Jason Feifer

This tweet went viral.

But the reason isn’t as obvious as it appears.

Yes, Chewy delivered great customer service. That deserves praise.

But this tweet went viral because tons of OTHER people had similar experiences — so when they saw it, they replied and shared with their own experiences.

Consider:

🎨 Chewy makes 1,000 oil paintings of its customers’ pets PER WEEK, and sends them out as gifts!

🌸 Chewy regularly sends flowers to people when their pets die.

😊 Chewy has a team of more than 2,500 trained customer service reps who respond quickly and kindly.

Delighting one customer is great. But when you delight ALL your customers, they'll join together to shout your praises.

THAT is how you go viral.

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Siete just sold for $1.2 billion — because the founders pivoted AWAY from their original vision.

Siete makes tortillas and chips, but it started life in 2014 as a brand called Must B Nutty.

The name referenced its main ingredient and differentiator: It uses almond flour, not grains. That was unique at the time — so they emphasized it on simple plastic bags.

But as the brand took off, large competitors followed — and being grain-free was no longer as special.

So, what set them apart next? AUTHENTICITY. This tortilla brand is made by a regular Mexican-American family, the Garzas of southern Texas!

They leaned into that: They rebranded as Siete (named after the seven family members who run it) and adopted bright, bold patterns to emphasize their heritage.

That became the foundation for their success. Before, the PRODUCT told the story. After, THE BRAND told the story.

Last week, PepsiCo announced that it’s buying Siete for $1.2 billion. Could you imagine that deal for Must B Nutty?

It’s important to ask: “What makes me different?”

But it’s critical to KEEP asking that question — because the answer may change over time. And you must change with it.

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🍏🥤 Are you an early-stage CPG founder? I'm working on something to help you grow — get in touch here: https://lnkd.in/eus58752

This BMW ad made worldwide news — but its real genius came with one tiny detail at the end.

Here’s what happened…

Mercedes-Benz and BMW are longtime rivals. So when Mercedes-Benz CEO Dieter Zetsche retired in 2019, it was a big deal.

BMW hired a Zetsche lookalike, and filmed this ad showing “Zetsche” on his last day at work… then going home, and secretly speeding off in a (lol!) BMW i8 roadster.

The ad ends by thanking Zetsche “for so many years of inspiring competition” — and THAT is when it succeeds.

Here’s why: Consumers love competition, but they hate aggression.

It’s why we love sports, but especially love sportsmanship — seeing competitors respect each other, help each other off the floor, or hug when it’s all over.

Bitter rivalries feel personal, and push people away. Good-natured rivalries feel fun, and invite consumers in.

Don’t hate your competition. Thank them. They make you better every day.

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This insurance company started sending unusual bills — and it’s part of a strategy every brand should follow.

I loved this story: A woman named Melody got bills from her insurance company, and the envelopes were elaborately decorated.

She loved them and looked forward to them. One day she called to ask: Who’s decorating them?

It was accounting clerk named Emily, who explains: “I like to make people happy.” Now she and Melody are friends.

Here’s why this is powerful...

Most companies stop at “functional.” They think: Did the product ship? Did the payment go through?

But brands create emotional loyalty by asking something more: “How does this make people FEEL?”

The hold music, the confirmation email, even the envelope — if you think those are “just details,” you’re missing the point. They’re not support systems; they ARE the experience! And they’re all opportunities to impress.

Sometimes it just requires imagination... and a company culture that empowers people like Emily to make others smile.

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Free stuff sucks.

Now HERE is how to be memorable, according to behavioral economics!

🍺 THE CONTEXT:

In 2015, the microbrewery Farnham Ale & Lager set up these machines at beer festivals.

On the front, it said (in French): “Shout out your bitterness and we’ll replace it with ours.”

When people screamed, the machine dispensed a beer — the louder they were, the more bitter the beer!

🧠 MARKETING GENIUS:

If you give people something for free, they’ll take it — and forget it. No value was exchanged, so they don’t value it.

Instead, make them pay — but in a non-monetary way.

Behavioral economist Dan Airely writes: When you attach meaning or a social element to an incentive, it FEELS MORE REWARDING (and is more memorable).

By asking people to scream, Farnham turned a giveaway into a joyful shared experience — and THAT is what lasts.

To increase your value, don’t just decrease your price. Increase your meaningfulness!

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I’m posting this so others copy me.

I just emailed a colleague and got her OOO — she’s on vacation. I didn’t realize that.

But I know two things:

1. When I’m on vacation, I still feel obligated to reply to emails that seems pressing.

2. Emails from me probably seem pressing.

That’s why, after getting her OOO, I quickly sent a second email to say: DO NOT REPLY!

If you don't need someone immediately, please let them know.

Most things can wait. Time is precious.

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This video got 3.2 million views — because this small-town restaurant owner knew something critical:

Entrepreneurs should create content... but that doesn’t mean they must be “content creators.”

I HEAR THIS A LOT:

Entrepreneurs say they understand the importance of content — but they're intimidated. “That's not what I'm good at,“ they tell me.

My reply: Don't worry. Your job isn't to rack up likes and followers like an influencer — that's not your business!

