Source: Yahoo 7!

I just love this story about a young boy's soft toy and the staff at The Ritz-Carlton's response to a request for his safe return.

This is marketing gold (along with the recent Jack Daniels' "cease and desist" letter from our fellow WordPresser Broken Piano for President author Patrick Wensink)!

Surprise and delight your customers in a format that is easily communicable and you could be sitting on a viral marketing gold mine.

These tactics are sometimes spontaneous (I don't think this particular story about Joshie was part of The Ritz-Carlton's marketing plan) and sometimes strategic (hello, JD) but when they work they can do more for your brand than the thousands you throw at advertising each year.

Surprising and delighting your customers will not only make them (and you) happy but it will make them remember your brand.

What can you do to make your customers happy today?