At the heart of every brand is a story and how well that story is communicated determines it’s reach and longevity. Kanye West, Ye, is a master storyteller and at the heart of his message you can find transparency and originality. whether rockin’ a pink polo in the early days or a mask with bulletproof vest, one thing is for sure, ye has never been afraid to step out into deep waters.

In the beginning of his career, no rappers wore pink polo shirts and today no rappers flirt with the idea of politics while consistently dropping new music and merchandise. One thing that makes ye a huge success is a hefty ego that fuels the belief in his mind that he is the greatest of all time at whatever he does. he knows, not thinks, that he has the ability to flawlessly execute dreams to completion. this confidence is illustrated in every cut of fabric and measure of music and we love buying confidence.

LIMITED EXPERIENCE marketing

when you love something, the last thing you want to hear is no or that there will only be a limited amount of time or supply. it makes you want to gather as much of it as you can as quickly as you can and this is the genius of the yeezy marketing strategy. ye spent years perfecting designs of shoes clothing and other artwork in addition to his music pursuits. when the right opportunity presented itself ye began designing with the classics in mind creating the air yeezy from a combination of the jordan III & IV and the air tech challenge ii. fast forward to 2021 and the air yeezy shoes worn during his 2008 grammy performance sold for 1.8M.

yeeezy supply sells out of new product in a matter of minutes and if you’re not tech savvy you may not get them at all. there are no warehouses stocked full of inventory, or stores to visit and try on the latest. one of the keys to the yeezy marketing strategy is limited experience marketing. products are made in short but unique runs and are not remade and reintroduced into the market. it’s one and done and if you don’t get one you’re done. that is until the next run, or you can have success on the reseller market over time.

my social proof fomo be like

since we often want what we can’t have, the idea of missing out on a limited edition item can compel someone to buy in early and often. the challenge of acquiring a limited edition item can be more satisfying than actually owning it.

it’s supply and demand at the most basic level.
if supply is low demand will be high.

the obsession with new yeezy product starts with new items releasing on a drop calendar where you reserve an online chance to be able to purchase the item on the release date. this of course is no guarantee that you will be one of the lucky 40,000 or so randomly selected to have the opportunity to buy the item. if you miss your chance here you can still find them on sites like StockX, an online reseller of streetwear fashion. some fashionistas make a living from buying and reselling streetwear at higher markups on limited edition items.

as we face the largest supply chain catastrophe in history, there is no doubt that big brandS will create more limited edition and small run items. the yeezy marketing strategy has proven that you can change how people consume goods and services by adjusting the supply of products in high demand. 

 as long as value guides brand identity, the customer will see it as a benefit and will become a loyal customer. ye attributes his creative process to his feelings of films and experiences he grew up with. that passion is expressed in every project and passed on to the consumer in it’s most raw form. the end result is a customer that feels unique being one of the few rockin’ the latest from yeezy supply.