Building a Brand, One Smile at a Time

What would you do if a giant hot dog, with bun, drove past you on the freeway?

It's a question Rod Taylor poses in the September 2006 issue of PROMO magazine in an article focusing on the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, and the shining staff that supply thousands of fans with visits from the famed truck.
While the concept certainly makes them recognizable (after all, aren't you humming "Oh, I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener..." right now?), it was the story of a simple letter left on the Wienermobile's windshield that made me smile and think of how simple it is to build brand loyalty, and repeat customers, with a small act of kindness and good customer service.
You see, a former driver took a dinner break and returned to the Wienermobile to find a note from a little girl who said she was waiting for them to return, but her mom made her go to bed. She said she'd love to have two whistles (one for a friend...smart kid!) and gave her address, along with a sweet thank you and "sorry I missed you".
While some employees might have just shrugged off such a request with an "oh, that's cute, too bad we missed her", the Hotdoggers, as they are called, made a Wiener whistle run right over to that little girl's house. They also tucked in a couple of extra freebies as well.
Can you imagine how thrilled that child was when she woke up in the morning, checked the mailbox, and found their box? For a lot of kids, it'd be like Santa's night missions, without all the naughty or nice. She took the time and initiative to let a company know how much she loved their product (or at least, their gigantic hot dog car), and she was rewarded for it. Ya think she stayed brand loyal?
I bet she did. And I bet her parents did too, until the sound of that Wiener whistle made them crazy. heh heh.
So the question is: how are you rewarding your most loyal fans? When was the last time you boxed up some of your own "Wiener whistles" and passed them on to someone who waited up past their bedtime to meet you?