by Stan Phelps
#1. Throw-ins (value) #7. Thank You (maintenance)
#2. In the Bag (value) #8. Added Service (maintenance)
#3. Sampling (value) #9. Convenience (maintenance)
#4. Impressions (value) #10. Waiting (maintenance)
#5. Guarantees (value) #11. Special Needs (maintenance)
#6. Pay it forward (value) #12. Handling Mistakes (maintenance)
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed the book. I want to make five final points about marketing lagniappe.
You Can’t Make Chicken Salad...
You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken poop [apologies for using “poop” as I have four and five year old boys]. Creating a purple goldfish is not a substitute for having a strong product or service. Get the basics right before considering the little unexpected extras.
Authentic vs. Forced
A purple goldfish is a beacon. A small gift or offering that demonstrates you care. It needs to be done in an authentic way. If it comes across as forced or contrived, you’ll eliminate all of the goodwill and negatively impact your product or service.
A Daily Regiment of Exercise vs. Liposuction
Marketing Lagniappe is not a quick fix or for those seeking immediate results. Translation: it’s not liposuction. It’s equivalent to working out every day. The results gradually build and improve over time.
It’s a Commitment, Not a Campaign
A Purple Goldfish is different than a promotion or limited time offer. It’s a feature that becomes embedded into the fabric of your product or service. Add one or a school of goldfish at your convenience, remove them at your peril.
Every Great Journey Begins With a Single Step
Start small when adding a signature extra and add gradually. The best brands are those who boast a whole school of purple goldfish.
Additional Inspiration and Further Reading
Looking for exemplary companies. Here are my Hall of Famers:
Class of 2010 Class of 2011 Class of 2012
DoubleTree Trader Joe’s Mitchells
Stew Leonard’s Nordstrom Pizza Shuttle
TD Bank Starbucks Besito
Southwest Airlines Disney IKEA
Five Guys Four Seasons Kiehl’s
Zappos JetBlue Michael Lynne’s
Lexus Izzy’s Taranta
Kimpton Hotels Amazon L.L. Bean
AJ Bombers Whole Foods Zane’s Cycles
Further reading on marketing and customer experience.
Books I would highly recommend:
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
Hug Your Customers by Jack Mitchell
The Next Evolution of Marketing by Bob Gilbreath
The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk
The Experience Effect by Jim Joseph
Purple Cow by Seth Godin
Domino by Linda Ireland
My Story by Stew Leonard
FREE by Chris Anderson
Winning the Customer by Lou Imbriano
99.3 Random Acts of Marketing by Drew McLellan
Five Star Customer Service by Ted Coiné
The End of Business as Usual by Brian Solis
B-A-M by Barry Moltz
Killing Giants by Stephen Denny
Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
The New Rules of Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott
Endnotes
1. http://9inchmarketing.com/2008/12/21/the-gift/
2. http://www.drewsmarketingminute.com/2009/04/recency-where-is-the-lagniappe-in-your-marketing-stan-phelps.html
3. http://www.slideshare.net/9INCHMARKETING/marketing-lagniappe-in-search-of-your-purple-goldfish-2086426
4. http://9inchmarketing.com/2009/09/13/wells-fargos-marketing-lagniappe-gets-them-an-attaboy/
5. http://www.marketinglagniappe.com/blog/1001-examples-of-lagniappe/
6. https://www.wellsfargo.com/invest_relations/vision_values/5
7. http://www.marketinglagniappe.com/blog/
8. http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-lagniappe-the-purple/id360579251
9. http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/mcconnell.htm
10. http://www.stacyssnacks.ca/English/stacy.html
11. http://www.ad-mkt-review.com/public_html/docs/fs157.html
12. http://buzzcanuck.typepad.com/agentwildfire/2006/01/top_11_killer_s.html
13. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/150041/
14. http://www.demandware.com/Demandware-Survey-Reveals-Web-Centric-Consumers-Have-Highly-Volatile-Brand-Loyalty/pr_2011_05_03,default,pg.html
15. https://freshbuzzmedia.com/2010/10/word-of-mouth-stats-to-know
16. http://www.slideshare.net/agentwildfire/agent-wildfire-cheat-sheet
17. http://www.tell3000.com/
18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_uSl6hIM7c
19. http://www.pmalink.com/?p=148
20. http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/02/once-in-a-lifetime.html
21. http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/libertarians/issues/friedman-soc-resp-business.html
22. http://www.thewisemarketer.com/features/read.asp?id=7
23. http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/5075.html
24. http://www.brandkeys.com/awards/
25. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle
26. http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/1992.html
27. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ed7B6ug-wk
28. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/7352909.stm
29. http://www.novareinna.com/festive/mardi.html
30. http://www.novareinna.com/festive/mardi.html
31. http://www.sethgodin.com/purple/
32. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/67/purplecow.html
