I get so much joy out of little surprises. An adorable Google Doodle, a perfect callback in a TV show, a Diet Dr. Pepper in the fridge with a note from my husband—they can make my day.
As a business owner, I've been thinking about how I can deliver the same mood-lifting experience for my clients. You can't doomscroll LinkedIn without seeing at least one post about "surprising and delighting" customers—but what does that actually mean in practice?
I think it's best to show, not tell, so here are some examples of surprise and delight marketing that I think work wonders.
16 surprise and delight examples in marketing
How you surprise and delight your customers will of course depend on who your customers are. So I looked across industries and audiences to find some examples that can inspire you, no matter who you're selling to.
1. Omnisend's T-shirts
Pija Ona Indriūnaitė, a brand manager at Omnisend, uses the traditional concept of swag—but with a twist. She sends unique (and, I'd argue, hilarious) T-shirts to customers:
Customers who don't reply to customer success managers get a shirt that says "I ghosted Omnisend, so they sent me this awesome T-shirt."
Their busiest clients get one that says "Another meeting that could have been an email."
And for the customers that hate spam, a T-shirt with a big can of Spam on it.
Sure, they're a bit on the nose, but they absolutely brighten people's day—and they're memorable. Very few B2B companies would be bold enough to go this route. "We try to be relatable and sometimes even sarcastic. We want to stay entertaining and interesting and show that we don't take the business world too seriously," Pija explains. "At the end of the day, all of us are just people who want to feel connected."
2. Smartbridge's social media
Brooke Browne, Marketing Director at tech consulting company Smartbridge, does her best to change the idea that IT consulting is a snoozefest. She instituted what she calls Witty Whiteboard Wednesdays: "It began as hand drawn dad jokes on a whiteboard, and we'd post a picture of it on LinkedIn. We've even created a coffee table book for our office guests waiting in the lobby!"
After posting these jokes consistently for five years, she's still surprised at how much they resonate with Smartbridge's ideal customers. "On separate occasions, we've had CIOs and other IT staff tell us that they look at their LinkedIn stream specifically to find our jokes," she says. That's impressive.
3. The New Yorker's loading screens
Loading screens can be frustrating, but they're also an opportunity to make customers smile. That happens to me every time I load up my New Yorker app. It switches between cheeky phrases like "Checking facts…" or "Adjusting monocle…" until the home screen appears. It's subtle, but it gets me every time.
B2B companies can make this work, too. Salesforce, for example, switches up its loading screen for each quarterly release, matching its animal mascots to seasonal activities (think: Zig the Zebra sledding). And Contentful matches The New Yorker's witty loading copy.
4. LEGO's 404 page
404 pages are another pain point you can transform into a laugh.
LEGO's 404 page has an amusing tagline ("Oh bricks!") and even more clever subtext: "We'll try not to lose our head over this, but if we do…we'll put it back on." It got a chuckle out of me, at least.
5. Numeric's confetti screen
Many companies give customers certificates if they pass a course or send them swag for writing a review. But why not congratulate people on their day-to-day accomplishments?
Numeric, an AI accounting automation platform, is making a point to recognize the everyday wins. CEO Parker Gilbert told me: "There's a confetti celebration whenever accounting teams complete their month-end close on Numeric. Is it groundbreaking? No. But considering how much of a grind the month-end close can be, we think it's a decent acknowledgment of a team's perseverance."
He adds that he's dedicating a non-trivial amount of time in the next quarter to figuring out how to motivate teams that cut a day or two off their close time, close an entire quarter, or complete an audit. "Even minor features humanize the experience and foster trust and retention."
6. A university's postcard campaign
Most of the snail mail I get is either a bill or a request for a donation. A thoughtful note is sure to break the pattern.
Reddit user fergie_3, who works for a university, pitched the idea of sending postcards with handwritten messages to alumni athletes on the anniversary of a big milestone:
"Our softball team won the World Series in 2018, and this year is the 5-year anniversary. I want to send each player on that team a postcard that just says, 'Hey, this was awesome, and we still remember it!' Something they would definitely post on socials and keep on their fridge."
It wasn't (directly) about getting donations—it was about reliving an awesome memory together.
7. Channeltivity's onboarding
You can bake a surprise and delight moment into any part of your customer experience.
Channeltivity, channel management software, adds new customer logos and color schemes every time it spins up a new instance. This saves customers a step during setup and makes their partner portal already feel like it's their own the first time they log in.
8. mazi + zo's gift orders
Lizzy Klein, Creative Director and Owner of mazi + zo jewelry, makes gifting easier for her customers:
"When I see that a customer is shipping to a different address from billing, I contact them and ask if they'd like me to include a gift note. And if it's a big order or a repeat customer, I'll offer to gift box it, too."
A quick double-check has a big influence on satisfaction and loyalty—customers know they can count on Lizzy to take the tiniest details into account. "I get the nicest replies!" she says.
