Nice tip Jim. I love the red carpet photo. Smart little extra by DPAC. You made a subtle, but meaningful point. People don't remember events, they remember moments of memorable experiences. Those moments (hat tip to Mastercard) are Priceless. Best, Stan

It kind of looks like an Oscar, but I like the ring of the Golden Ronald. Well deserved Jim. I look forward to seeing the many travels and exploits of you and GR over the next month. Best, Stan

Repman, Folks like Cisco and accenture have 80 to 90% of their staff telecommuting at least on a part time basis. And as a general rule, workplaces are leaning towards granting greater flexibility to employees. This is based on the following three assumptions or reasons: 1. The technology is available and the type of work being done is conducive for telecommuting. 2. It ultimately saves both parties in the long run. Companies save money on office space and employees save money/hassle of commuting. 3. Productivity improves and satisfaction increases. Yet, when the reason stops, therefore should stop the RULE: I can only imagine that #3 is out of whack at Yahoo. According to the leaked memo, the new policy calls for workers “physically being together.” Sometimes you need to take one step backward to take two steps forward. Here is a telling quote from the internal memo: "We need to be working side-by-side. That is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices… Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home.” I applaud Marissa for shaking things up with this gutsy move. She was brought in to breathe new life into a stagnant culture. iPhones and free lunches are nice, but its time to get everyone off their remote island and back onto the boat. They is no gray in this decision, meaning no wiggle room or exceptions to the “no telecommuting” rule. It will be an interesting "all-hands-on-deck" summer at Yahoo! Will it be smooth sailing or feel more like shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic? I smell an iceberg. Best, Stan

The rules have changed. The customer now has the conch. Your product or service and the custormer experience is ultimately your marketing. The big question is, "Are we giving them something to talk, tweet, blog and post to Facebook about?" Best, Stan @9inchmarketing 'The longest and hardest nine inches in marketing... is the distance between the brain and the heart of your customer'

Thanks Anna. Really enjoyed our conversation. I truly believe that marketing should be more about the customer and less about the prospect. The little things can make a big difference. Warmest regards, Stan @9inchmarketing 'The longest and hardest nine inches in marketing is the distance between the brain and the heart of your customer.'

Steve, Nice post. I can already envision that 10 minute comedy set: Do you know the definition of polygamy? Answer: Having one wife too many. How about the definition of monogamy? Answer: Same thing. Having one wife too many. Enjoy the Labor Day weekend, Stan

Great post Steve. Customer Experience is the new marketing and holy grail. Everyone wants to go heaven, but few are willing to pay the price.

Joe, I also caught the BA activation last week and entered the contest http://britishairways.promo.eprize.com/contest/gallery?id=366 Best, Stan PS - It's Grand Central Terminal, not Grand Central Station. The reason being that no trains pass through GCT, they either start or end there.

Donna, Superb post. I love Top 10 lists. You've hit the nail on the head with regard to customer expectations. Customers have champagne expectations and beer money. I'm poaching the examples of HUB, Donna Spears and Bleu Salon for the 'Purple Goldfish Project'. The project is my goal of trying to find 1,001 examples of marketing lagniappe. Thanks for contributing. Warmest regards, Stan

David, Very rarely do you find someone who has done the entire gamut of publishing. Your experience is almost akin to the ascent of a musical band. There is no one path, but as a general rule you have to grind to build your platform. PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE. Thanks for sharing and breaking it down in 8 tips. Best, Stan @9inchmarketing #PurpleGoldfishProject

Agency To Prospect: We look forward to coming back with some concepts. Can you provide some financial bumpers of what you would like to spend on the project? Prospect to Agency: We don't want to constrain your thinking. If it's the right idea . . . we'll find the money. Come back with a variety of ideas and lay them out like a chinese menu. [Child please . . . get your own beef with broccoli] Best, Stan #PurpleGoldfishProject

From the post: "In these times of influencer marketing, having loyal customers isn’t good enough, we need brand advocates" I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE It cost 5 times the amount of $ to obtain a new customer than it does to keep a current one. The problem is that most companies are so focused on the prospective customer (the two in the bush), that they neglect their strongest marketing asset (the one in hand) . . . their customers. Imagine if you flip the traditional approach which focuses 80% on the purchase funnel (ie. prospects). What if you invested that 80% into your current customers. What if instead of meeting expectations, you went above and beyond to provide that little signature something extra. It's what I call a 'Purple Goldfish' and it the practice of marketing lagniappe. Here are some examples: It might be the free peanuts or extra fries at 'Five Guys Burgers & Fries' or that fact that 'bags fly free' on Southwest. It could be the 'free penny arcade' change machine and weekend hours at TD Bank or the chocolate chip cookie when you check in at the Doubletree. I'm on a quest to find 1,001 purple goldfish for charity in support of my upcoming book, 'In Search of Your Purple Goldfish. We're currently at 162 and I'm looking for help. Fisherman wanted. For more information or to find out how you can leverage the original WOM stimulant to increase retention, generate loyalty and create evangelists, check out http://marketinglagniappe.com/blog/1001-examples-of-lagniappe Best, Stan #PurpleGoldfishProject

Excellent takeaway Mark. Brands don't have to big things . . . if they can get the little things right. Thanks again for providing a couple of examples for 'The Purple Goldfish Project'. http://marketinglagniappe.com/blog/1001-examples-of-lagniappe Best, Stan