33. http://bobhebertonline.com/2011/08/book-review-purple-cow-transform-your-business-by-being-remarkable-by-seth-godin/
34. http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2010/01/cup-of-joe-give-me-a-smart-phone-with-pink-purple-stripes.html
35. http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/abo/what_is_bos.html
36. https://secure.digitalcontentcenter.com/shop/392120/viewcart/?AddProduct=8200
37. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lagniappe
38. http://docsouth.unc.edu/southlit/twainlife/twainnoil.html
39. http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/09/why-a-bakers-dozen-is-13-instead-of-12/
40. http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/04/coca-colas_marketing_shift_fro.html
41. http://www.rickliebling.com/2009/11/24/marketing-lagniappe-with-a-side-of-curly-fries/
42. http://mylifeinquotes.posterous.com/
43. http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Like-Walt-Capturing/dp/0757302319
44. http://www.marketinglagniappe.com/blog/2010/08/12/walter-elias-disney-and-the-plus-factor/
45. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift_economy
46. http://socialmediamediasres.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/social-media-is-like-beer-buying-the-gift-economy-in-social-media/
47. http://www.marketinglagniappe.com/blog/2010/12/26/what-is-a-purple-goldfish-its-a-beacon/
48. http://www.marketinglagniappe.com/blog/1001-examples-of-lagniappe/
49. http://www.marketinglagniappe.com/blog/2009/11/29/doubletree-hotels-the-1st-purple-goldfish-project-hall-of-famer/
50. http://doubletree.hilton.com/en/dt/promotions/dt_cookie/index.jhtml;jsessionid=YW32IHJPP2OW4CSGBJT222Q
51. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/baskas/2010-01-13-unusual-airport-freebies_N.htm
52. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/business/12cookies.html
53. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tipping_Point
54. http://bit.ly/tE7b62
55. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100401/jerry-murrell-five-guys-burgers-and-fries.html
56. http://www.sportbikes.net/archives/forums/showthread.php?t=8996
57. http://www.kellerfay.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/WordofMouthPolitics.pdf
58. http://www.altimetergroup.com/about/team/brian-solis
59. http://www.briansoli
s.com/2009/04/can-statusphere-save-journalism/
60. http://www.marketinglagniappe.com/blog/2010/05/27/customer-experience-is-the-ultimate-differentiator/
61. http://stellaservice.com/
62. http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bonnie+raitt/something+to+talk+about_20022654.html
63. http://www.marketinglagniappe.com/blog/2010/01/14/bmw-drives-into-the-purplegoldfishproject-at-150/
64. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1348892
65. http://www.tiffany.com/Expertise/Diamond/certification/engraving_and_cleaning.aspx
66. http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/marketing-effective-word-mouth-disrupts-schemas/141734/
67. http://www.secret.com/secret-clinical-strength.aspx
68. http://klm.prezly.com/klm-surprises-customers
69. http://www.marketinglagniappe.com/blog/2009/12/26/5-main-ingredients-of-lagniappe/
70. http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=92123312218
71. http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/201/1422800/restaurant/Long-Island/Besito-Huntington
72. http://cruises.about.com/od/cruisenews/a/050209carnival.htm
73. http://www.drewsmarketingminute.com/2010/11/creating-love-affairs-you-cant-buy-their-love.html
74. http://www.tell3000.com/
75. http://onmilwaukee.com/dining/wineanddine/articles/pizzashuttlepizza.html
76. http://consumerist.com/2010/12/hotel-washes-every-coin-they-get-as-courtesy-for-guests.html
77. http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2004/0621/068_print.html
78. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lagniappe
79. http://www.southwest.com/html/cs/landing/bags_flyfree.html
80. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60628-d114056-r7841247-Four_Seasons_Resort_Lana_i_The_Lodge_at_Koele-Lanai_City_Lanai_Hawaii.html
81. http://www.beyondphilosophy.com/thought-leadership/blog/singapore-aiport-slides-towards-memorable-customer-experience
82. http://www.lvrj.com/neon/stripsteak-s-careful-preparation-shows-even-simple-things-perfectly-prepared-112707359.html?ref=359
83. http://www.allstatenewsroom.com/releases/6507f11e-eeac-413e-a441-7d24547dece5?mode=print
84. http://nymag.com/listings/bar/alligator_lounge/
85. http://www.flipthefunnelnow.com/
86. http://www.t-shirtforums.com/general-t-shirt-selling-discussion/t21752-12.html
87. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/
88. http://blog.stellaservice.com/2010/06/14/have-you-seen-any-purple-goldfish-lately/
89. http://www.mltennis.com/
90. http://www.adweek.com/
91. http://www.marketinglagniappe.com/blog/2010/07/18/purple-goldfish-meng-webinar/
92. http://beauty.thefuntimesguide.com/2007/09/kiehls_free_samples.php
93. http://www.sundoginteractive.com/sunblog/posts/the-brand-experience-and-the-peak-end-rule
94. http://www.forbes.com/sites/deancrutchfield/2011/12/19/i-experience-therefore-i-shop/
