Emotional Assurance from a Puppet

A Happy Customer Says:

"I just want to thank you for the fastest shipment and best service I could have ever gotten. When I placed my order with you I was a first time customer but I will not be a last time one."-Toby C., Feb 20, 2008

From a no-name online shoe company in 1999 to grossing $800 million dollars to being purchased by Amazon for $1.2 billion, Zappos.com found success in an ultra-competitive market. With so many companies competing online, Zappos.com had to find a way to separate themselves from other companies like Overstock.com. Instead of focusing on pricing, Zappos focused all its energy into 100% customer satisfaction.

The effort paid off. Zappos earned strong customer loyalty with their customer service, 24/7 call centers, price guarantees, free shipping and returns, and a 365-day return policy. Unparralled by any other online site, Zappos built their success on word of mouth and customer referrals.

With familiar campaigns of “Powered by Service” and “Happy to Help. 24/7”, Zappos began advertising in 2008. It wasn’t until we were introduced to the Zappets, puppets modeled after customer service reps, in March of 2010 that we saw a in spike in brand familiarity. The ads featured Zappets dealing with real life scenarios showcasing their customer loyalty team in action.

The Zappos commercial “Emotionally Ready” plays on the purchase dissonance that a lot buyers, specifically women, often feel after making purchases. A woman calls about an order that she receives over night and has not talked herself into committing to yet. She hides her order in the garage and calls Zappos for help. The operator relieves her of her anxiety and everything is okay.

The commercial found a niche that hit home. “Emotionally Ready” played on the emotional connections that consumers associated with purchases. It gave shoppers the power to enjoy their shopping choices and the drive to seek out Zappos’ branded service.

These Zappos commercials were so successful that they received the 2011 Effie Award. They surpassed one of their objectives (“Connection: Increase brand affinity and emotional connection by at least +15%”) by an overall 10% with “an increase in perceptions that ‘ Zappos.com is a brand that makes me smile’”. This emotional indicator reinforced the whole Zappos philosophy and proving the ad campaign effective.