The scarcity brain concept, coined by Michael Easter, underlies on three main triggers:

• opportunity;

• unpredictable rewards;

• quick repeatability.

Opportunity acts as an open door to lure us in.

Unpredictable rewards fuel our excitement and hope for a better performance. If I didn’t win this time round, I’m sure the win is getting closer, so I should continue playing the game.

Quick repeatability takes advantage of our unconscious act to earn more good results.

In fact, these are our ancient instincts, coded in by evolution since the hunter-gatherer times. We had the opportunity to hunt, the catch was never guaranteed, and we had to repeat the action all over again to keep ourselves alive.

The scarcity brain explains how slot machines work. It’s how social media algorithms work. This is why you should pay attention.

For example, studies show that replacing levers with buttons on slot machines doubled the games played an hour, from below 500 to over 900. You just need less time to repeat your actions. A brilliant move by the casino industry to make more profits. Though, one can argue, is it ethical?

Scarcity brain also applies to social media. Think of TikTok:

• you are served with content based on your watch history and interests (opportunity);

• you might like the content and get a dopamine hit (unpredictable rewards);

• you just scroll to the next 30-sec video (quick repeatability).

You already see how we can apply the scarcity brain in marketing. But let’s take it a step further.

In fact, I reckon that combining Dan Priestley’s thoughts with the scarcity brain concept adds an interesting twist to it. Priestly talks about three pillars that every marketer should follow when selling a product or service.

• Logic - establishing customer need, a rational necessity to own or experience something.

• Emotion - feelings and status that accompany owning a specific brand or experiencing a service. Emphasising exclusivity and inclusion are key players here.

• Urgency - FOMO, the need to act right now not to miss out on something good.

Let’s unpack this based on a real-life example - high-end fashion accessories.

Rolex has truly mastered this concept. Here’s how.

• Logic - watches have a practical function - making sure we’re on time. But Rolex takes it a step further - their value increases in time. So, you can take it as a compounding investment.

• Emotion - owning a Rolex is a status symbol. You can give it forward to your kid once you're done with it, and it won't lose its value.

• Urgency - Rolex has crafted an intricate process around this. First, you need to sign up to a waiting list and choose 2-3 models you’re willing to purchase when the occasion arises. You might wait for 6 months before you get their call. Then you have 3 days to physically show up at their flagship store to try on the watch and buy it. If you miss out, the opportunity is gone.

Another great example is any kind of presale, e.g. festival and concert tickets.  

If you're asked to pay €150 for your favourite artist, it might sound a lot straight out the gate. But when you hear that it's going to be the only concert in your region, and it's exclusive - for only 10,000 fans, you'll reassess the price. Considering the exclusivity, it doesn't sound that much anymore.

Glastonbury Festival is a pioneer in this. 

To emphasise urgency, they show you how many people are currently on the waiting list to buy a ticket. This urges you to take action not to miss out on your favourite artists. It creates a stronger feeling of belonging when you finally access that special community. And just like magic, they’ve managed to establish an emotional connection before the actual experience.

Even more, they've created an ecosystem of products and services by allowing you to pre-book accommodation and buy festival merch to lock you in.

As you see, there are quite a few practical tips to take away from here. Understanding how your target customers think and what makes them act the way they do helps you apply the scarcity brain in marketing.

I hope that seeing how these concepts really work in the hands of world-renowned brands encourages you to explore ways your brand could benefit from this.

Want to Take Your Marketing Even Further?

If you found this content useful, you should check out my post about demystifying consumer behaviour and why maths doesn’t work in marketing

If you want to grow your brand with some simple hacks anyone can do, let me know. Get a head start, because many tech companies are missing out on this!

Are you ready to shift gears? I’d be happy to help you out with strategies for content and social media marketing.