I N S E A R C H O F Y O U R
PURPLE GOLDFISH
Let’s Give ’em Something to talk,
Tweet, Post and Facebook About
FREE eBook Stanley G. Phelps

IN SEARCH OF YOUR
PURPLE
GOLDFISH
Let’s Give ’em Something
to talk, Tweet, Post and
Facebook About
© 2010 by Stanley G. Phelps
Copyright licensed under the Creative Commons License, Attribution 3.0.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Please feel free to post this on your blog or email it to
whomever you believe would benefit from reading it.

Marketing
Lagniappe
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Just the Facts Ma’am - Why you Need a Purple Goldfish 1
2. Flipping Traditional Marketing and the Pareto Principle 7
3. Lagniappe Defined - The Original Social Media Stimulant 10
4. Why the Growth of Your Product / Business is Like a Goldfish 13
5. Why Purple ? the Difference between a Bovine and a Goldfish 16
6. Jambalaya - The 5 Ingredients / R.U.L.E.S of Marketing Lagniappe 19
7. v4 Principle - The key to WOM + How Most People Get Laid 21
8. Twelve Companies that are Getting it Right 23
9. Fishermen Wanted: The Purple Goldfish Project 30
Marketing
Lagniappe
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

1. Just the Facts Ma’am . . .
Marketing
Lagniappe -1-
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

FACT #1: Many companies
don’t give a SHIT about their
customers . . .
Marketing
Lagniappe -2-
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

FACT #1: Many companies don’t give
a SHIT about their customers . . .
FACT #2: Many companies are
happy just meeting expectations
This past summer I was in New York City with a colleague from Synergy Events. We were at a rooftop
bar waiting to meet a few people before heading over to a networking event. I noticed a guy sitting on
his own for over 15 minutes. It was obvious that he was waiting for someone. I struck up a conversation
about waiting by offering my standard line:
“Do you know that we spend 10% of our life waiting?”
We started talking about waiting and the importance of being on time. Then he said something that was
a paradigm shift for me, I’ll paraphrase it:
“There is no such thing as being on time. Being on time is a fallacy. You either are
early . . . or you are late. No one is ever on time. On time is a myth.”
I immediately began to think about how this applies to business and the idea of meeting expectations.
I’ve always thought the idea of aiming to meet expectations is a surefire recipe for losing business. It’s
similar to playing prevent defense in football . . . it prevents you from winning.
This new paradigm has only made it clearer for me. Meeting expectations is a myth. Santa Claus, the
Tooth Fairy and Meeting Expectations. Sorry kids . . . they are all myths. You either fall below
expectations or you exceed. It’s so simple yet bears repeating in boldface type:
“There is no such thing as meeting expectations”
Marketing
Lagniappe -3-
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

FACT #1: Many companies don’t give
a SHIT about their customers . . .
FACT #2: Many companies are
happy just meeting expectations
FACT #3: We live in a low trust
world, Your prospective
customers are just not that
into YOU
Advertising was the thing we all put up with as a way to subsidize content. No one liked it and very few trusted it. Now there is a whole new generation that sees
content as free and advertising as merely an intrusion. The kicker is that even when we have to put up with it, technology has given us the ability to avoid it. Bob
Garfield uses the analogy of Frankenstein . . . where the technology is ultimately used against and ultimately destroys its creator. The iPod, TiVo, Craig’s List, Spam-
blockers and YouTube are destroying a model that has existed for hundreds of years.
Fact: The average person gets exposed to up to 3,000 commercial messages a day
Woof – that’s a ton of messages assaulting your grey matter. Effective marketing needs to cut through the clutter to reach the heart. How do you become
meaningfully relevant to your customers?
What cuts through the clutter?
It’s always been Word of Mouth and now it’s amplified through word of mouse. First person recommendations are the strongest form of marketing.
Marketing
Lagniappe -4-
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

