I was talking to one of my clients the other day, discussing the importance of emotion when it comes to any buying decision, and we got to talking about our most recent car ownership experiences: He had had a horrible experience, ironically, with a start-up claiming to be fixing the customer experience for buying and selling automobiles. “Even their emails felt generic,” he remarked. “I got the sense that they didn’t even know my name.”
Oh geez, I almost felt bad telling him my story since I had had a series of “wow” moments both during and after my car’s service visit. The folks at Royal Motors in San Francisco got all the small things right: I received texts from my account rep with updates about the car, was reimbursed for cab fare, and when I did pick up the vehicle, was pleasantly surprised to find the inside vacuumed and the car fully-charged (it’s one of the new Audi hybrids). A day later, I got a call to make sure things were running smoothly.
“They didn’t stop loving me once they got my money!” I joked. To which my client replied, “It’s almost like they wanted a long-term relationship with you.” And that’s precisely it.
These were small things, I told my client, but they were all minor reaffirmations that I had made a “badass” decision with my original purchase. I went on to explain that his company — and really every organization — should be in the business of badass marketing.
The basic idea is this: How do you make sure your customers or members or partners (or really anyone associated with your business) feels like a badass. If they feel like a badass, they will explicitly and implicitly tell the world.
Here are a few of my favorite hits and misses of badass marketing:
- My son Dash is a Lego VIP Member (VIP rhymes with free), and fairly often he receives free bonus sets as he/we purchase more Legos. He also gets early access to exclusive sets, so Dad was able to acquire the Mos Eisley Cantina before it sold out. Man children can be badasses, too.
- WUNDER is a new cannabis beverage (and client) and on their cans is a number you can text if you’re “wundering” about something. I sometimes will ask for new Dad jokes. I suppose you could ask about how many calories are in it, but what a fun way to make someone feel like they’re in on something special with such a direct connection.
- Instagram is one big badass marketing opportunity, literally handed to you by your followers. People like me (what I call “ordinary influencers” with less than 1000 followers but still socially savvy) post positive content about their meals, new clothes, and experiences and tend to tag any associated brands and businesses. I get that Gucci might not be able to like or comment on every single ‘gram but it shocks me that so many local and smaller companies don’t get the value of liking, or even better, commenting on these posts. Anyone who tags your business is just waiting for you to make them feel like a badass. This holds true on other social networks: I reached to Michael Bastian on LinkedIn to congratulate him for taking over design at Brooks Brothers (he wrote back in 5 minutes!), and I regularly tweet at authors whose books I’ve just read (getting about a 50% response). Still waiting on a reply, Bret Easton Ellis!
- I’m an investor in Schroeder’s, a modern German beer hall in San Francisco, and each one of us has our own etched stein; the best part is we get a “free” beer with each visit. Playing to the ego is a great tactic since I’m humble bragging to my drinking companions that I’m somebody, but it also gives them an emotional tie and memory to that business. I can’t wait to chug again at Schroeder’s, post pandemic. Over in Boston, Bukowski’s has a legendary mug club, and I will never forget the crazy commotion and congrats that a college pal received when gulped down the last beer on his card. We are talking 20+ years ago and I’m still talking about it.
- When I created the Yelp Elite Squad, one of my goals was to build a platform for regular people — not fancy food critics and vapid local glitterati — to feel like a regular at Cheers, where everyone knows your name. By having real people writing real reviews, I wanted business owners to truly “see” their fans, and even be able to reach out to them. I used to tell my team that everybody’s favorite word — in any language — was their own name.
This could apply to B2B marketing as well. Expensify makes filing your expenses not a chore and almost fun, and I remember high-fiving the first finance manager who made me use it. I still recommend Buffer for social media management after a founder I respect told me that she’d never felt so on top of her company’s social channels.
Everyday life is full of badass marketing opportunities: Each month, my wife gets something badass from Enclosed, and then it’s business time for us both. Every time someone comes over to our house and tells me how cool our Pro-Ject record player looks and sounds, I’m reminded to buy more vinyl. My favorite hotel in Sonoma is MacArthur Place because their staff always delights us with an upgrade or in-room surprise, now that we’re semi-regulars. Picking the perfect interior designer (Ken Fulk, Mead Quin and Paulina Perrault come to mind) is ideally just an extension of your own good taste and badass aesthetics!
Got upgraded to first-class with mileage points? Badass. That waiter who says, “Excellent choice” when you order your entrée? Badass. Thanking your postal worker and delivery people for doing their jobs? That’s badass, too, since you’re effectively making people dig your own personal brand.
If you can make someone feel like a badass, then they are going to buy again, and tell their friends. Make people feel special at every opportunity. Reply to every legitimate email and LinkedIn request, and do so with a smile. Take the time to personalize. Commit to everyday hospitality. The world is too crappy to not bother being badass about it… but I know you know this since you’re smart and on it, and might I add looking especially good today.
