Marketing Moment: Adding Something Special with Something Simple

Late last year my husband and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with some close friends at the Melting Pot. Midway through our dinner, one of the hostesses stopped by our table with a digital camera. She asked if we would like our picture taken. We said sure, smiled and went back to our meal. Later in the evening she returned to the table with nice branded folders containing our picture.

We were all really pleased and surprised to receive a little memento of a wonderful evening. In fact, it has been hanging on our refrigerator since we got home on the same evening.

I walked by the picture earlier this week and was reminded of our great evening and thought about how such a simple take-home cemented the evening even further in my memory. I was also inspired by the little something we received and realized almost all businesses could do something simple to leave a lasting impression.

Here are a few ideas that come to mind:

Restaurants:

• Take a cue from Melting Pot and take pictures of diners in your restaurant as a special take-home
• Write reheating instructions on their leftovers to make it easy for them to enjoy at home.

Retail Stores & Boutiques:

• Include a sachet of lavender in your bags so a pleasing aroma will fill the air when they unpack their parcels.
• Send a card home with their measurements and sizes from your store to make it easy for them to shop with you again.

Consumer Service Providers:

• Leave behind a to-do list to keep their appliances/plumbing/furnaces/etc. in great working condition.
• Send a handwritten thank you note after your service to really let them know how much your appreciate their business and referrals.

Real Estate:

• During an open house, offer light refreshments and water bottles with your branding they can take with them as they leave.
• Have something created with a picture of the family and their new home or just their new home such as an ornament, drawing or cornerstone.

Those are just a few of my ideas! What ideas would you add for your industry?