FACT #1: Many companies don’t give
a SHIT about their customers . . .
FACT #2: Many companies are
happy just meeting expectations
FACT #3: We live in a low trust
world, Your prospective
customers are just not that
into YOU
FACT #4: It costs 5 to 10 times the
amount of money to obtain a new
customer than it does to keep a
current one
Marketing
Lagniappe -5-
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

FACT #1: Many companies don’t give
a SHIT about their customers . . .
FACT #2: Many companies are
happy just meeting expectations
FACT #3: We live in a low trust
world, Your prospective
customers are just not that
into YOU
FACT #4: It costs 5 to 10 times the
amount of money to obtain a new
customer than it does to keep a
current one
FACT #5: A Satisfied Customer
Tells a Few Friends . . . a Pissed Off
customer Tells Three Thousand*
*Pete Blackshaw
Marketing
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(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

2. Flipping Traditional
Marketing and the
Pareto Principle
Marketing
Lagniappe -7-
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

Pareto’s Law and Flipping
Traditional Marketing on its Head
Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto was an Italian economist that made a famous observation in 1906. He stated:
“20% of the population in Italy owns 80% of the property”
The rule was popularized in the early 1940’s by Joseph Juran and is now commonly referred to as the 80/20 principle,
i.e. 20% of your customers will account for 80% of your sales or 20% of your efforts will net 80% or your results. Juran
applied the principle in the area of quality management.
how does Pareto’s 80/20 principle apply to marketing?
Enter the Phelps 80/20 Corollary
If we subscribe to the principle that, “80% of your results is generated by 20% of your efforts”, then I respectfully posit the Phelps corollary:
“80% of your traditional marketing efforts will net you 20% of your results”
We know that traditional marketing (tell and sell broadcast advertising) is woefully ineffective. I always go back to the infamous Joseph Wanamaker
quote about advertising,
“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted . . . the problem is that I don’t know which half”
I personally think 50% is an understatement. Therefore, I put forth that for the vast majority (80%) of your traditional marketing spend . . . you are
receiving one dollar worth of return for every four that you spend given the Phelps 80/20 corollary.
Marketing
Lagniappe -8-
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

The Revolving Door Effect
There is a huge flaw when you focus the majority of your marketing efforts on the purchase funnel. That flaw is what I call ‘The Revolving Door Effect’. Because the
majority of your marketing is mainly focused on prospective customers, you may only be adding 10% to 25% of new customers per year.
Wait a second . . . most companies would say, “Sign me up right now for an increase of 10% to 25% of customers per annum”. The problem is that most businesses
have huge problems with retention. It may not be uncommon to lose 10% to 25% of the customer base in a given year. The net effect is that you might negate all of
your gains and in essence create a revolving door by not taking care of your new and current customers.
Flipping the Funnel
The overwhelming traditional view of marketing is that
i t ’s m a i n l y a b o u t t h e p r o c e s s o f a c q u i r i n g p r o s p e c t i v e
customers. Eighty to ninety plus percent of marketing
budgets are aimed towards getting consumers into the
‘purchase funnel’. We ’ v e b e c o m e s o p r e o c c u p i e d w i t h
generating awareness and interest that we forget about
o u r m o s t i m p o r t a n t a s s e t . . . o u r c u r r e n t c u s t o m e r s . We
need to ‘Flip the Funnel’ on traditional marketing.
By putting the focus on your current customers, you can
generate the following three benefits:
- Reduce attrition
- Increase satisfaction
- Promote loyalty
The net effect of focusing on your customers first + foremost is
fourfold by bumping them down the flipped funnel:
1. New customers become Occasionals
2. Occasionals become Frequents
3. Frequents become Regulars
and most importantly
4. Regulars become Evangelists
Marketing
Lagniappe -9-
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

3. What is Lagniappe . . .
The Original Social Media
Stimulant
Marketing
Lagniappe - 10 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

