You Don’t Need Better Marketing, You Need Better Memories.
A few years ago, when I was designing a new B2B engagement framework for my company, I found myself at a customer loyalty conference in Miami.
It was being held at the Ritz-Carlton — which, let’s be honest, is already a subtle flex. If you’re hosting an event about unforgettable customer experience, you choose a brand known for living it.
It was early December. The lobby was decked out with a massive gingerbread playhouse that made kids (and half the adults) stop mid-stride.
One of the conference attendees had brought her family along for the trip. She mentioned — almost as a throwaway line — that she wanted a photo of her family in front of the gingerbread house before they left.
She didn’t say it to a manager.
She didn’t make a formal request.
She said it the way customers always reveal what they actually want: casually.
And one Ritz-Carlton staff member heard her.
Quietly.
Attentively.
Without fanfare.
A few hours later, he approached her and said, “If you’re free later, we’ve arranged a little something.” The “little something” turned out to be a professional family photo shoot, on the house.
I watched the whole thing unfold.
That’s when I finally understood what it really means to be a memorable brand:
You don’t just meet expectations… you notice things other companies overlook.
That moment stuck with me.
The ‘Surprise and Delight’ Experiment
Fast forward a few months.
We had launched our new B2B loyalty program.
Curtis Scaplen and I were working closely with Bill Hogg & Associates on our customer service framework.
We knew we wanted one thing baked into it from day one:
Empower sales reps to create Ritz-Carlton-level moments.
So we secured a dedicated “delight budget” for each rep — no permission needed. It could be used for anything that made a customer feel seen and valued:
Birthday cakes
Coffee runs for front line staff
A pizza party after a big month
Little unexpected gestures that said, “We notice you.”
At first, nobody used it.
Why? Because of human nature.
People don’t adopt new behaviours until they see what “good” looks like.
So we started collecting stories.
And every quarter, we celebrated the best ones.
The stories exploded.
People loved sharing them.
Customers loved receiving them.
Reps felt proud of creating them.
This one simple shift changed the energy of our customer experience.
It reminded our team — and our customers — that loyalty isn’t something you demand.
It’s something you earn through moments.
Which brings me to the real question:
Are you memorable enough for your customers?
Here are three strategies to help you stand out in a sea of sameness:
1. Build a ‘Notice More’ Culture
Most companies teach employees to follow procedures.
Memorable companies teach employees to notice friction, opportunity, and unspoken desires.
A customer hinting at a need?
A staff member overwhelmed?
A moment that could be made special?
These things are gold if you actually train people to look for them.
2. Create a Budget for Magic (Yes, really)
People hesitate to act because they’re afraid of:
“Is this allowed?”
“Is this too much?”
“Will I get in trouble?”
Give them a budget.
Remove the permission barrier.
Even a few hundred dollars per quarter per rep can produce unforgettable loyalty moments worth 10x the return.
3. Ritualize the Stories
Stories are what scale behaviours.
If you want more memorable moments, you need to:
Celebrate them
Share them
Spotlight them
Make them contagious
When people hear what “great” looks like, they replicate it.
When they hear applause for it, they repeat it.
Final Thoughts
Creating this program was one of the highlights of my career, and Curtis would say the same.
We’d build something like this again in a heartbeat.
So if you're looking to:
Level up your customer or brand experience
Build a culture that creates memories
Or develop leaders who know how to inspire through moments…
Send us a message.
We’d love to talk.
