Thoughts on a WhitePaper: Surprise And Delight Amplifies Loyalty Marketing Strategies

[129/365] Surprise Present

A mentor of mine forwarded me a whitepaper: How Surprise And Delight Amplifies Loyalty Marketing Strategies” by CrowdTwist, which I enjoyed, because I am one of those consumers impressed by this marketing tactic. However, it got me thinking deeper about my recent purchasing decisions.

I’ve actually stopped spending money at Starbucks and switched to cheaper, plainer coffee, at Tim Horton’s because I feel rewarded as a customer, and also because their Dark Roast is pretty good. (Tim Horton’s is a Canadian brand utilizing this tactic very well, with the Roll Up the Coffee Rim surprise and reward tactic. Bigger cup size means two chances to win.)

Keep Up the Momentum

Interestingly enough, I think Starbucks started off really well by working towards acquiring new suburban clients (Markham, Richmond Hill, etc.). How? They introduced a coupon structure (much like McDonald’s) for a few weeks, and that disappeared, once they had the desired numbers through their doors. They should have kept up the momentum.

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The Myth of ‘The Writer’ and the New Writer

interviewing a legend

Talk to almost anyone who has pursued higher education, especially a master’s degree, and they will tell you, the main benefit is the network. Now, almost five months after graduating from my MA, I see the importance of those networks. From them, I have been inspired to start a multidisciplinary salon series, join a writer’s collective, and now, with two friends from the LitMod program, start a feminist literary journal called Canthius.

Drawing by Cira Nickel

Drawing by Cira Nickel

Last night, after talking to poet Hoa Nguyen after her poetry workshop, I agreed with her that yes, poetry, and writing, and the creative business can be lonely and siloed. It made me think how we can benefit from creative networks almost as much as anyone in business or tech and other fields. It is a disservice these days, in talks, in books and advice to creatives, to not give higher importance to building a network. In fact, it is a disservice to think of creative fields as somehow so different and far removed from other sectors. We can no longer differentiate so clearly the lines and borders between roles and titles. Continue reading