Lagniappe Defined
‘The Additional Gift’
Mark Twain and Nola
Mark Twain wrote about his exposure to the concept of ‘lagniappe’ in the
Let’s travel to the deep south to uncover the origin of ‘lagniappe’. There is a book, Life on the Mississippi in 1883. He talks of initially seeing it in the
fantastic word that originated in Louisiana called ‘lagniappe’ (pronounced lan-yap). local paper the Picayune:
The creole word literally translated means ‘the gift.” It refers to a small, unexpected
extra gift or benefit presented by a storeowner to a customer at the time of purchase.
It’s the extra that’s thrown in ‘for good measure’. The people of Louisiana have
embraced the term and have broadened the definition to include any time ‘a little
something extra’ is given. The word is now part of the vernacular in the
Southeastern part of the United States.
lagniappe (lãn’yãp’) Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi (origin circa 1844)
1. A small gift presented by a storeowner to a customer with the customer’s
purchase.
2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. Also called regionally boot.
Etymology: Creole < Fr la, the + Sp ñapa, lagniappe < Quechuan yapa
Interesting fact- Napa comes from yapa, which means “additional gift” in the South
American Indian language, Quechua, from the verb yapay “to give more”
Marketing
Lagniappe - 11 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

Lagniappe:
The Original
Social Media
Stimulant
Marketing
Lagniappe - 12 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

4. Why the Growth of
Your Product / Business
is Like a Goldfish
Marketing
Lagniappe - 13 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

Their Growth is Affected by 5 Factors:
1 2 3
4 5
Marketing
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(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

The One Element You
Can Control!
! ! !
Out of the five characteristics for
growth – there is only one that you
can control 100% (assuming you
have already chosen your market
and launched your product or
business). That characteristic is
differentiation.
How do you stand out in a ‘sea of
sameness’?
What makes you remarkable in
how you conduct your business
and serve your customers?
Let’s face it - - everything is
becoming a commodity. The last
thing you want to compete on in this
environment is price.
FACT: The current Guinness Book of World Records holder for the largest goldfish hails from
the Netherlands and a lengthy 18 inches / 50 cm. To put it in perspective that’s about the
size of the average domesticated cat.
Marketing
Lagniappe - 15 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

5. Why Purple ... and the
Difference between a
Bovine and a Goldfish?
Marketing
Lagniappe - 16 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

Why Purple?!
Purple = Differentiation
Seth Godin established purple as the color of differentiation in his seminal book,
Purple Cow back in 2003. Seth outlines the why, what and how of becoming
‘remarkable’. If you haven’t read this already, run don’t walk to your local bookstore
or b-line it to Amazon.
Seth sets up the premise of the book with a story:
“When my family and I were driving through France a few years ago, we were
enchanted by the hundreds of storybook cows grazing on picturesque pastures right
next to the highway. For dozens of kilometers, we all gazed out the window,
marveling about how beautiful everything was. Then, within twenty minutes, we
started ignoring the cows. The new cows were just like the old cows, and what was
once amazing was now common. Worse than common. It was boring.”
Purple = NOLA
Purple is also a color associated with the birthplace of lagniappe . . . New Orleans.
It’s one of the three official colors (purple, green and gold) of Mardi Gras. These
colors are said to have been chosen by Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch Romanoff
of Russia during a visit to New Orleans in 1872. Later the colors were given
meanings with purple representing ‘justice’.
Marketing
Lagniappe - 17 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

