My colleague’s face was priceless to see whilst they were unwrapping their new iPhone.

The packaging was crisp, the box almost hermetically sealed, whilst the phone inside was an engineering triumph of functionality that was lovingly caressed.

I often refer to the touch points of a company being those points where your Customer or Client comes into contact with you; where your brand values transcend the marketing prose into real tangible references, whether they be visual, aural or kinesthetic.

Motor manufacturers are well versed in this skill, as indeed are many manufacturers of domestic products. Have you ever sat in a Jaguar and watched the way the sunglasses holder gently opens with a well dampened mechanism or the soft blue hue of the dashboard, lights displays at night or perhaps the way the headlamps stay on for a few moments after you’ve locked the car, allowing you to see your way into the house?

In marketing parlance this is the surprise and delight. It holds equally valid if you’re in the service industry where even the tactility of your business card can trigger a perceived value.

Consider for a moment – how many touch points do your Customers have when they interact with you and how many of them are “Surprise and Delights” ?