A few years ago, out of the blue, I got a phone call from a sales rep.
“There’s this stretch mark cream that everyone is buzzing about! Word is that it’s really effective as an anti-wrinkle cream!”
And just like that, StriVectin came out of nowhere to dominate the rankings of the facial skincare market.
First of all, the packaging is dead ugly.
Second, it costs a fortune – well, I mean at $130-something for a stretch mark cream.
Third, I just said it was a stretch mark cream.
So basically women all around the world were rushing to smear cream usually slathered over one’s posterior – onto their face.
Such is the power of, well 1) word of mouth, and 2) the power of a ‘secret.’
Feeling like you’re in-the-know triggers a deeper emotional investment into the person, product, or experience. Think about the trust you develop with a friend when the two of you have shared something really personal. So being in on a hidden benefit that was “accidentally” discovered can be quite powerful.
In-and-Out and their secret menu, anyone? 🙂
Notes:
– StriVectin also positioned itself as a Botox competitor, which did also help.
– If you want to quantify success, StriVectin made $60M in sales in their first year of launch – double what a typical cream earns in first year sales.