The Difference Between a Purple
Bovine and a Purple Goldfish
The difference between a cow and a goldfish is huge. A purple goldfish is
small and a cow is massive. Think of the Purple Cow as your product.
Your product needs to stand out and be remarkable. Your Purple Goldfish
is the distinctive way that you deliver that Cow and the extra value you
provide.
Stand out or perish. The challenge with Seth Godin’s PURPLE Cow
principle is that you need to bake that remarkability into the product. That
is extremely difficult. For example, a phone is a phone is a phone. It would
have to be really remarkable for you to overcome the friction (p.i.t.a factor)
associated with making a switch.
However – let me offer another take on how to color that phone PURPLE. Create a few PURPLE Goldfish! A purple goldfish is something
a whole lot smaller than a cow and much easier to create. It’s based on the concept of ‘marketing lagniappe’.
Do small ‘PURPLE’ things make a big difference? Absolutely. Imagine if you asked that same friend for a recommendation and he started
gushing about Product X or Carrier Y because they did these little things that were unexpected and extra. It could be the customer service
they received (think Zappos), a feature that they decided not to charge for (think Southwest and bags flying free), or a ‘thank you’ with a
freebie (think Stew Leonard’s, a free ice cream or coffee with a $100 purchase) .
Marketing
Lagniappe - 18 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

6. Jambalaya - The 5
Ingredients / R.u.l.e.s of
Marketing Lagniappe
Marketing
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(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

Lagniappe is like a good Jambalaya
The chef takes a look at what’s lying around in the kitchen and throws it all into a pot. Let it stew
with some spices thrown in and voila . . you have a yourself a jambalaya.
Here are the five main ingredients or if you are fan of acronyms (like I am) . . . R.U.L.E.S:
Relevant – the item or benefit should be of value to the recipient. Make sure that the item or
service is a true benefit. It shouldn’t be a one size fits all proposition.
Unexpected – the extra benefit or gift should be a surprise. It is something thrown in for
good measure. Think ’surprise and delight’ or a ‘branded act of kindness’.
Limited – if it’s a small token or gift, try to select something that’s rare, hard to find or unique
to your business. Think ‘signature’.
Expression – many times it comes down to the gesture. It becomes more about ‘how’ it is
given, as opposed to ‘what’ is given. The small gift or extra is an expression and communicates
that you care.
Sticky - is it watercooler material? Is it memorable enough that the person will want to share
their experience by telling a friend or three hundred?
Marketing
Lagniappe - 20 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

7. v4 Principle - The key
to WOM + How Most
People Get Laid
Marketing
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(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

The v4 Principle*
Think about your entire history of relationships… Every person you dated long term, short term, prison term, and every random hook-up in between. The vast majority of
those relationships were with someone you met through a common friend. Very rarely do you find a couple who met randomly at a bar. Most couples met through a
friend, a friend of a friend, or a relative. The reason most relationships begin this way is what I call the “v4 Principle.” “v4″ is short for “Vouch For” and it is this reason
that the majority of people in America get laid.
EXAMPLE: Say you’re out on a Friday night and you see a cute brunette at the bar. You approach her, make small talk, and attempt to pick her up. To you she’s a hottie
with dating potential. To her you’re just another one of the drunken masses out there trying to score some ass. Now take the same situation as before, but when you see
her at the bar she is talking to your best friend’s girlfriend. Now when you approach you’re SOMEBODY as opposed to the NOBODY you were before. The girl at the bar
has a reference point for you and your best friend’s girlfriend is there to vouch for you: “Oh, that’s Fred. He’s Mike’s best friend. They work together at the law firm. He’s a
real sweetie, and he’s sooo cute when he’s drunk.”
See how it works? You’re the same drunken ass either way, but now you’re perceived as charming. So, if friends are largely responsible for our hook-ups, how do you
improve your odds? Simple, just use this handy dandy friendship reference guide that follows to determine who you should hang out with more and which friends to
discard:
1.) Married Friends – Don’t have any. They only hang out with other miserably married couples and they constantly attempt to pull the rest of us into their pit of despair.
There is no ass for you here.
2.) Friends Who Work In The Service Industry – Hold on to these. People who work in restaurants, bars, retail, and the like tend to have a plethora of same aged
single people to kick it with. They are laid back and don’t work until noon, so they’re always up for a night out. Also, all hostesses are easy.
3.) Friends Who Do A Lot of Drugs – Keepers. Whether you do drugs or not is irrelevant. People who do a lot of drugs tend to hang out with other people who do a lot
of drugs… and, chicks who do a lot of drugs tend to be easy.
4.) Religious Friends – No! No! No! All of their friends are usually bible-thumpers as well, and meeting a group of hot Baptists is like going to your favorite bar without
any money. You can look all you want, but you can’t have anything.
5.) Strippers – If you have any friends who are strippers you can contact me. Please let me know where you’ll be this weekend…
On a more serious note, v4 or ‘vouch for’ is also how the majority of purchase decisions are made. A reference point or recommendation by a friend is the strongest
factor impacting purchase intent. Add on the fact that 90% of word of mouth happens ‘face to face’. According to research by Keller Fay:
Personal experience with a product or service is the #1 catalyst for recommendation, with 86% saying they recommend a brand or service based on first-hand
experience. 60% of word of mouth conversations include advice to buy, try or consider a brand. Fewer than one in ten conversations advise avoiding a brand.
*From a post on Sportsbike.net in 2000 from a guy named Rob from Boston, a.k.a Streetracer
Marketing
Lagniappe - 22 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

