttle ride... the Hotel Murano gets it.

  By the way – in case you feel you might be missing out on those miles or points [a.k.a Ryan Bingham syndrome , {Endnote 97}] just whip out another hotel loyalty card and the Hotel Murano will hook you up with some immediate swag.

  2. Going Above and Beyond to Get it Right [PG #141]

  Submitted by Mark True:

  ”On the two occasions I stayed there, The Hotel Burnham in downtown Chicago left me a bottle of wine and then a bottle of root beer with a personal note from the manager. The root beer was the second gift, after I thanked them for the wine and told them that I’m not a wine drinker after the first visit!”

  [Nice personal touch by the Hotel Burnham... kudos for getting it right the second time around as a great lagniappe isn't a “one size fits all proposition”]

  3. What’s Your Cold Drink? [PG #605]

  Taken from a blog post by Business Voice: {Endnote 98}

  One of our many great clients is Mountain View Tire, a 29-store tire and automotive service company in southern California. The other day I was adding testimonials to the new website we just built for them when I saw this one:

  “I wanted to make it known that I received exceptional service beyond anything I could have ever expected from your [store] in Burbank, California.

  I was heading to Lebec, California and blew out my tire just north of Burbank. I called the Magnolia [Road] location and spoke with Leville Slayton. He dispatched Jacob Pomaville to my location where he retrieved the tire from my vehicle, brought it back to the store, replaced the tire, and repaired the wheel.

  Amid this stressful situation, Jacob had a cold drink ready for me and, beyond that, actually purchased two jack stands from a nearby auto parts store, as neither one of us had them.

  I wanted to share this story with you as it is a rarity, especially in the Los Angeles area. They have secured me as a new customer with their exceptional service and care.”

  I know the folks at Mountain View Tire pride themselves on providing “the WOW experience” for their customers, but the fact that Jacob brought the stranded customer a cold drink just blew me away!

  It shows that he was thoughtful enough to anticipate what the customer may have needed, given what he was experiencing: the flat tire, the hot sun, being stranded, the feelings of frustration! (You’ve probably been there. So think how you’d feel if Jacob showed up, not only to fix your tire, but with free refreshments!) The customer needed relief, both physically and emotionally, and Jacob was intuitive enough – or trained well enough – to understand and react to those needs.

  Nothing calculated. Nothing out of the Mountain View marketing plan. Just a 99-cent bottle of water or pop that secured me as a new customer. Perfect.

  What about your company? How are you delivering “cold drinks” to your customers? Again, it’s not something that has to be “part of the plan,” but, for it to work on a sincere, memorable human level, the question “how can I best serve my customer today” needs to be part of your company’s DNA. When that question permeates your culture and your staff works every day to answer it, you’ll garner the type of loyalty and earn the good word of mouth that Mountain View Tire does.

  4. Surprise “thank you”... your bill is half off [PG #355]

  Submitted via e-mail by Owen Clark:

  In Owen’s words:

  In Roseville, CA, Arigato offers half-priced sushi, all the time. Started as a promotion when the place opened but business was so successful they never got rid of it. Even though I know it’s permanent it still makes you feel like your getting a great value every time you go in.

  Especially because the menu still has the full-prices and you don’t really see the savings until you get the bill. Also, sushi is good enough that they could be charging a lot more.

  Marketing Lagniappe Takeaway: Half off every day is a distinctive pricing model. It looks like a “wink, wink” in the know play. You only see the discount when your bill is presented. Talk about surprise and delight for a first timer.

  5. Move over plain old mint... [PG #762]

  Taken from a post by Lou Imbriano {Endnote 99} about the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Studios
Orlando:

  “Another fun amenity of staying at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal is that instead of finding mints left on your pillow each night before bed, you discover guitar picks, funky bracelets, or smiley faced super balls, giving a new meaning to “have a nice day.”

  6. SPICY MAC, A TINFOIL SWAN & OYSTER SHOOOOOTERS! [PG #226]

  Tucked under the Morrison Bridge in Portland is a restaurant that boasts a handful of purple goldfish.

  Here are three of my favorites from Le Bistro Montage:

  A signature dish in Spam and Mac. Macaroni & Cheese with your favorite mystery canned meat. For a little lagniappe on the flavor... you can order it SPICY.

  Oyster and Mussel Shooters – slimy fellas served in a shot glass with some cocktail sauce and horseradish. Once ordered – the waiter or waitress will immediately scream to the kitchen... OYSTER SHOOOOOTER.

  Your leftovers get wrapped up in tin foil. Move over balloon animal guy, the staff at the Bistro will “WOW” you with their animals.

  Chapter 17

  #5 - Guarantees

  “Truth is that you don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. Life is a crazy ride, and nothing is guaranteed.”

  - Eminem

  STANDING BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE

  The fifth type of Purple Goldfish involves “Guarantees.” The little extra commitment that you will stand behind your product or service.

  Let’s look at a few examples:

  1. Lifetime Commitment [PG #800]