What you’ll read:
- How to master the art of hype marketing, no matter your industry.
Hype marketing leverages positive brand perceptions to create excitement about a new release. Is there a sneaker store in your town that always has a line around the block? That’s hype. And while sneaker and streetwear brands have mastered this kind of marketing, they’re not the only companies that can leverage hype to great effect. In this article, we’ll look at some of the do’s and don’ts of generating hype to support your marketing efforts, no matter what industry you’re in.
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Do: Create a sense of exclusivity
One of the reasons customers will wait outside rain or shine for Dunks, Jordans, and Yeezys is the exclusivity that these brands project. One way brands project exclusivity is through limited releases. Limited releases convey a sense of scarcity.h. Knowing that specific pair will go out of production adds a sense of now-or-never urgency. Limited edition collaborations, experimental design runs, and once-in-a-lifetime colorways are great ways for companies to create a sense of exclusivity.
Don’t: Lie about what’s left
Customers can smell inauthentic hype tactics a mile away. Don’t send out newsletters saying there are only 20 units left if you’re counting on 200 people placing orders. A false sense of urgency turns customers off just as quickly as a lie about a product’s quality and they’ll figure it out eventually. The goal of hype marketing is to create superfans, so earn their loyalty by treating customers right and telling the truth.
Do: Use celebrity appeal
Hypebeasts (the consumers that hype marketing targets) get excited about being one of the few people in the world to own something special from their favorite brand, especially if it’s designed by a big star. For many consumers,the chance to own something or go somewhere associated with a celebrity Is irresistible. That’s why featuring celebrities is one of the most common hype marketing strategies. Not only do celebrity endorsements make for aspirational campaigns, but they also create a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) for anyone who doesn’t jump on the bandwagon.
Don’t: Overpromise and underdeliver
There are downfalls to celebrity hype marketing, though. Think of the Fyre Festival — in 2017, a social media campaign featuring celebrities luxuriating on a private island spread like wildfire. The team behind the event raised $26 million, but we all know what happened next — it crumbled into disaster. A few FEMA tents, a sad cheese sandwich, and many lawsuits later, the Fyre Festival name is synonymous with fraud. Make sure your celebrity partners understand the reality of what they’re promoting, and don’t promise your customers anything you can’t deliver.
Do: Teach people where to look
Once you have an army of superfans dying to get their hands on your goods, don’t make them fight to find out what’s coming next. Build patterns by making announcements on the same day or on the same social media channels. That way your hypebeasts will always know where to look for details about your next big drop.
Steve Jobs nailed this approach by closing out Apple events with his trademark catchphrase: “one more thing.” Every announcement that came before “one more thing” was news-worthy and exciting, but diehard Apple fans (and everyone else, before long) knew that Jobs — and later, Cook — was saving the best for last.
Don’t: Overstay your welcome
Many brands that succeed with hype marketing limit the time something is available instead of limiting quantities. The sense of exclusivity comes from having to get in before time runs out instead of having to purchase an item before it’s gone. Pop-up shops are a great example of this intentionally ephemeral strategy; if your shop stays open too long, it’s just a brick-and-mortar store. But open today, closed tomorrow? That’ll make superfans run to be in the room where it happens.