Surprise parties

The opportunity to be remembered lies in the boring, forgettable moments.

In the marketing world, we hear a lot about “surprise & delight.” 

But I’m starting to wonder if you can experience “delight” without a little “surprise.” 

Let me explain…

When was the last time you were truly blown away by an experience?

Was it when you paid top dollar for a fancy dinner or vacation?

Or was it when someone surprised you with something small that made you smile?

The opportunity to be remembered lies in the boring, forgettable moments; not the big, flashy ones.

When expectations are sky high they’re tough to surpass. 

But what about the small touch points most of us take for granted? 

That’s where brands can turn something everyday into something surprisingly special. 

No better example than privacy policy. 

Privacy policies are the worst—long, hard to read, & dry as hell. 

Has anyone ever read a privacy policy start to finish?

Exactly. 

That’s why Ueno (my former employer) re-wrote theirs to be conversational, entertaining, and worthy of your time. 

They found the thing no one wants to read and made it so interesting that people are excited to share it.

Imagine how much easier it would be to trust big tech if their privacy policies were this relatable & easy to understand? 

Ueno’s privacy policy highlights the opportunity for brands today. 

Find the overlooked & underserved thing, and make it uniquely memorable. 

No matter how small. 

Here are three overlooked areas I’m trying to make more delightful in my day-to-day work. 

When you finish reading, I’d love to learn about yours.

Calendar invites

Here’s a small one I tweeted about last week that *really* delights. 

People tend to hate meetings, especially at big companies. 

When I was working at Twitter, I had to get creative & give people a reason to join my calls.

So I experimented with calendar invites to make them more fun…

The more optimistic & conversational my meeting invites read, the more likely someone was to accept and bring good vibes.

A few examples…

From: Elan x Sania

To: Elan x Sania epic lunch 

From: Elan x Sania onboarding

To: Let’s onboard Sania

From: Feature prioritization meeting

To: Feature prioritization time, LFG!

Adjectives & active verbs over boring, nondescript jargon all day. 

If you or your colleagues are struggling with meeting fatigue, try having some fun with your cal invites. 

Presentation cover slides

Another way to get over meeting fatigue is through playful documentation.

Bold & differentiated cover slides set a different tone & give people a reason to pay attention. At Twitter, I was able to break through the noise with funny GIFs & headlines.

It’s one of the main reasons I opted for kooky art direction for Off-Menu’s brand. 

My rule of thumb: If our presentations don’t make you smile from the outset, we didn’t push hard enough. 

Website design

This one is more of a work-in-progress, so I’m curious if it resonates.

As I put the finishing touches on Off-Menu’s website I’m trying re-imagine boring parts to be more interesting, all while alluding to our “hospitality” North Star.

For example, most agencies drop a bunch of logos in their “clients” section with a quote or two describing what it’s like to work with them.

Inspired by the warmth & character of your favorite deli, I’m exploring a “wall of fame” putting our clients on display paired with hand-written testimonials on crinkled receipts.

A couple of small details, but ones I hope capture people’s attention by feeling unexpected yet familiar.

Where are you seeing other overlooked opportunities to delight through surprise? Hit the reply button and let me know!