All About the Benjamins

I’m reading Free Prize Inside in preparation for Seth Godin’s junket stop at Brand Autopsy on the upcoming Business Blog Book Tour #3.

Near the end of the book, Seth gives guidance on where to find “free prize” ideas. This is where I read about a BRILLIANTLY SIMPLE idea.

SETH WRITES:
"I got a nice note from a banker in Texas. She had a limited budget, and she wanted to promote the fact that the bank had more ATMs in the community than the competition. My idea? Without telling anyone, start putting a few $100 bills in the $20 bill storage bin of the ATMs. Not too many, just a few, at random."

Brilliantly simple, eh? But the banker never implemented the brilliantly simple idea because she failed at championing the idea within the bank.

More ruminations on Free Prize Inside to come on Tuesday, May 4 when the BBBT#3 stops at Brand Autopsy.

Comments

[Brand Examiner Paul]

johnmoore - you're giving away our content for the book tour... folks will have to come back on May 4th for those type of nuggets...

[Daylin Breen]

Starbucks could do something similar to the $100 bills in the bank machine (see Free Prize Inside by Seth Godin). I was in Starbucks (Canada) on Friday and they were giving away free Frappuccinos all day. The resulting long line-up and impatient customers was not the best environment to walk into (there were literally sixty people in line and another sixty or so drinks lined up to be made). The employees were still smiling though. Instead of giving away 500-1000 free drinks per store for a day…why not set the point-of-sale system to randomly (and secretly) give transaction #X away for free. Then let people know the “free perk” happens every day in every store. I think it would transcend gimmick status quickly.