The difference between ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ and ‘Branded Acts of Kindness’

9 INCH AXIOM – Branded Acts of Kindness

‘Free is not a bad four letter word.  Proactively engage your target by offering them a complimentary experience’

Sandra O’Loughlin of Event Marketer wrote a great piece entitled ‘Branded Acts of Kindness’

The article covers how brand are putting together programs that tap into ‘acts of kindness’.  Sandra gives 5 great examples from the likes of HSBC, FedEx, Staples, Mars and Denny’s.

I especially like the title of the article. Most people refer to ‘acts of kindness’ as random as opposed to branded. Branded reflects the next generation or 2.0 version of  ’acts of kindness’. Here is where I see the difference:

Random 1.0                 vs.                    Branded 2.0

Unpromoted                                             Promoted

Untargeted                                                Targeted

One off promotion                                 Recurring or Consistent

Opportunistic                                           Planned

Relevant only to the recipient            Relevant to recipient + the brand

In the field                                                 At Retail

PR focused                                                Integrated

It doesn’t just need to be random anymore.  Executed correctly, as part of an integrated strategy, ‘branded’ acts of kindness or ‘lagniappe’ can create brand awareness and more importantly drive brand loyalty.

Today’s Lagniappe  (a little something extra) – A common form of lagniappe is the ‘bakers dozen’.  Here is some trivia on its origin courtesy of Wikipedia:

The oldest known source and most probable origin for the expression “baker’s dozen” dates to the 13th century in one of the earliest English statutes, instituted during the reign of Henry III (r. 1216-1272), called the Assize of Bread and Ale. Bakers who were found to have shortchanged customers could be liable to severe punishment. To guard against the punishment of losing a hand to an axe, a baker would give 13 for the price of 12, to be certain of not being known as a cheat.

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