After a month of holiday insanity at the office, we were all ready to let off a little steam at our agency Christmas lunch. I knew our ‘fuel’ committee (dedicated to enhancing our time at cs2) had planned a surprise field trip afterward, but with the smell of Gus’s Fried Chicken wafting through the halls I was thinking more about settling into some kind of food coma than going anywhere. Our surprise turned out to be a musical tour of Memphis with a group called Backbeat Tours. I had seen the vintage buses rolling around town in past years but who needs to take a tour of a city you’ve spent your life in? Apparently – I did.
We lumbered onto the bus and were introduced to our tour guide – Daniel ‘Memphis’ Jones, who spent the next music–filled 90 minutes cracking jokes, singing and slipping in some education on both well-known and off-the-beaten-path landmarks. What’s so great is that founders Bill and Deborah Patton have done a phenomenal job of finding a niche in their industry (ho-hum bus tours) and packaged it delightfully at every touchpoint. They start with tour buses that visually stand apart from all others. They offer an alternative experience to sitting quietly and staring out the window as you are lectured to about city attractions. They brand the whole experience in a way that again sets them apart and feels uniquely Memphis (down to some musical shakers if you feel the urge to join the musical extravaganza). Take that package; add the unbelievable talent/personality of our host (ours came across more as the cool older brother you want to hang out with than tour guide) and what’s the result? Not only did I have a great time and learn new things about a city I have lived in for over 30 years, I walked away from it proud to be a Memphian. How’s that for a brand experience?
cs2 with our afternoon host
To see a few photos from the party, click here.
