In the summer of 1981/82, Duncan Fearnley, a leading manufacturer of cricket bats, did something revolutionary. They offered a money-back guarantee on their cricket bats. The guarantee stated that if a customer scored fewer runs in the upcoming season with their Duncan Fearnley bat than they did the previous season with their old bat, provided it could be verified by their club secretary, they could return the bat for a full refund. This was an unprecedented and revolutionary promotion like no other.
The idea of a money-back guarantee on cricket bats was unheard of at the time, but Duncan Fearnley was confident in their product, and they wanted to prove it. The guarantee showed that the company believed in the quality of their bats and that they were willing to stand behind them. This offer was a massive risk for the company, but it also had the potential to be a game-changer for their business.
Duncan Fearnley cricket bats were used by some splendid cricketers, including Allan Border, Ian Botham, David Hookes, Greg Matthews, Graeme Hick, and Tom Moody, to name a few. These players recognised the quality of the Duncan Fearnley bats and trusted them to perform at the highest level.
As we conclude, one cannot help but wonder about the outcome of the Duncan Fearnley run scoring money-back guarantee. Did it become a successful marketing strategy? Did it achieve its intended purpose of boosting sales and customer satisfaction? From what we can tell, there are no other examples of this kind of promotion, do you think something like this would work in 2023?

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