My son Asher just had minor surgery. Everything turned out just fine, but ahead of time he was a little nervous. Specifically, he was concerned about being wheeled away from me, into the operating room.
Enter… The Bubble Parade!
To ease his fears, the pediatric nurses created a “bubble parade” by blowing little soap bubbles from a wand as he went into the O.R. Immediately, Asher smiled and forgot to be afraid.
As a parent, I felt gratitude for this small but meaningful touch.
As a marketer, I was awed:
I’d just witnessed my son’s customer experience switch from anxiety to anticipation in less than 10 seconds.
This interaction was:
» Simple to execute
» Immediately beneficial
» Virtually free
» Replicable
» Rewarding for both the customer and the employee
This moment reinforced my belief in the power of fascinating customer experiences to build connection and loyalty, often with little time or expense. The hospital was no longer a commodity– it was a hero.
In my book, I outline six Gold Hallmarks for a fascinating brand or experience. The first Gold Hallmark is: Create a strong and immediate emotional connection.
Marketers talk about “emotional connection,” yet rarely do we literally help customers literally feel an emotion. When we do, we can transform our customer’s entire experience.
What is your company’s version of The Bubble Parade?
If Florida Hospital can turn the sterile environment of the O.R. into a magical Bubble Parade, what tiny detail could transform your company’s customer experience?
Can you identify a pain point in your buyer’s process.. and turn it into a high point?
How can you involve your employees in the process of doing something heroic for your customer?
If you can find even just one way to engage your customers, you can switch them from avoidance to attraction. (Asher has already asked when we can go back to the hospital for another play date.)
Now, here’s my question for you:
Have you recently had an unexpectedly simple yet power experience like this? Something that sparked a strong and immediate emotional response toward a product or service?
Tell me about it! Leave me a comment below. I’m always looking for new examples to highlight and share.
11 Comments
Thanks for sharing such a personal experience and how you grew as a result of it. It might sound cliche but your experience literally demonstrates that “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” when you have the right mind set!