9. An executive assistant's daily habit
Redditor redthoughtful is an executive assistant, and they get ideas for surprise and delight moments by saying "Let me see what I can do," at least once a day.
"I hear the ask, then start calling around to see if I can make it happen. [...] I also keep an eye on my boss' sent folder, to try and get ahead of him if I can. For example, he was in New York and emailed a place to see if they had reservations available. I went ahead and called and found out they had inside or garden available. Booked garden, then called to see which he wanted. Garden. Boom, already done. Here's your confirmation screenshot sent as a text.
Proactively thinking about how they can simplify or improve the client experience builds trust—they become the go-to person their boss can count on.
10. OneScreen's award nominations
One of the best surprises a professional can get is winning an award, and Charlie Riley, Head of Marketing at OneScreen, facilitates that—nominating his customers for awards he thinks they could or should win. As for the logistics: "Depending on the complexity of the questions on the submission form, I'll either let them know ahead of time to get their answers or share with them after the submission/winners are announced."
I do something similar on a much smaller scale. For example, I share podcasts I think my clients may be a good fit for as a guest. I've even pitched one of my clients' stories to our university's alumni magazine (and it got published!).
11. Annum's conference passes
Patty Radford Henderson, founder and CEO of Annum, speaks at national marketing conferences regularly, and she's often able to get a free guest pass. Rather than keeping the tickets for her team, she gives them away to customers.
"I love offering tickets to customers who live where a conference is being held. This generates a lot of goodwill and gives me an opportunity to spend one-on-one time with users of our software."
Even better, her donated tickets help customers broaden brand awareness within their target audience. "It's a win-win proposition," she says.
12. A.M. Custom Clothing's plant-a-tree shipping option
I found quite a few companies that surprise and delight in a way that directly aligns with their values. One great example: A.M. Custom Clothing, a B2B company that provides sustainable print and embroidered clothing. As a company, they place a heavy focus on the environment, so they plant ten trees in a designated forest for each of their top-spending customers. They also have a "plant a tree" shipping option for customers who are particularly sustainability-conscious.
Kelly Redican, their Marketing Coordinator, told me: "These initiatives resonate with like-minded, environmentally responsible brands and are not only a token of appreciation but also help strengthen customer loyalty."
13. A coffee shop's way of turning a bad day around
A pick-me-up can transform a customer's day and deeply impact their impression of your brand. Gauri Manglik, CEO and co-founder of Instrumentl, told a story about her experience at a local coffee shop:
"When I ordered my usual latte, the barista noticed me sigh heavily. He gave a knowing nod and said, 'I've got just the thing to turn that frown upside down.' Moments later, he handed me a latte decorated with a smiley face in the foam."
That simple gesture lifted her spirits and left such an impression she goes out of her way to go to that same coffee shop, even years later.
14. Chubbies' customer service
Customers have come to expect refunds, promotions, and kind words from customer service. What they don't always expect is humor.
Chubbies, a clothing brand, reacted brilliantly when they found out a customer's shorts were taken from his locker. They not only sent him a new pair—they also gifted him a set of karate lessons.
15. Owala's logo change
Owala is known for its approachable marketing. Recently, it's taken a page out of Google's book and changes up its logo depending on the season. Here's what it looks like in October.
It's a small touch, but it surprises and delights—and maybe makes people more likely to see what else is new.
16. My boxing gym's 50-class celebration
The boxing gym I go to does a great job of celebrating members. When you hit 50 classes, they bring you up on stage with the instructor, put on your favorite song, and play up the experience with fun lighting and encouragement. I'll admit, it's a tad embarrassing. But it also made me feel like I'd accomplished something big and pushed me to keep it up (and re-up my membership).
How to surprise and delight your customers
Sifting through these examples, I began to notice a few patterns. Here are a few things you can tap into to start surprising and delighting.
Have fun. We all need a reminder once in a while not to take unimportant things too seriously. Why not take the lead? Just be sure you read the room—and never make things fun at the expense of your customers.
Celebrate milestones. Even the smallest milestones can be transformed into a big deal. Celebrating your customers' wins makes them feel like you're on the journey with them—just be sure it feels authentic (or cheeky).
Make things easier. People will never stop being busy, and that means they'll always appreciate you taking something off their plate. Small gestures can take a bit more effort and resources to bake into your product or services, but they're worth it.
Thank your customers. Your customers are the reason your company exists, so show your appreciation. I leave a note on all of my invoices to remind customers how grateful I am to work with them: "Thank you so much for your business. This is helping me shape a career I love!"
Use these tips as inspiration, and then personalize it so it feels right for your business and authentic to your customers. If you're still feeling stuck, here's what I suggest.
Run through your customers' workflow. What are they doing day-to-day that's boring, hard, or thankless? Think of a few ways to jazz it up. It might involve your product or service, or it might be totally unrelated.
Run through your own workflow. When do you engage with customers? Think of a few ways you could surprise and delight during those touchpoints.
And if all else fails: try a bad idea brainstorm.
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