" There is a term in marketing called: hunger marketing. You definitely know it. You may have even planned a hunger marketing campaign, but the effect... perhaps not as good as Steve Jobs'. " However, setting aside cases, I want to ask you a question: What is the method of hunger marketing? I guess you got it right, the answer is: hunger. Limited supply, making users hungry. Okay, let me ask you a second question: Does hunger marketing equal limited supply? This... seems a bit off. If you say yes, because whether it's a big company or a small company, their hunger marketing plans all talk about limited supply. If you say no, because even with limited supply, even copying others' plans, the marketing effects are different. So, where exactly is the problem? Today, Master Shiye will talk to you about this: True hunger marketing, in fact, creates an invisible battlefield behind the limited supply. This invisible battlefield is the key point that most people haven't grasped. 1 Before talking about the battlefield, it's necessary to think about a question: Why does hunger marketing talk about limited supply? Or, in other words: Why does the more limited the supply, the crazier the purchase? This is due to the scarcity effect. In simple terms, the scarcity effect is a psychological phenomenon where rarity increases value. In 1975, social psychologist Stephen Worchel and his colleagues Lee and Adewole conducted an experiment. The experiment was simple: They took a chocolate chip cookie from a jar and gave it to participants to taste and evaluate. Half of the participants had a jar with 10 cookies in front of them; the other half had a jar with only 2 cookies. The results matched expectations, just like rarity increases value: participants who saw only two cookies in the jar gave higher ratings after tasting. The cookies with limited supply made people want more after eating, and seemed more expensive. This is the scarcity effect. The fewer opportunities, the more precious, the higher the perceived value, and the greater the attraction. So, when a product is in limited supply, it can increase consumers' perception of the product's value and also increase its appeal. Up to this point, this is what most of us understand as hunger marketing. 2 But hunger marketing is not just this. The cookie experiment mentioned above didn't end; a second round began. This time, there were also two groups of participants. One group tasted cookies taken from a jar with 10 cookies, and the other from a jar with 2 cookies. But before they could take a bite, the experimenter took the cookie back and then took another cookie from a different jar and gave it to them. In other words, the participants saw two cookie jars, and the one they first saw and the one they later ate from were not the same. For the first group, they first saw an abundant supply of cookies, but ate cookies from a scarce supply; For the second group, it was the opposite: they first saw a scarce supply, but later ate from an abundant supply. Guess which group gave higher ratings? The answer: the first group. Moreover, compared to those who also ate the scarce cookies in the first round, they gave even higher ratings. When a product goes from abundant to scarce, people have a more positive reaction than when it is always scarce. This means that a product that has just become scarce has greater appeal than one that is always scarce. Things that are lost and then regained appear more valuable and more attractive. This is the second level of hunger marketing. Only a few people understand this. So their hunger marketing campaigns are more effective than ordinary ones. 3 But it doesn't stop there; there is a third level. Let's continue with the cookie experiment. (It must be said that Worchel's experiment was very meticulously designed.) In fact, in the previous round, when the first group of participants were told they would switch to a jar with fewer cookies, the notifications they heard were different. Some heard: "Because it was a mistake, we need to switch." Others heard: "Because there aren't enough cookies to go around, we need to switch to a jar with fewer." The results showed that the latter group gave higher ratings. That is, when people realize that others are competing with us, the appeal of the cookies reaches its peak. Due to competition, things that are lost and then regained appear the most valuable and most attractive. This is the third level of hunger marketing, and it is the true meaning of hunger marketing. Very few people understand this. So their hunger marketing is not about more or less, but about creating competition. True hunger marketing creates an invisible battlefield behind the limited supply. Only when users compete fiercely enough can the effect be good enough. If you look at others' hunger marketing campaigns, those that are ineffective must have only known about limited supply without designing a scene or feeling that makes users compete with each other. 4 By now, you probably have some insights. Next, let's look at a case to see how hunger marketing can be done. In the book "Influence," there is a story about selling a used car. Richard, when selling his car, would schedule all interested buyers to come at the same time and place. This arrangement creates a competitive atmosphere. Usually, the first person to arrive would follow the standard car-buying procedure: carefully inspect the car, point out any defects or shortcomings, and ask if the price is negotiable. But when the second person arrives, the atmosphere immediately changes. The early arriver can't help but feel a sense of competition. And Richard would also say to the second person, "Sorry, he came before you. Could you wait a few minutes and let him look first? If he decides not to buy or can't make a decision, I'll let you see it." Next, the first person begins to feel anxious. A few minutes ago, he was calmly evaluating every aspect of the car, but now he suddenly feels a sense of urgency. If he doesn't buy it, he might never get the chance again. The second buyer is also uneasy due to the competition, fearing that the first person will buy the car. That's not enough. When the third appointment arrives, the competitive pressure increases again. Especially for the first person. At this point, he will either buy quickly or leave quickly. If it's the latter, the second person will breathe a sigh of relief, but then immediately feel the pressure from the newcomer, so he usually ends up buying the car. This is using the limited nature of resources to create competition among users. 5 Talent belongs to the few, but tricks belong to everyone. ——Master Kangxi Finally, let's summarize today's article:

  1. Does hunger marketing equal limited supply? True hunger marketing creates an invisible battlefield behind the limited supply. Only when users compete fiercely enough can the effect be good enough.
  2. The three levels of hunger marketing. Level 1: Scarcity > Abundance. The fewer opportunities, the more precious, the higher the perceived value, and the greater the attraction. Level 2: First abundant then scarce > Always scarce. Things that are lost and then regained appear more valuable and more attractive. Level 3: First abundant then scarce (due to competition) > First abundant then scarce (due to mistake). Due to competition, things that are lost and then regained appear the most valuable and most attractive. Source: Master Kangxi -END-