The Business of Hype
When Popularity Becomes a Business Strategy
By Janhavi Gusani
In a marketplace where visibility can influence demand as much as the product itself, brands are discovering that consumer excitement is no longer an accidental outcome. It has become a business strategy.A product does not always need years of market presence to become desirable. Sometimes, a single launch, a celebrity appearance or an unexpected social media moment can place a brand at the centre of public conversation. Products that were relatively unfamiliar can suddenly become difficult to find, while ordinary everyday items acquire a level of desirability that extends far beyond their original purpose. From collectible toys and limited-edition drinkware to sneakers and unexpected food collaborations, the business of generating excitement has become an increasingly influential part of modern retail
What makes this phenomenon interesting is that the value of a product is no longer determined entirely by its practical use. Consumers are also buying into a moment, a community or the feeling of owning something that others are discussing. The popularity of Pop Mart’s Labubu collectibles illustrates this particularly well. What began as a character-based collectible developed into a global cultural phenomenon, with the toys appearing on handbags, social media feeds and celebrity appearances. The appeal was not simply the product’s design, but the experience surrounding it. Blind-box packaging introduced an element of surprise, while successive releases encouraged collectors to return in search of particular characters and variations. The uncertainty of what might be inside the box became part of the purchase itself.
For brands, this creates an opportunity to build demand beyond conventional advertising. Instead of repeatedly telling consumers why a product deserves attention, they can create circumstances in which consumers generate that attention themselves. Unboxing videos, product reviews, collection showcases and discussions about upcoming releases become an informal extension of the marketing campaign. Pop Mart’s approach demonstrates how an original character can develop into a commercial asset with an audience that extends across markets. Its first-half 2026 results reported strong growth across several character properties, indicating that the business is not dependent on one collectible alone. The challenge, and opportunity, lies in building an ecosystem of characters that consumers remain interested in discovering.
Another powerful mechanism behind retail hype is scarcity. Limited releases create a sense of urgency by giving consumers a reason to purchase immediately rather than postpone a decision. This is particularly visible in the sneaker and streetwear industries, where brands such as Nike and Supreme have spent years developing launch strategies around exclusive releases and collaborations. When availability is restricted, the product can acquire an additional layer of desirability. Owning it becomes partly about having secured something that was not easily accessible to everyone else. The secondary resale market can reinforce this perception, particularly when products begin circulating at prices considerably higher than their original retail value.
However, scarcity is not always about producing fewer roducts. It can also be created through timing, distribution and the way a launch is presented. A product released for a short period, available through selected stores or introduced as part of a particular collaboration can generate anticipation without requiring a completely new business model. The recent Swatch and Audemars Piguet Royal Pop collaboration demonstrated how the combination of two very different brand identities could generate extraordinary public interest.
The launch attracted queues and significant attention, with demand becoming a story in itself. It also showed that even established brands with long histories can use contemporary release strategies to reconnect with younger consumers. Social media has made these strategies considerably more powerful. In the past, a product launch depended heavily on advertising, retail placement and media coverage to reach a large audience. Today, a single video can introduce a product to millions of potential consumers, while recommendations from creators can make it appear relevant within particular communities. The interesting distinction is that consumers are often more receptive to seeing a product used, collected or discussed by another person than encountering it through a conventional advertisement.
This has encouraged brands to work with creators whose audiences already have an interest in a particular product category or lifestyle. The objective is not simply to secure visibility, but to make the product feel like a natural part of an existing conversation. Yet attention does not always translate into lasting commercial success. Stanley 1913 offers an interesting example of what happens after a product becomes widely recognised. Its Quencher tumbler developed a substantial following through social media, colour releases and consumer communities, transforming a functional drinkware product into a highly recognisable lifestyle accessory.
The company has since been working to extend its appeal beyond that single product, expanding into other categories and using collaborations to introduce the brand to new audiences. Its strategy reflects a challenge faced by many businesses after a viral breakthrough: how do you retain customers once the original excitement begins to settle? A successful launch can introduce a brand, but it cannot guarantee that consumers will remain interested in everything that follows. Collaborations offer another way to sustain that interest. When two brands with different audiences come together, they can create a product that attracts attention from both communities. The appeal often comes from the unexpected pairing itself, giving consumers something they may not have considered purchasing otherwise.
Food, entertainment, sports, fashion and technology brands have all explored this approach, using partnerships to introduce familiar products in unfamiliar contexts. Starbucks, for example, has increasingly used character-led and culturally recognisable merchandise collections to create excitement beyond its core beverage business. Its limited-edition Bearista cup became a viral product and reportedly sold out in less than a day in its initial release. Such launches demonstrate how an everyday retail brand can create additional demand by connecting its products with collecting, gifting and popular culture . There is also a financial consideration behind the business of hype that is less visible to consumers. A product receiving millions of views does not necessarily mean it is generating equivalent sales.
Brands must consider conversion rates, production costs, distribution capacity, repeat purchases and the longer-term value of the customers acquired during a campaign. A viral launch can place considerable pressure on inventory and logistics, particularly when demand rises faster than a business can respond. Stock shortages may initially intensify excitement, but repeated unavailability can eventually frustrate customers and push them towards competing products. Similarly, excessive discounting or constant limited releases can weaken the sense of exclusivity that made a brand desirable in the first place.
The resale market adds another complication. When a product becomes highly sought after, its value can begin to be shaped by resellers rather than the brand itself. This can generate further publicity, but it also raises questions about accessibility and the relationship between a company and its genuine customers. A product intended to encourage participation in a community can become difficult to obtain at its original price. For businesses, the distinction between genuine consumer demand and speculative buying matters, particularly when deciding how much inventory to produce and how frequently to release new collections.
Ultimately, the most successful brands understand that hype is a means of attracting attention, not a substitute for a strong product or a credible business. A launch may create curiosity, a collaboration may introduce new audiences and a limited release may encourage immediate purchases, but the experience that follows determines whether consumers return. Quality, consistency and the ability to offer something meaningful beyond the initial excitement remain essential.
The challenge is to turn a moment of popularity into an ongoing relationship without exhausting the very interest that created it. As retail continues to draw closer to entertainment, culture and online communities, the ability to create conversation will remain commercially valuable. The brands that understand this are no longer treating marketing as something that happens separately from the product. They are building products, launches and experiences that people want to talk about. In the business of hype, attention may be the starting point, but the real achievement is turning that attention into a reason for consumers to keep coming back.
