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On Tuesday night I accidentally (on purpose) spent too much money at a shoe store. In my defense, the store was John Fluevog and anyone who has ever worn Fluevog shoes knows that the comfort is well worth the price tag. Plus, the staff who greet me are always very knowledgeable and attentive, and the shopping experiences are pleasant ones.
During this particular shopping trip I received a special surprise at the cash register. No, it wasn’t a free pair of shoes, which would have been incredible. It was a special gift with purchase, “a thank you for being a valued customer,” according to the customer service rep. This gift with purchase was no ordinary kitsch, though. It was The Fluevog “Adult” Colouring Book.
Now don’t get any fancy ideas, the customer service rep explained that “Adult” was included so that those of a certain age felt like they had renewed permission to participate in colouring book activities (“if the book says it’s so, then it must be true!”) Therefore, there is no “Adult” content in this colouring book; instead the book has twenty Fluevog shoe designs, one on each page, with an intro from John inviting you to add your own “creative wonderment” to each piece. I think this gift with purchase is genius, and I’ll tell you why.
1. The connection to the brand.
Fluevog designs are expertly handcrafted, very high quality and, above all, delightfully playful and wonderfully unique. With this colouring book, Fluevog connects consumers with the playful creativity that he brings to his designs. Consumers can explore their own creativity with Fluevog shoes. As John writes in his intro, “Life is short, playing is genius.” This is Fluevog’s approach to his shoes and his business and he is extending that passion for creativity to his consumers.
2. The $5.50 price tag on the front cover.
Although it’s not positioned for individual purchase (the book sits out of sight behind the counter), the colouring book bears a $5.50 price tag on the cover. Displaying the price gives the gift obvious monetary value to the consumer. Placing a dollar value on this item motivates consumers to keep the item versus toss is away as a trinket.
3. The deep engagement with the brand.
Some consumers will develop a deeper, more personal connection with the brand by engaging with the colouring book. Because of its monetary value, consumers are more likely to keep it around and may even break out the Crayola as well. Having twenty different shoes to colour means consumers may spend a lot of quality time with John Fluevog shoes, and on a very personal level since they are putting their own creative mark on the designs.
4. The promotional component as afterthought.
What I especially love about this book is the small promotional call out at the back of the book. John Fluevog invites you to submit your own shoe design and it could become actual shoes. Instead of pushing this kind promotion at the front of the book, Fluevog placed it at the back; after consumers have expressed their creative wonderment on the twenty pages of the colouring book they will be more likely to be inspired with a shoe design of their own.
5. The piece is just so unique.
Never before have I seen this type of item given as a gift with purchase to adults. It’s refreshing to see a brand put real thought behind how to connect their giveaways to their brand and be memorable on top of that.
Will the colouring book make me purchase more shoes? Probably not; the craftsmanship and comfort is really what keeps me going back to Fluevog. Still, the book has achieved something with this consumer: a blog post, word of mouth, and from that comes potential new customers.
Neil Hopkins
February 7, 2012 @ 4:10 am
Great story – and a brilliant example of how brands can take a small action which creates a big reaction in the consumer. I’m especially delighted because I wrote a piece in September last year called Surprise & Delight – and your experience bears out the hypothesis! (More here, if you’re interested: http://interacter.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/surprise-and-delight/ )
If only more brands were able to think like this, I suspect that we’d see brand loyalty shooting up for those companies.
And at the moment, with the massive amounts of economic and social turbulence that we’re all experiencing, brand loyalty is something to be cherished. It’s my belief that individuals will spend with the brands that they’re loyal to, and have never been let down by, even if the price tag is above some competitors.
Why? Because it’s better (I believe) to spend £100 on a pair of shoes that you KNOW from experience will last several years than risk £75 on a pair that look as good but leave you with a lingering doubt that they’ll be gone in 12 months. Although the saving is immediate, the future spending (i.e. loss) potential (and increased uncertainty about personal future wellbeing – “Will I be able to afford to replace these in 12 months?”) outweighs that immediate gain.
It’s only a theory and probably only applicable to higher order items, but I’d love to know what you think…
Sylvie
February 7, 2012 @ 11:27 am
I am definitely one to see the value of buying for quality – even if that comes with a higher price tag. I make the assumption that for some products what I buy now at a premium should last me forever.
I’m actually dealing with this kind of purchase dilemma at this very moment. A chest of drawers has broken in my house and it needs to be replaced. I am struggling with the decision to buy something cheap à la IKEA that I know will need to be replaced in 3-5 years, versus this Pottery Barn beauty that will set me back a few bucks but the piece will likely be something my future children argue over when I downsize: http://www.potterybarn.com/products/alden-reclaimed-wood-dresser/?pkey=cdressers.
Returning to the topic of surprise and delight, your own article does a great job at summing up the mentality of the consumer who experiences it and the value for the business when it comes to longterm loyalty. I would add to it that the surprise-and-delight method can be an effective tactic, as long as a reliable and consistent consumer experience is maintained.
Joel Derksen
February 7, 2012 @ 5:46 pm
Love Fluevog. Instant brand loyalty there — the manifesto is right on the bottom of the shoe.
I know friends who have been stomping around toronto in the same Fluevog boots for 15 years. They still look amazing.
Neil Hopkins
February 13, 2012 @ 11:39 am
Hey Sylvie
Thanks for the input! I’ve got to make a few additions to posts over the next few weeks, so I’ll schedule this in as well.
Thank you
Neil
Ken Easson
February 16, 2012 @ 4:32 am
I noted in your post that the gift came as a surprise after your decision to purchase. One of the areas in sales that is so often done poorly is The after sales “Thank You”. So often the last part of a sale is “here’s your change”, “don’t forget to take your card back”, “do you want your reciept” so the customer walks away from the store all too aware of how much they just spent, rather than on what they just got.
There are a few aspects of the thank you that this gift with purchase highlights. #1 it confirms that the buyer made the right decision. As they walk out, they feel good about having just shopped at your store. #2 it’s just good manners. I’ve had experiences where as soon as my money leaves my hand, the sales person seems to turn from Dr. Jekel into Mr. Hyde. and i’m left wondering – just how much did i just get ripped off? #3 It reinforces the personal aspect of the experience. Your not just a customer, your a person, an important one. There is also the opportunity to add “please come again” with the implicit idea “you are important to our business”.
It’s possible that John Fluevog could subsist simply on it’s reputation, but they clearly hope for more than that, i’m impressed with the gift you recieved because is shows an amazing way to really say “thank you for shopping with us, YOU are an important part of our business. please come again.”