A few weeks ago, Jonathan Richman from my team at Bridge Worldwide sent me this photo of complimentary disinfecting wipes that are available at our local Kroger stores near the shopping carts at the store entrance. I’m not sure if he specifically noticed this due to Swine Flu concerns, his growing traffic at his blog, Dose of Digital, or the fact that he is reading an advance copy of my book. Whatever the reason, it’s a nice reminder that little details can make a powerful impression on customers.
Kroger (full disclosure: a client of ours) and Clorox have actually been providing free disinfecting wipes for years. It is a very smart way to show the quality of service and amount of concern for shoppers at a “moment of truth,” that first step into the store. Interestingly, I could see an argument that providing these wipes could actually be a negative: They could send a signal that the store is dirty. But Kroger took the risk because it is the right thing to do for its customers. The recent concern over Swine Flu makes it even more critical.
Is this marketing? Is this a service? I’m not sure and it doesn’t really matter. What counts is that Kroger was thinking about the details and caring for the people who come through its doors each week. And the moment this blog post went up, it became word-of-mouth marketing… with meaning.
Let’s not forget giving Clorox some credit for this as well. I’d guess they are the real sponsors for this and are providing product for free. Who gets the credit for Marketing with Meaning here?
I agree that often the small details can make a big difference in successful, lasting marketing!
Just finished a book that you might enjoy:The Power of Small: Why Little Things Make All the Difference by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval
definitely, you don’t always have to make a big splash to get a bit return on your efforts so long as what you do is well thought through and has the little details that matter and are important!