Thoughtful Extras That Turn Customers Into Fans

Sometimes, the best way to build fans is to deliver your product with thoughtful packaging and a few bonus items. This past weekend, I received a pre-ordered t-shirt from Tour Bus with packaging so remarkable that I’m compelled to share with you now.

I was in Boulder, CO to attend three Dead & Company shows. Frequent readers know I have been a Grateful Dead fan since I was a teenager, so the summer tour is always a highlight of the year for me.

And as the co-author with HubSpot co-founder Brian Halligan and NBA basketball legend Bill Walton of our book Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead I’m always looking for examples of interesting marketing at Dead shows.

I stayed at the fun and funky Basecamp Hotel, which hosted a wonderful weekend including live music, food trucks, and a display from Tour Bus, all just a ten-minute walk from Folsom Field where the Dead & Company shows were happening.

Prior to the weekend, I pre-ordered an event t-shirt from Tour Bus, and it was waiting in my room when I arrived.

I expected my t-shirt to be in a paper bag on my bed.

However, in a delightful twist, it was in a hand painted box together with fun extras like a vintage Grateful Dead cassette tape, a pencil, sticker, some candy, a pin and more. Wow! The packaging made me feel so good upon arrival.

At the Tour Bus booth, I met Luke, who told me that as the owner of a small independent business, he does what he can to provide extra service to the Grateful Dead fans that he serves.

The site says: “We're a family-style business, run by a couple of longtime friends, with support from our kids, talented artists, makers, and our extended Grateful community.”

I’m now a new fan of Tour Bus. I’ve subscribed to the email list and will look forward to seeing their new products. And I hope to run into Luke at another Dead show!

We can all learn from what Luke and the team at Tour Bus are doing. Understand your buyers, create products and services just for them, and deliver your offerings with care.

Drone shot of Dead & Company at Folsom Field on July 3, 2023 via Jay Blakesberg.