How does hunger marketing (as seen in Xiaomi's early days) enhance brand value by creating scarcity?

Okay, let's talk about this topic.

Imagine a new viral ramen shop opens near your home, selling only 50 bowls a day. If you're late, you miss out. There's a long line outside every day, and your social media feeds are filled with people bragging about snagging a bowl. Don't you start wondering: "How good is this place? I've got to try it!"

In reality, the taste might just be "pretty good," but because it's "hard to get," its perceived value in your mind suddenly skyrockets.

This is the essence of hunger marketing, and early Xiaomi was a master at wielding this tactic. By creating scarcity, it significantly boosted its brand value primarily in the following ways:

## 1. Creating the Psychological Value of "Scarcity Increases Value"

This is the most direct effect. It's human nature: the harder something is to obtain, the more we value it.

A Regular Phone: You walk into any store, pay 1999 yuan, and buy it. In your mind, it's worth 1999 yuan.
An Early Xiaomi Phone: Also priced at 1999 yuan, but you had to set an alarm, camp in front of your computer, and compete with hundreds of thousands of others for just tens of thousands of units. When you were lucky enough to snag one, you weren't just paying 1999 yuan; you were also investing your time, energy, and the sense of achievement from "beating" others.

At this point, the value of that phone in your mind far exceeds 1999 yuan. You think, "The treasure I fought for must be better than those bought casually." This "psychological premium" created by scarcity directly translates into brand affinity and value.

## 2. Igniting Buzz, Becoming "Social Currency"

The most powerful aspect of hunger marketing is that it makes the product spread itself.

Think about it: if you easily bought a phone, you probably wouldn't make a special post about it. But what if you had to go through an "intense battle" to get it?

Those Who Succeeded: Would immediately post on Weibo or WeChat Moments to brag: "Yes! Finally got it!" It became a symbol of status and luck.
Those Who Missed Out: Would complain, vent, and sign up for the next round, also generating massive discussion on social media.

Back and forth, the terms "Xiaomi phone" and "flash sale" became tightly linked. People weren't just talking about a phone; they were discussing a hot social event. Xiaomi gained overwhelming free publicity with minimal advertising spend. When a brand becomes a topic of conversation (what we call "social currency"), its brand value naturally rises.

## 3. Filtering and Uniting the Most Loyal "Fans"

Who would be willing to spend time trying to grab a phone? Naturally, those most interested in it and who most strongly identify with its philosophy.

This "flash sale" process acted like a natural filter, sifting out the most core, most enthusiastic users (the early "Mi Fans").

Building Belonging: These "Mi Fans" who became Xiaomi users only after "great effort" developed a strong sense of belonging and pride. They felt they were "in the know" about phones, the brand's "early adopters."
Forming Fan Culture: They spontaneously discussed products, offered suggestions, and even defended the brand image on forums, forming a powerful fan community and a unique "Mi Fan culture."

This solid foundation built on loyal fans is a precious asset any brand dreams of. It meant Xiaomi, from the very beginning, wasn't just a cold manufacturer, but a "community" with warmth, interaction, and a large base of supporters.

## 4. Establishing a "Cool" Image Beyond Just "High Specs, Low Price"

If Xiaomi were simply cheap, it could easily be labeled "cheap goods." But hunger marketing changed that.

The very fact it was "hard to get" endowed Xiaomi with labels like "hot," "popular," and "trendy." Young people bought Xiaomi not just for its high cost-performance ratio, but also because owning a phone "everyone was scrambling for" was cool.

This successfully elevated the brand's value from the single dimension of "cost-performance" to a multi-dimensional value encompassing "tech-savviness, trendiness, and fan culture." The brand image instantly became richer and more premium.

To Summarize

So you see, hunger marketing acts like a lever that moves a heavy weight with minimal force:

It uses "limited supply" to leverage "unlimited desire." This desire transforms into "buzz and discussion," which brings "free exposure," and filters for "loyal fans," ultimately building a "brand value far exceeding its price tag" in users' minds.

Of course, this tactic is also risky. The prerequisite is that your product itself must be genuinely good. Otherwise, it's like that viral ramen shop with bad taste: people leave the queue grumbling and never come back. As the saying goes, "To forge iron, you need a strong hammer." Early Xiaomi products were indeed highly competitive in their price range, which allowed hunger marketing to reach its full potential.