8. Twelve Companies that
are Getting it Right
Marketing
Lagniappe - 23 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

1 Doubletree Hotels
For 20 years, Doubletree Hotels have built a reputation on a unique treat that keeps leisure and business travelers coming
back for more: their legendary chocolate chip cookie presented to each guest at check-in. Their signature Doubletree
chocolate cookies are baked fresh daily providing a warm welcome and refreshing hospitality for travelers around the world.
Here are a few fun facts about the cookie:
•
Doubletree gives out approximately 30,000 chocolate chip cookies each
day. That’s more than 10,500,000 each year!
•
Doubletree began giving out chocolate chip cookies in the early 1980s,
when many hotels across the country used them as treats for VIPs.
•
Every Doubletree chocolate chip cookie is baked fresh daily at each
hotel.
•
Each cookie weighs more than 2 ounces and has an average of 20
chocolate chips.
•
In June 2002, Doubletree presented its 100,000,000th cookie!
•
More than 1,000,000 chocolate chip cookies have been donated by Doubletree hotels to celebrate and thank deserving members of the community from doctors
and nurses to police and firefighters as well as non-profit groups such as orphanages, food banks and homeless shelters.
•
From the United Kingdom to Canada and Italy to China, the signature chocolate chip cookie welcome is now being presented to travelers at Doubletree by Hilton
hotel locations around the world.
Marketing
Lagniappe - 24 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

2 Stew Leonard’s
I frequently use Stew Leonard’s as an example when I try to explain what a
‘purple goldfish’ or marketing lagniappe is. Stew’s has a handful of extras
the store offers. My favorite is the free ice cream or coffee with a purchase
of $100 or more in groceries. It’s that little extra or ‘WOW’ according to
Stew.
Lagniappe from Stew Sr. – Stew tells a great story about the power of
‘word of mouth’. He was asked by the local elementary school to come out
and speak on career day. The principal asked Stew to talk about the milk
business. As Stew pulled into the parking lot he saw a fire truck parked in
front of the school with kids all around it. Walking through the front door he
saw a room about the Air Force playing a movie with jet airplanes. It was
filled with kids. Across the hall was a police officer and we showing a
packed classroom about various police equipment and weapons. He
proceeded down the hall finding a classroom with a sign on the door that
read ‘THE MILK BUSINESS’. Stew walked in the room to find three kids
sitting there . . . two of which were the sons of one of his managers. For
the next 30 minutes he talked about the dairy business and running a store.
At the end of the talk he thanked the kids and reached in his pocket and
handed them each a coupon for a free ice cream. The kids left and Stew
waited for the second of the two sessions for Career Day. He waited and
waited . . . no kids. After a while the principal came rushing in, “Stew . . . I
don’t know what you told those kids, but we have to move your next
session to the school auditorium”.
Marketing
Lagniappe - 25 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

