MAKO Strategy: The Appeal of Limited Edition Products

As we reach the last quarter of the year, consumers see a slew of continuous holidays and events that elicit thousands of limited edition products to celebrate the holidays. Even during the off-holiday seasons, companies and brands release promotional items that follow certain themes and concepts and market them as “limited editions.”

Limited edition products are definitely a huge selling point to entice customers to purchase or take an interest in any new promotional events relevant to the company or business. In addition, they make for a great marketing and product strategy to boost product profits and brand awareness.

Defining a Limited Edition Product

We hear and see “Limited Edition” everywhere on products nowadays. However, one aspect that confuses consumers is that when a limited edition product is released, it doesn’t stray too far from the original product at all – almost barely any new features are included.

The reason for this is that limited edition products are more of a product strategy than they are a release of a new product. Companies and businesses will release this type of product, usually just as renditions of an original best-selling product that already exists. What makes the product “limited edition,” however, is the change in packaging or an added product design detail that was not on the original.

Along with the change in aesthetics, limited edition products always come with a time window in which consumers can purchase the special product before it is not available. This means that companies re-design one of their products and only manufacture a certain amount to be specifically sold for a temporary promotional period.

The Appeal to Consumers

If we understand that limited edition products are simply just the company’s original product but with a redesigned exterior or added feature, why do they perform so well? The reason why these products are so popular can mainly be attested to the time length in which they are available for purchase.

When a time period is present, consumers begin to feel as if they have less or no time left to purchase what is offered to them before it’s gone forever. The fear that a product can only be available once and never again gives consumers a reason to purchase the product in order to not feel any regret later on.

Additionally, consumers tend to prefer owning things that are more special or different than what the majority of audiences have. The appeal of having something “special” or “limited” entices people to jump at the chance of purchasing the product, sometimes for bragging rights or in order to feel as if they have scored a unique treasure.

How Limited Edition Products Can Help Your Business

Limited edition products are a great way to implement a new product strategy into your business, especially when you feel like your sales have been in a lull lately. The process of releasing a limited edition product is fairly easy as all you need to do is choose your best-selling product and redesign its product packaging or add some bells and whistles to the product’s functionality and head to the markets.

The key to benefitting and gaining the most profits from your limited edition products is to make sure to advertise the release of your product as much as possible. Once your product is released, as long as you have maintained a loyal and dedicated customer clientele, fans of your business and product will be ecstatic to see a new edition of their favourite item.

The surge in sales can not only help you in supporting your business financially but can also reveal to you what is popular for your customers and what they want to see in your future products. Ultimately, releasing limited edition products is a great product strategy that not only helps promote your business and brand, but also shows you future patterns about what can work for the future of your business’s product.

If you have a great new invention and you’d like to learn more about this process, get in touch with MAKO today and visit our website to find out more. Or feel free to give us a call at 1-888-MAKO, and we can set you up on a call with our product strategist!

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about MAKO Design + Invent!