People don’t want what anyone can have. They want to feel special, like they are part of an elite club. And that human desire is not exclusive to just the wealthiest. Contrary to popular belief, status and prestige are a state of mind, and can be communicated about your brand at varying price points.
When the social networking app, Clubhouse, first launched in March 2020, it quickly became a coveted panacea for a socially starved society, stuck in isolation during the COVID pandemic. The only caveat? People had to be invited to use the app. In fact, in spring 2021, I heard someone describe the Clubhouse app as “the Soho House of the Internet.” Because of this, scoring an early invitation to become a member provided a boost of morale and some ego juice to those in the know, until the app finally opened to everyone on July 21, 2021.
And even though iPhones are mainstream, owning other Apple gadgets—its latest smartwatch, noise canceling air pods, branded wireless chargers and updated MacBooks—can provide Apple devotees with feelings of sophistication and prestige. Getting your hands on the latest iPhone is still also somewhat brag-worthy.
Tesla managed to check most velvet rope boxes by appealing to people who wanted to feel a cut above the masses and as part of an elite club. When Elon Musk’s Tesla cars first hit the market, the car served as catnip for the early adopter tech crowd who clamored to get one to show off to friends, family and colleagues. The price point of over $100,000 ensured a definitive barrier to entry, while the sleek design and quiet drive offered novelty. Also, driving around in a car that shuns fossil fuels upped environmentally-conscious cool points.
The American Express Centurion Card, also known as the Black Card, managed to hit just the right chord in 1999. The company positioned the card as suitable only for high net worth clients with impeccable credit and a penchant for purchasing big ticket items. Amex doubled down on this market position by charging a hefty annual membership fee that made the card cost-prohibitive to the majority of members. And beyond communicating the Black Card’s prestige position, the company offered it by invitation only. As a result, it became a coveted status symbol when pulled out of someone’s wallet.
Four very different brands share one thing in common: they placed a velvet rope around their respective companies. Whether a product or service is priced for the one percent or the everyday American who wants to participate in the feeling that luxury and exclusivity offers, there are strategies to put in place to create a velvet rope around a brand to make your clientele feel like VIPs.
Below are tested PR tips for creating that VIP vibe around a brand, and making people feel privileged to be a part of it.
Don’t be afraid to communicate that your brand is not for everyone.
Communicators should not push a brand on anyone. Instead pull in an audience with a Pied Piper approach. Challenge would-be customers or clients on a primal level by saying: “Our brand is only for people who exude excellence in all they do,” or “Our brand really caters to those who make wellness their top priority.” When companies unapologetically communicate these kinds of messages through brand positioning, imagery and language; it becomes elusive and aspirational, and more people want in.
Let people know your brand caters to a certain set of values, standards and ideas that set it apart.
Make people jump through some hoops to gain access to your brand.
Applications, waiting lists, scarcity, and setting certain requirements and policies are all ways of making people earn the privilege of being a part of a brand, whether it provides a product or service. I’ll never forget calling up a certain designer handbag store to inquire if they had a particular bag in stock for my wife. I asked if I could put a deposit down over the phone to hold the bag. The sales associate promptly told me that the bags were only sold in person, they had one left in stock, and there was another woman (a "prominent heart surgeon," she made a point of relaying to me) who had inquired about the very same bag. Her next line to me created a sense of urgency, and sold me the bag: “Whoever gets here first gets the bag.” I got in my car and immediately drove to the store right to purchase my wife the handbag.
The clear message to communicate? This handbag is in high demand, so we can make customers jump through hoops to attain it.
Position the brand (and believe that it is) a hot commodity, even if it isn't just yet.
Highlight the story of your brand and make it engaging and repeatable.
I know someone who buys and sells interesting and rare collectibles, and when you enter his store of curated products, he loves to tell the detailed story and history of each and every product in the store. He knows that he is not just selling products. He is selling a one-of-a-kind special item with a rich history and story attached to it; one that is repeatable for the item’s eventual owner. It conveys the message that each and every item in that story is special and exclusive, and when someone purchases one of these collectible items, they are getting something that not everyone can have. Not everyone sells rare collective items, but everyone can communicate the unique story, expertise, and value of what they are selling or providing in a way that makes the purchaser feel excited to become a part of, and to own, a piece of that story.
Look at your brand the same way. You are a one-of-a-kind find, so let your clients know it by sharing your extraordinary story with them.
Mark Satterfield is CEO of Gentle Rain Marketing and author of "Affluent Marketing Blueprint: Secrets of Selling to Billionaires and Millionaires" and "The Gilded Revival."