3 Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Five Guys Burgers and Fries is one of my
favorite examples of ‘marketing lagniappe’.
Here are the 2 main reasons ‘Five Guys’ nails
lagniappe:
1. Amount of Fries – They serve the fries in a
styrofoam cup and a paper bag. After they fill
the cup they then chuck in another couple of
handfuls into the bag. You never get short
changed on fries.
2. Peanuts – This is an absolutely brilliant example of lagniappe. One of the
signatures of ‘FIVE GUYS’ are the free peanuts they serve. There is a huge box when
you walk in. In the early days the long lines forced the brothers to distribute free,
unshelled peanuts to placate waiting customers. The peanuts have become a FIVE
GUYS trademark.
A little extra lagniappe can earn you millions
The Origin of Stacy’s Chips: The company was founded in 1997 by a social worker and a psychologist with a passion for good food and
a commitment to healthy living. Without the capital to open a restaurant, Stacy Madison and Mark Andrus began serving healthy pita
bread roll-up sandwiches in Boston’s Financial District. As an incentive for customers waiting in line, they baked the leftover pita bread to
create different flavored chips. Thus, the Stacy’s Pita Chip Co. was born. [Stacy's was purchased by Pepsi's Frito Lay in 2005 for millions]
Marketing
Lagniappe - 26 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

4 There are reasons native Chicagoans and tourists alike consider
Lou Mitchell’s a must-visit — from the donut holes for everyone
and the milk duds while you wait to the double-yolk eggs that
make every dish even more sinfully indulgent, Lou’s knows how to
do breakfast.
Located in the South Loop, the restaurant has been a Chicago
institution since 1923, and decades later, they’re still dishing out
thick French toast, enormous platters of pancakes, fresh-baked
pastries, and of course, those famous skillets. The extras are just
as delectable. Lou’s boasts pure maple syrup, fresh-squeezed
orange juice and slabs of toast served with every omelet.
Be prepared to make some new friends — chances are good you’ll
be seated next to strangers at one of the lengthy tables. Even if
you don’t bond with fellow diners, the employees’ perpetually
friendly smiles — and free Milk Duds for the ladies — guarantee
that you’ll want to return soon.
5
One of my favorites is AJ Bombers (@ajbombers) in Milwaukee.
Joe and his team consistently provide the Purple Goldfish by
offering free peanuts…shot at you in metal WWII bombers. It’s a fun
way to get them from the bartenders.
There are 5 main ingredients / r.u.l.e.s when creating a ‘purple
goldfish’. AJ Bombers scores huge on the fourth ingredient, which
is expression. Expression is how the marketing lagniappe is
delivered. It’s not so much what you give . . . but the manner in
which it is given. At AJ Bombers, the bartenders literally send
bombers to deliver the nuts.
Marketing
Lagniappe - 27 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

6
Larry Thompson arrived at Fort Wayne International Airport one day back in
1988, walked out the front door of the small terminal and took a deep breath.
“Instead of smelling jet fuel,” he remembers, “I smelled the cookies from the
bakery across the street.” The aroma gave Thompson a reassuring, “welcome
home” feel. So when the airport marketing committee needed a low-cost way to
promote the facility, Thompson suggested a campaign involving those cookies.
Phone calls were made. A bulk cookie order was placed. And soon volunteers
armed with goody-filled wicker baskets were on duty inside the terminal offering
arriving passengers an enthusiastic “Welcome to Fort Wayne” greeting – and a
complimentary, individually-wrapped, locally-baked cookie.
7 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 the a first time customer by
name, to a complimentary room
upgrade or a shuttle ride . . . the
Hotel Murano gets it.
Every employee, hospital-wide, is required to look up, make eye-
8
contact, and say something pleasant when they pass within six
feet of anyone – a patient, visitor, or even a fellow employee.
This rule has changed the environment at Sky Lakes Hospital.
The expectation was non-negotiable. People were held
accountable. What happened? For some, the workplace got a
whole lot friendlier and much more enjoyable.
Marketing
Lagniappe - 28 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

