Extras in a package
The Purple Goldfish Project was an effort to crowd source 1,001 examples of marketing lagniappe. Brands that give little unexpected extras (g.l.u.e) in order to drive differentiation, improve retention and promote word of mouth. This post is the third in a 12 part series looking at the top 200 examples from the Project by industry. Here are nine examples from the world of packaged goods:
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!!”
adidas (#204 submitted by Eileen Scully) “Taking their cue from cereal makers like Kellogg and General Mills and Cracker Jack, which pioneered the idea in 1911, sneaker makers are including a little something extra in their shoe boxes. adidas, Nike, Reebok and New Balance have all recently started including in-box codes and other methods that let consumers get an experience that goes beyond wearing their new shoes. adidas is the latest to jump on the trend. On Feb. 10, adidas Originals sneakers will include a code that lets consumers partake in an augmented reality program. The adidas initiative, via agency Sid Lee and Metaio, which developed the AR component, centers on a virtual neighborhood that the footwear maker created as part of its brand identity and ongoing campaign themed “celebrating originality.” Five sneaker models (Superstar, Stan Smith, Samba, Nizza and Forum) with an AR code printed on the tongue will hit exclusive retailers Champs Sports and Eastbay.com starting next month. By holding the code in front of a Webcam, consumers will be able to access the virtual neighborhood and interactive games (created by Xform) at adidas.com/originals.”
Reef Sandals (#277. Submitted by Brian Litvack) “Reef Sandals with bottle opener on the bottom.”
Bigelow Tea (#378 from Jack Campisi) “I found a Purple Goldfish in a box of tea today. I opened a new box of Bigelow Vaniila 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 entire box of a flavor I may or 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.”
Fiskars (#353 from Geno Church of Brains on Fire) “Each new member of the Fiskars Community “Fiskateer” receives a limited edition pair of scissors. On the scissor is engraved their unique membership #. The scissors are also accompanied by a handwritten note welcoming them into the community.”
Broo Beer #723
Submitted via e-mail by Justin McCarthy
Seems like Broo Beer is a fun-going Australian Premium Lager company. Why are they so fun, you may ask? Their latest promotion includes cutting the customer in on shares of the company’s stock with every carton of product you purchase. In fact, you may buy between 1 and 50 cartoons of BROO from their website, and you will be offered 10 FREE shares in BROO Ltd for every carton you purchase.
The Online Share Offer is open from now until Feb 28, 2011. Only catch seems to be that you must be an Australian citizen, and they have put a purchase limit of 50 cases to allow the maximum number of Australian’s to “Live the Dream”. This is definitely a convincing campaign, the Broo Beer is now definitely on our radar! Read up more on the Live the Dream offer if you’re so inclined!
Steinway & Sons #959. From a YouTube video by Joe Pine called ‘The Experience is the Marketing’: Buy a grand piano from Steinway and they will stage a private concert in your home with all the trimmings:
– Wine and Cheese
– Professional Pianist
– Valet Parking
Rebecca Minkoff #988 was submitted by Vanessa Khedouri:
Rebecca Minkoff bags all have an extra business card in them – it has a guy’s picture and on the back there is a ‘handwritten’ note that says ‘call me,’ signed by ‘Vincent’ with a phone #. When you call the #, there is a recording of a message from ‘Vincent’ – a guy with a sexy French accent – he also references his friend, ‘Rebecca’ (the designer) and her website. I love that touch and it feels personal!!
Johnnie Walker #990 Johnnie Walker provides Complimentary Bottle Engraving at selected locations. I came across the engraving kiosk at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. If there’s not one within your driving radius, you can order by phone at 1.877.JW.BLUE.LABEL
Today’s Lagniappe (a little something extra thrown in for good measure) – Here’s a look at the augmented reality extra from adidas:
How do you stand out in the sea of sameness? How do you win repeat customers and influence word of mouth? Is your CX sticky? Are you Giving Little Unexpected Extras?
What’s Your GLUE? What’s Your Purple Goldfish?
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