The week after the iPad 2 came out, one customer had to make a return after waiting in line all night. There was a yellow sticky on the returned iPad that said, simply, “Wife said no.”

News of this return got to Apple’s executives, and a short time later, a box showed up at the customer’s house. He opened the box to find a new iPad with a yellow note with the message, “Apple says yes.”

Why is this story important? Because it ran on thousands of Web sites! By thrilling one customer, Apple created legions of fans. Millions of people heard about this story through the Internet. This is priceless media value, and millions of dollars worth of marketing effectiveness for the wholesale cost of one device. Talk about ROI!

What if you make it a point to thrill one customer at a time, and what if you aimed to do this once each day?. Then, help the news get out. This is an extremely affordable, wildly effective technique to incorporate into your permanent marketing strategy. So, how will you thrill one customer today?

Much more on this topic here, on my blog, including a personal story about my iPhone, my two-year-old, a swimming pool, and Apple’s wonderous response!

 The Evangelist Marketing Minute is a weekly thinking launch point that is always short enough to read in about 60 seconds. It covers technology marketing, branding, positioning, language, and public relations. Your email address is never shared, with anybody, for any reason.

I help clients dramatically increase sales through powerful marketing. My clients include TiVo, Logitech, Sony and Pandigital. See my Web site for details about my work.