Amazon helps you 9 BMW wants YOU to take an 10
avoid wrap rage overnight test drive
The frustrating free No driving around with the
packaging is a brilliant idea. salesperson (I hate that by the way)
Anyone with little ones can and no more imagining what a
attest to the frustration of BMW might look like parked in your
having to battle the wires driveway.
and plastic before trying to
open up a gift. 11
Hotel Burnham gets it right
[Notes on the Packaging: On the two occasions I stayed
The Certified Frustration- there, The Hotel Burnham in
Free Package is recyclable downtown Chicago left me a bottle
and comes without excess of wine and then a bottle of root
packaging materials such beer with a personal note from the
as hard plastic clamshell manager. The root beer was the
casings, plastic bindings, second gift, after I thanked them for
and wire ties. It's designed the wine and told them that I’m not
to be opened without the a wine drinker after the first visit!
use of a box cutter or knife
and will protect your
product just as well as 12
traditional packaging (on
Plaza Cleaners makes a
the right). Products with generous offer
Frustration-Free Packaging Plaza Cleaners will clean
can frequently be shipped someone’s suit for free if they’re
in their own boxes, without unemployed and need the suit for a
an additional shipping box.] job interview.
Marketing
Lagniappe - 29 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

9. Fishermen Wanted:
Marketing
Lagniappe - 30 -
(pronounced ʻlan-yapʼ)

I need your help. I’m desperately seeking a purple goldfish. . .
Actually I’m in search of 1,001 Examples of Marketing Lagniappe for
the book, In Search of Your Purple Goldfish.
REWARD – For each of the first 1,001 examples of lagniappe I will
donate a non-perishable food item to the Thomas Merton Center.
The Merton Center is a soup kitchen in Bridgeport, CT that not only
provides food, but other programs that help people move out of
poverty to become self sufficient.
In addition – each Purple Goldfish example will be featured on the
website marketinglagniappe.com and the best examples will be
featured in my upcoming book.
2 easy ways to contribute:
1 e-mail me your Purple Goldfish to sphelps@synergyevents.com
2 write a comment on this page including your Purple Goldfish
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Bonus: If your ‘purple goldfish’
makes it into the book in 2010 . . .
you will receive a complimentary
signed copy.
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Your 2010 Horoscope:
Find your purple goldfish and watch
your business and career grow
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About the Author
Stanley G. Phelps is Executive Vice President at Synergy Events
Synergy is an award winning experiential marketing agency specializing in mobile marketing tours,
pr events, product launches, retail promotions and sponsorship activation. Stan provides strategic
direction for the marketing and creative for the agency, as well as developing new client
relationships. He brings a strong understanding of how to leverage experiential marketing to drive
brand objectives. Over his four years at Synergy he has partnered to create integrated programs
with industry leading brands such as M&M’s, KFC, Staples, Wachovia, Nike, Starbucks, Callaway,
Old Spice, Crown Royal and Crest. He has also worked to develop events and promotions for
leading organizations such as NASCAR, USTA, PGA of America, Breeders’ Cup and USA Football.
Stan received a BS in Marketing, magna cum laude, from Marist College, as well as his JD/MBA
Contact: from Villanova University. He has served as an adjunct professor at the Tisch School at New York
University in the area of integrated marketing communications. Stan also has been a featured
Stanley G. Phelps
Executive Vice President speaker at International PRSA where he delivered a seminar with colleague Keith Green
sphelps@synergyevents.com on ’Leveraging Experiential Marketing to Drive PR’. He serves as a board member for the Fairfield
732.682.3279 County Sports Commission and as an Advisory Board member for the Villanova Sports &
Twitter: twitter.com/9INCHmarketing Entertainment Law Journal. Stan blogs twice a week on the importance of taking a sensory
Blog: 9inchmarketing.com approach to integrated marketing at 9 INCH MARKETING and is currently writing his first book
Book: marketinglagniappe.com entitled In Search of Your Purple Goldfish.
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