Your job is to build awareness and relationships.

So be human. Be relatable. Experiment. Show people who you are.

This guy John brandt-lee runs Bar Avalon in West Chester, PA. Population 18,000. Frankly, he didn't need 3.2 million views — he just needed 18,000.

But he got more, because he was willing to put himself out there — all in the name of trying to make his restaurant stand out.

Want help with what REALLY matters? My newsletter can help — each week, one way to improve your work! jasonfeifer.com/newsletter

IKEA got global attention for hosting a giant sleepover — and here’s why every marketer should take notes.

This all started organically…

In 2011, someone made a Facebook group called “I Wanna Have A Sleepover at IKEA.” It got 10,000 members.

It was obviously a joke, and most companies would ignore it — but IKEA saw opportunity.

The company held a contest, and 100 winners were picked for a sleepover with treats, giveaways, spa services, a celebrity bedtime storyteller, and more.

Here’s why this is so genius:

Most companies RESPOND to conversations — fielding customer support tickets, replying on social, etc.

But you should also ADVANCE conversations — by hearing your customers, then going a step further.

Everyone wants to feel heard. When you show people that you’re listening — really, closely listening — you turn conversations into relationships. And those can last a lifetime.

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I’ve never shared this before.
 
Guy Fieri cancelled his 2018 cover shoot with us — for the most incredible reason.
 
A fire broke out a few hours from his home, and he wanted to cook food for the firefighters and people impacted.
 
Of course, we were THRILLED to accommodate. A few days later, we had an awesome shoot.
 
That moment told me everything about Guy, and why people love him so much.
 
When you truly act with others in mind, you always understand your priorities.
 
And in turn, you become someone that other people prioritize.
 
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And here’s the cover story we ran about Guy in that issue: https://lnkd.in/gHKhviuD

This Uber driver offers a “menu” of conversations — and everyone in customer service should take notes.

Consider this…

The best customer service does one thing: It makes people feel heard and in control.

There aren’t many opportunities to do that in Uber/Lyft, which is why this driver’s menu is so genius.

The driver takes something that feels random — the conversation in the car! — and turns it into a controllable experience.

It’s funny. Lighthearted. Relatable. And it probably invites a lot of great conversation — which creates connection and makes the ride more memorable.

Makes you wonder:

How can YOU make others feel heard, in ways they didn’t expect?

How can YOU create experiences in places that others overlook?

How can YOU give your customers a feeling of control?

Answer those questions, and you win.

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ESPN’s marketing was funny and viral — but here’s the CAREFUL, NUANCED STRATEGY that everyone misses:

ESPN made a brilliant strategic choice:

❌ Don't be the OWNER of sports
✅ Be the CHEERLEADER for sports fans

Brands often want to say, “I’m the authority on this.”

But fans feel like THEY are the sports authorities — and anyway, ESPN isn’t the only place to get sports.

In a competition with other channels, the winner isn't who claims to “own” sports — it's who best understands the sports fan.

That’s why ESPN’s marketing wasn’t really about sports. It was about BELONGING.

The company told sports fans: “You make sense here.”

Now rewatch this 2012 ad, but with that in mind: When fans saw themselves in it, they saw themselves as ESPN’s kind of people.

So ask yourself: Are you positioning your brand as an authority OVER your customers — or as a champion FOR them?

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Carlos Watson was convicted of fraud yesterday — and years ago, he told me something that still haunts me.

Back in 2019, I was writing a feature for Entrepreneur mag about the “old rules” that founders break.

Carlos, then the CEO of Ozy Media, told me this: “Ignore your schedule and win the moment.“

He said he’d often rearrange his schedule last-minute, so he could go longer on meetings he thought were important.

“You can't be so tied to your schedule that you're afraid to go deep,” he said.

That sounded wise to me at the time… but when he was arrested in 2021, reports came out about how terrible his company culture was.

Staffers were always on call, because they never knew when he’d be free to meet. They’d lose entire weekends waiting for him.

“What was an hour of your Sunday then turns into like four hours of your Sunday because you have to be around and be available that whole time,“ a former staffer told CNN.

I felt awful. I’d celebrated him for creating time for big ideas, but hadn’t considered the terrible impact that had on everyone else.

The truth is, a great leader respects EVERYONE’S time as much as their own. Trust is built upon respect and consistency, not constant destabilization.

Now Watson will go to jail — for defrauding investors, not wasting people’s time. But this lesson will stay with me always.

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Anything can be faked and people know it.

That’s why the best marketing is no longer about how nice something looks, or its level of “quality.”

Instead, it has to be about things that only YOU can have — it’s your story, and how well you understand your customer.

Why are you compelling, and why do you understand customers better than anyone else?

What’s their vibe? Their needs? Their pain points? Their desired outcomes? What and who do they care about?

When you communicate these things, you don’t need to fake your way through a photo shoot. Your value is clear — and unfakeable.

If this post was helpful, please share it and follow Jason Feifer for more.

🚀 Every week, I share one way you can improve your work — and build a career or company you love: jasonfeifer.com/newsletter