Ever noticed a marketing campaign which you thought was executed to perfection? A campaign which was timed well and punched one hell of a right hook to create a buzz and go viral. A campaign which used emotion to draw in lapsed customers, infrequent customers and frequent customers and was designed to suit prospects all the way through to brand ambassadors, therefore dramatically increasing customer retention, basket sizes AND new markets? Chances are you have, and chances are it was a Surprise and Delight Marketing strategy.

What is Surprise and Delight and why should brands use it?

Well, in a nutshell it’s pretty self-explanatory: a method of marketing which surprises clients and plays on the influence of emotion in buying decisions. It aims to attract and nurture consumer relations by providing unexpected rewards and it is designed to increase customer loyalty and engagement.

Surprise and Delight is quickly becoming an essential part of any serious marketer’s customer retention and acquisition strategy and according to the Harvard Business Review, surprises are the most powerful marketing tool because they are addictive. It is a strategic way to give unanticipated perks to customers in order to renew interest, boost purchases, restore loyalty, or educate consumers on new products.

How (and when) to create a memorable Surprise and Delight strategy

There are many brands who have created great strategies to surprise their customers. A great example was back in 2015 when The Lion King and Aladdin Broadway cast had a sing off in LaGuardia Airport whist bored waiting for their plane. (It’s well worth a watch! Watch it here).

The cast created an amazing element of surprise for other travellers and created an exciting and remarkable customer experience. You’d be hard pressed to find an onlooker who didn’t then buy tickets for the shows afterwards!

This example highlights 3 main elements of how to get your Surprise and Delight campaign spot on;

1. Play to your strengths just like the cast used their voices and talent to entertain the crowds at LaGuardia Airport. What are your unique strengths and values? Another example to draw on here is the ‘Kleenex feel good campaign’ which sent out a Kleenex Kit to those they identified on Facebook as being unwell. They orchestrated it through contacting friends and family to help deliver a box of feel good goodies to those who’d recently posted a status to say they felt poorly. This campaign generated more than 650,000 interactions on Facebook alone. If they had instead chosen to send recipients a voucher this would have created some far less exciting results and general buzz around the brand. What do you do brilliantly? What are your values and how can these be used to create a memorable experience and surprise?
2. How can you add value in a moment? The Lion King and Aladdin cast were bored, most likely alongside all their fellow travellers. They knew they could create a buzz, which in turn would be great promotion for their shows and if recorded would be seen by potentially millions around the globe (the You Tube link above has had 7,705,232 views at the time of writing this blog). How can your brand add value to an individual/team/group of people at the right time? Hopefully we will be heading out of lockdown soon – how does this work for your customers and clients? Is there something you feel they may be pleasantly surprised to receive during this time? Timing is key and if used effectively could create a huge ROI.
3. Don’t forget your current customers. Whilst the above is all still applicable to your frequent customers, don’t ignore how important customer retention is for your business. Brands which keep their customers coming back time and time again are usually those who pay extra care in nurturing their relationship with their on-going customers. This can be as little as a birthday card, an unexpected gift added in with a purchase to say thank you, a postcard to check in on them. There are many ways you can add an element of Surprise and Delight to your most valued customers and this should be high on your retention strategy.

Surprise and Delight strategies increase customer loyalty, which in turn leads to repeat purchases, larger basket-sizes and increased brand engagement. When utilised properly, this marketing strategy can be extremely good for business.

We hope this has got you thinking about your next marketing campaign!

To find out more about how I may be able to help your Norfolk business thrive then please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01603 559590 or email markwilliams@actioncoach.com – you can also get in touch through my contact form here. If you’d like to know a little more about my experience, expertise and accolades then click here.