John King, head planner at Fallon, spoke last fall at my agency's Creativity Symposium. He talked about Fallon's belief in the culture of generousity -- the belief that people are more likely to support brands that give something back (even if it's just a smile).
I thought about the culture of generousity during the Super Bowl. When most brands are focussed on going over the top with cleverness in their advertising and most agencies are bent on showcasing their creative chops during every bloody second they can squeeze, Denny's demonstrated their culture of generousity. They actually ran a RETAIL OFFER during the Super Bowl. Sure they ran a clever spot, but they also were willing to give some precious time to actually try to sell something -- rather give something away.
In an economic environment where every company is cutting back and trying to churn every dollar into measurable ROI, Denny's decided to give us all free breakfast on Tuesday. Their culture-of-generousity move humbly recognized that they needed to ask us back for a re-introduction to their brand.
I applaud Denny's for their willingness to give. And, I applaud Goodby for their willingness to give up a few seconds of "their" precious work.
Sonny's believes in the culture of generousity too. Catch us any day between 10am and 2pm, and we'll make you free breakfast.
What simple acts of generousity have you seen, made or rewarded recently?
-- Butch
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