Harnessing The Desire for Exclusivity

None of us are new to the idea of hype and exclusivity around product launches.

N26, Dropbox ran some of the most viral product launch campaigns by harnessing the desire for exclusivity.

It has some psychological ground, too: according to Rene Girard’s mimetic theory, we tend to want things simply because other people want them.

Human desire is not an autonomous process but a collective one — this is how we decide what we care about. On top of this, life inside the velvet rope is, well, pretty good.

There’s a real, psychological fulfilment of being “in” with the crowd and stoking envy among those around you.

How do you leverage the desire for exclusivity?

Here are some actionable insights for leveraging the desire for exclusivity.

1. Rewarding Community Members

• Giving community exclusive benefits.

• Providing them Swags.

2. Building in Public:

• Propose interesting product ideas and ask the community for feedback.

• Post screenshots of internal Slack messages showcasing company culture.

• Tell emotional stories about your company to pull at followers’ heartstrings

3. Creating designated Inner and Outer Rings.

• A larger outer ring is important as it creates FOMO, so more outsiders can evaluate a community before seeking membership.

• It’s important to have an inner ring too as this gives shared values explorers something to aspire to and provides that important safe space for your members.

• If you prefer welcoming visitors to all community activities, an inner ring can be designated by privileges. This means members are allowed to do things that visitors are not.