95. http://www.lostremote.com/2010/01/15/social-media-powers-local-word-of-mouth-marketing/
96. http://www.exit133.com/5551/hotel-murano-6-in-conde-nast-readers
97. http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2009/12/11/clooneys-up-in-the-air-is-it-about-miles-or-mileage/
98. http://www.businessvoice.com/blog/are-you-delivering-cold-drinks/
99. http://www.louimbriano.com/2011/03/24/its-universal-theyre-trying-harder/
100. http://alaskanlibrarian.wordpress.com/2008/08/25/jansport-delivers/
101. http://lamenta3.disavian.net/2009/02/return-of-the-backpack/
102. http://www.netpromoter.com/netpromoter_community/blogs/conference_ny_2010/2010/02/02/bliss-zane-s-cycles-southwest-usaa-driving-extreme-loyalty
103. http://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/coffee-bean-tea-leaf-run-promotion-troops
104. http://www.gaspedal.com/
105. http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/
106. http://thankyoueconomybook.com/
107. http://www.1to1media.com/weblog/2011/05/customer_experience_balancing.html
108. http://businessnetworking.com/the-friendly-skies-are-back/
109. http://www.kristinaevey.com/customer-satisfaction/excellent-customer-service-is-the-best-prescription/
110. http://theexperiencefactor.com/whats-your-purple-goldfish/795/
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130. http://blogs.zappos.com/blogs/inside-zappos/2010/05/21/6pm-com-pricing-mistake
131. http://blogs.zappos.com/blogs/inside-zappos/2010/05/21/6pm-com-pricing-mistake
132. http://www.theetailblog.com/customer-experience/one-customers-jetblue-customer-experience/
133. http://www.mengonline.com/index.jspa
134. http://www.forbes.com/sites/deancrutchfield/2011/12/19/i-experience-therefore-i-shop/
135. http://matrixpd.com/index.php/blog/11-food-processing/74-rfid-technology-increases-revenue-for-izzys.html
About the Author
Stan Phelps is Chief Solutions Officer at Synergy Events [ synergyevents.com ]. Founded in 1992, Synergy is an award winning experiential marketing agency. At Synergy Stan takes a wide look at marketing with the premise of finding unique ways to engage customers. He creates signature experiences that accelerate business results.
Stan believes the longest and hardest nine inches in marketing is the distance between the brain and the heart of a customer. He’s committed to exploring the concept of marketing lagniappe. What’s Your Purple Goldfish? is the first book in a trilogy on the subject.
The second book, What’s Your Green Goldfish? will take a look a the signature extras a business provides to their employees to improve morale, reduce attrition and create a dynamic culture. The final installment will be What’s Your Golden Goldfish? It will focus on the extras you provide for both your top 20% of customers and top 20% of employees.
Stan received a BS in marketing from Marist College and a JD/MBA from Villanova University. He lives in Norwalk, Connecticut with his wife Jennifer, their two boys Thomas & James and a Glen of Imaal Terrier named MacMurphy.
Twitter: @9INCHmarketing
Email: [email protected]
Blog: marketinglagniappe.com
Book website: purplegoldfish.com
LAGNIAPPE FOR BOOK PURCHASERS
Thanks for purchasing What’s Your Purple Goldfish? One cannot write a book about lagniappe without throwing in a signatur
e added value or two for good measure.
#1. The Whole Nine Yards - Need some thought starters or additional examples? I’d like to offer you a PDF of the entire list and the book. All 1,001+ examples segmented by category. Go to purplegoldfish. com and enter your e-mail and the following password on The Purple Goldfish Project page:
PASSWORD: GEZELLIG
(gezellig is one of my favorite Dutch words and similar to lagniappe, it’s a bitch to spell and pronounce)
#2. Limited Collector’s Edition* - I’ve created a set of eight inspirational cards that highlight the key concepts in the book. Send me an e-mail with your address and proof of purchase (picture of you holding the book, Amazon receipt or screenshot of your receipt) and I’ll mail you the set gratis. My e-mail is [email protected].
* Limited run of 1,000
Table of Contents
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
PROLOGUE
PREFACE
PART I: WHAT IS A PURPLE GOLDFISH?
Chapter 1 - THE BIGGEST MYTH IN MARKETING
Chapter 2 - VALUE IS THE NEW BLACK
Chapter 3 - WHY PURPLE AND WHY A GOLDFISH?
Chapter 4 - A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA
Chapter 5 - POWERED BY GIFT ECONOMY PRINCIPLES
Chapter 6 - ALL IMPRESSIONS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL
PART II: THE 5 INGREDIENTS OR R.U.L.E.S OF A PURPLE GOLDFISH
Chapter 7 - R ELEVANCY
Chapter 8 - U NEXPECTED
Chapter 9 - L IMITED
Chapter 10 – E XPRESSION
Chapter 11 – S TICKY
PART III: 12 TYPES OF PURPLE GOLDFISH
Chapter 12 - THE VALUE / MAINTENANCE MATRIX
Chapter 13 - #1 THROW-IN’S FOR GOOD MEASURE
Chapter 14 - #2 THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOWL
Chapter 15 - #3 THE LOWEST HANGING FRUIT IN MARKETING
Chapter 16 - #4 THE POWER OF PRIMACY AND RECENCY
Chapter 17 - #5 STANDING BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT
Chapter 18 - #6 PAY IT FORWARD
Chapter 19 - #7 THANK YOU’S / FOLLOW UP’S