Hype Culture and the Power of Branding
Photo Source: The Supreme Oreos are Double Stuff. SUPREME
Oreos are a kid (and adult) favorite cookie. Supreme is one of the most sought-after streetwear brands. Putting the two together became a volatile mixture that was bound to ignite a fiery explosion of hype.
And what spawn did this bizarre chimeric mating produce? The Supreme-branded Oreo.
Sold in packs of three for $8 beginning February 18, fans began purchasing as many as they could, though not because these red rounds are so delicious. Buyers weren’t eating them. They were reselling them.
Fans of the brand wait for hours outside their flagship stores, although online purchasing is also available.
Wondering what the big deal is? Know what Supreme is? Here’s a bit of history. Supreme began as a skateboarding brand in 1994. It is based in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. The brand has exploded in popularity with its hotly anticipated releases of new products, called “drops.” Fans of the brand wait for hours outside their flagship stores, although online purchasing is also available.
Its popularity stems from how Supreme has worked with some of the younger generations’ most popular and innovative designers, artists, photographers, and musicians. It is they who have helped to define Supreme’s unique identity and attitude. Their strategy has been highly successful: Take streetwear and brand-name products, redesign them with the Supreme brand and sensibility, and create massive demand.
The drops show up on weekly “droplists” that you can view online. For example, the March 5, 2020 droplist boasts Supreme-branded Nike ® Air Force 1 athletic shoes, spellout short sleeve tops, drama mask fleece jackets, and a wide array of caps, sweatpants, puffy jackets, sweaters, plaid shorts – well, streetwear. Each is well-designed, fashionable, and functional. Other offerings in its Spring/Summer collection are Nalgene water bottles, Ziploc bags and a rolling Mac Tools chest, so it’s not just clothing.
Supreme painstakingly built its brand by keeping stock extremely low, getting crowds of customers to line up around the block at their brick and mortar stores, and expanding slowly and thoughtfully.
One of the things that drives demand is that all products are super limited and sell out quickly. If they didn’t, no one would bid up a three-pack of Oreos to $92,000. Smart marketing. Supreme painstakingly built its brand by keeping stock extremely low, getting crowds of customers to line up around the block at their brick and mortar stores, and expanding slowly and thoughtfully.
Hype culture seems manipulative, but those taking advantage of hype culture have found a new and powerful way to influence people. Consumers “…obsessed with finding the next big thing….almost to the point of self-exhaustion” are going to spend, spend, spend to achieve status, though how much status a pack of Oreos confers is debatable.
“Hype culture is essentially a term used to describe a generation obsessed with finding the next big thing. It is a culture bent on excitement and adrenaline—almost to the point of self-exhaustion.”
Big money involved? No – massive amounts of money, especially in the entertainment industry. That’s why you see new films being hyped everywhere – even though the “coming to theaters” date is often more than 18 months from when it’s first being hyped. Articles are placed. Ads are run before YouTube videos. The trailers increase the excitement in the public’s mind. The suspense is killing. And being there at the opening of a film becomes the only way to satisfy those itches. Because the amount of money taken in on opening weekends determines the eventual success of a film, producers need to get people out of their houses and into theater seats.
The film industry may depend more on hype culture than any other business.
When the expectations have been raised so high, disappointment can follow, even if the film or product is good.
Think about all the hype surrounding the “Star Wars” and “Avengers” franchises. Of course, too much hype can backfire. When the expectations have been raised so high, disappointment can follow, even if the film or product is good.
The point of all this isn’t that you should expect to sell your product at the same markup as a $92,000 pack of Oreos. What you need to do is look at every method of promotion available, and if possible, think of some new ways. Hype culture in its present frenetic form is an innovative way to drum up interest. Supreme, for example, doesn’t advertise – and doesn’t need to. They and other companies that are successful at it are tuned in to their customers’ tastes and upcoming trends and are able to capitalize on them.
Will it last? Will something new replace it? Or will all the hype eventually turn off the buying public? Who knows?
What I do know is that doing business the way it’s always been done can result in stagnation, with your competitors leaving you behind in the dust.