🎥 The Bottom Line is the video series marketing leaders have been craving: honest, unfiltered conversations with top CMOs (and me) about what's actually happening in marketing right now. 

No buzzwords, just real talk on AI, team burnout, measurement pressure, and how the best marketers are adapting. Big thanks to Monday.com for making this happen. 

🎁 Jay's Faves

I'm a big music guy. I even co-founded the radio station at The University of Arizona while I was there. 

In keeping with last edition's burning question about guilty music pleasures, here are seven albums I've been listening to lately (guilt-free) that maybe you'll like...

Antidepressants by London Suede: Brit-pop album delivering powerful emotions, catchy melodies, and nostalgic 90s vibe. 

A Matter of Time by Laufey: Jazz-infused pop; soulful vocals, romantic melodies, timeless and soothing experience.

Billionaire by Kathleen Edwards: Americana meets rock (but she's Canadian); introspective lyrics, strong vocals, deeply personal storytelling. 

Redwood Highway by The California Honeydrops: Funk-infused blues and modern soul; vibrant energy, lots of horns, infectious groove, feel-good vibes.

Moisturizer by Wet Leg: My wife's favorite band. Indie British rock with quirky lyrics, energetic beats, humorously rebellious, undeniably catchy.

All the Right Weaknesses by Brown Horse: Alt-country sound; introspective ballads, heartfelt vocals, great road trip tunes.

The Black Boltz by Tunde Adebimpe: Experimental rock from the lead singer of TV on the Radio, eclectic sounds, innovative rhythms, repeat listenings rewarded.

If you like any of these, email me and let me know!

📖 Book Report

My friend Joe Pulizzi has written the best guide to modern lifestyle design and entrepreneurship with Burn The Playbook. 

I'm giving this book to every person I know (including my adult children) who yearn to make something happen in their life.

Yes, I endorse the book on the back cover, but I like my pal Ann Handley's praise better:

"...the manifesto every frustrated employee and aspiring entrepreneur needs. Stop playing someone else's game and start building something that truly matters."

‼️ Add Tiny Delights to Humdrum Customer Interactions

Some truths for you:

1️⃣ The best way to grow any business is for customers to tell their friends.

2️⃣ True word of mouth is more important today than ever before, because it's the one form of marketing that AI can't fake.

3️⃣ Competency doesn't create conversations. We discuss what is different and ignore what is expected.

If you accept these truths (and if you need more evidence, read my book Talk Triggers), then you might also believe the key to creating word of mouth is to take what your business does that is better than average, and transform it into the extraordinary.

Nope.

Turns out, there's a fourth important truth:

4️⃣ The more humdrum and routine the customer interaction, the more adding panache will yield word of mouth.

Here are three examples that might inspire you.

Jay Baer Business Cards

For years (until breweries all switched to cans) my business cards were these metal bottle openers. People kept them, remembered them, and TALKED about them. 

You can still find dozens of blog posts written about the Jay Baer business cards. 

It works because it's useful, but also because it adds a little delight to something prosaic and boring...business cards.

Graduate Hotels Room Keys

Graduate Hotels are located in college towns across America, with a couple locations now in Europe.

In each property, the room keys are student identification cards from actual or presumed (for fictional characters) graduates of that university. People collect them, trade them, and try to complete the set. 

It works because it's specific, thematic, and what is more boring than a hotel room key? 

Graduate is now owned by Hilton, and I've read they are going to phase these out and return to hotel-branded keys, which seems like a colossal waste of word of mouth in exchange for one penny per room additional expense.

Fern Bar Summer Drinks Menu

Most cocktail bars publish 3-4 seasonal menus. But the menus themselves are usually uninteresting. Just a recitation of ingredients and maybe some cocktails names have some puns in them.

Not Fern Bar. This Kansas City drinks establishment is only 18 months old, but already drawing acclaim for not just their booze prowess, but their delightful vibe. 

For the summer, they created not just an entire drinks menu devoted to summer camp, but a full interactive experience complete with gamification and awards. 

They invented a fake island and a fictional camp, complete with a map. Patrons are either on Team Sugarcane or Team Agave and accumulate points for activities, some of them themed:

• Try a new agave spirit = 7 points
• Leave a review = 8 points
• Bring a friend to camp = 5 points
• Wear a SCOUTING UNIFORM to camp = 20 points
• etc.

At the end of the season, points are redeemable for gift cards, merch, and free food.

And of course, all the drinks for the summer are camp themed, like their rum concoction, Bug Juice!

This is just so fun and interesting and immersive. 

Does it take extra effort to be creative like this? Certainly. Is it worth it to turn your customers into volunteer marketers by unlocking the awesome power of word of mouth? Yep.

Think about the MOST BORING elements of your interactions with customers. What is your version of a business card, a room key, or a menu? 

Then, consider how you can add a little delight to that mundane pit stop on your customer journey. 

You'll be shocked at the outpouring of conversation once you implement your idea!

🔥 Burning Question

Last issue's question "What's your guilty music pleasure, and why?" was very entertaining for me. Ya'll really like show tunes! A lot! 

My favorite answer was from school district admin Marilyn Biggers, who delightfully contextualized WHEN she listens:

"My guilty pleasure is cinematic scores. I crank them up, channel my main character energy, and heroically prep files for the new fiscal year while tackling this Public Information Request." 

Great job, Marilyn. Enjoy the tequila! 

Next question:

❤️ What's your favorite small indulgence?

Just about now, I surmise that all of us could use a little treat. What's your go-to?

You can just hit reply and tell me directly. Thanks! 

👭 Tell a Friend

I'll be back with another edition in two weeks, after my birthday.

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Thank you!