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Everyone loved my story about Garrett Popcorn (check out “Business Excellence: Lessons from Garrett Popcorn” posted 08/04/10) — and I received a lot of terrific comments from you, my readers. I was happy with the popcorn, the story, and the feedback, and I didn’t think the Garrett Popcorn experience could get any better.
Everyone loved my story about Garrett Popcorn (check out “Business Excellence: Lessons from Garrett Popcorn” posted 08/04/10) — and I received a lot of terrific comments from you, my readers. I was happy with the popcorn, the story, and the feedback, and I didn’t think the Garrett Popcorn experience could get any better.
But, it did.
Turns out the good folks at Garrett Popcorn saw the story (and all your feedback) here on my blog. And they liked it! They posted a link to the story on their Twitter and Facebook accounts – and shared my story worldwide! I was honored and thankful for their attention. But wait, there’s still more! It gets even better…
As a ‘thank-you’ — and to make sure I didn’t forget just how good their popcorn is — Garrett Popcorn sent me a can of their Chicago Mix! My very own can of Chicago Mix shipped fresh from Chicago – this is better than Christmas morning except that my beloved wife, Mary, was out of town at the time.
The folks at Garrett Popcorn sure know how to market their product to build excitement and exceed expectations!
First, the labeling on the 
shipping box itself is designed to build anticipation. Printed on the outside of the shipping box is this message:
“OPEN IMMEDIATELY. DO WE REALLY NEED TO SAY IT?”
I smile, amused at this clever, yet truthful statement. Do they really need to say ‘Open Immediately’?
Of course not. They could have shipped the popcorn in a plain brown box. But instead, they took what could have been the ordinary experience of opening a plain shipping box and turned it into an extraordinary experience – one that I as a customer will remember and talk about!
By using the shipping box to build anticipation and excitement about the product inside, they deliver fantastic popcorn and they also deliver a unique and fun experience for the recipient…and I can’t wait to tear it open!
And the fun doesn’t stop there! After I rip the box open I find yet another note:
“GETTING CLOSER.”
Are you kidding me? They’re teasing me — and it’s brilliant! They could have stopped with the message on the outside of the box (and they’d still be ahead!) but they kept it going!
Too bad Mary will probably never see any of this Chicago Mix. I’ll save her the notes and the box!
Picture me sitting on the couch with a can of the greatest popcorn ever. I can’t tell you how excited I was to have a whole can of fresh Chicago Mix. I was in popcorn heaven eating as fast as I could with pure enjoyment. For those few moments, I didn’t think about calories, property taxes, baseball scores, or sharing…
Then, several handfuls later – and make no mistake, each handful was bulging and generous – I remembered the part about sharing. I thought of Mary, knowing how much she had enjoyed the little bag I brought home from my last visit to Chicago. With sticky, cheesy fingers, I stopped myself and put the lid back on my treasured can of oh-so delectable Chicago Mix.
Garrett Popcorn did it again; they exceeded my expectations. Can they do it again? I have to be in Chicago on October 11th for business and I’m going a day early just to visit the Garret Popcorn store. I will be taking video of my experience, so stay tuned or, better yet, join me in Chicago. I am convinced I will have another popcorn adventure that will exceed my expectations. How can you exceed your customers’ expectations?
By the way I saved half the can for Mary. Guess what Mary’s getting for Christmas?
