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Purple Cow
Case Study: The Häagen-Dazs
in Bronxville
The nearest Häagen-Dazs is just like all the other ice
cream shops you’ve been to. They’ve got cones, bars, and
frozen yogurt. Only two things are different about a
Häagen-Dazs shop: it’s cleaner and a lot better run. How
come
Well, sitting on the counter is a stack of large business
cards. The card lists the name and office phone number
of the owner of the store. And then the card says, “If you
have any comments at all about the store, please call me at
home.” And it lists the owner’s home phone number.
People who visit, notice. People who work there realize
that the customers are noticing. It’s all very remarkable.
Stand in the store for twenty minutes, and you’re sure to
hear one customer mention the cards to another. If every
store owner did this, it probably wouldn’t work. But
because it’s so unusual, the customers take notice and the
staff is on alert.
If you’re in an intangibles business, your business
card is a big part of what you sell. What if
everyone in your company had to carry a second
business card Something that actually sold them
(and you). Something remarkable. Imagine if
Milton Glaser or Chip Kidd designed something
worth passing on. So go do it!
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