Want passionate customers? Try these three things…

Clickz News reports that players in Madden ’08 can receive their very own Super Bowl ring from Josten’s (the high school/college ring people) for hitting certain goals within the game. It’s one of the more brilliant offers I’ve seen in some time. Here’s how they did it:

1. Offer a simple, clear goal – No, really. It’s a ring. A Super Bowl ring. For playing the game well. Is there anyone in Madden’s audience – or most others – who would have trouble understanding this?
2. Play to their emotions – Who in Madden’s target audience wouldn’t want a Super Bowl ring? This offer meets more than just a basic need. It offers the player fulfillment. Or, at the very least, bragging rights.
3. Give customers something they’ll never expect – Did anyone see this coming? Did anyone imagine it was even possible? Win a Super Bowl ring for playing a video game? Yet even though it’s unexpected, it fits perfectly with the theme of the game. Offering $1 million – while it might be unexpected – wouldn’t make near as much sense. Offering Super Bowl tickets is too typical.

Whether it’s with your product or your promotion, what can you do in your business to meet these criteria?

Credit where due: Chip and Dan Heath’s "Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die" provide great background on why ideas like this work and how you can create them, too.