Your marketing team is panicking. Sales are slow. Everyone’s screaming ‘Slash prices!’ And somewhere in your inbox, there’s a competitor’s email flaunting their latest 40% off promotion. Time to join the discount party, right?
Hold that markdown button. While quick sales hits might feel good now, there’s a smarter way to play the long game – one that won’t turn your brand into a bargain basement regular.
Because here’s the thing: once you train customers to wait for discounts, full price becomes fiction.
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The price-slashing trap
It starts innocently enough. A small discount here, a flash sale there. Soon, you’re trapped in a cycle: regular prices stop working, margins get thinner, and your brand value drops faster than last season’s clearance items. Worse? Your customers become discount detectives, trained to wait for the next sale rather than value your actual offering.
Take Bed Bath & Beyond’s cautionary tale. Those famous blue 20% off coupons? They went from clever marketing to corporate addiction. By 2023, they’d trained their customers so well to never pay the full price that even their discounts couldn’t save them from bankruptcy. The lesson? What starts as a sales strategy can end as a survival struggle.
Think of your brand value like a muscle – every discount is a tiny tear. Used strategically, these tears can help you grow stronger. But too many, too often? That’s how brands end up in the bargain basement ICU.
Warning signs you're trapped:
Your customers ask about the next sale before asking about new products
Your margins are thinner than your patience during budget meetings
Your full-price items collect more dust than vintage wine
Your competitors can predict your promotion calendar
The PRICE framework: Your value-building blueprint
When you’re ready to break free from the discount cycle, you need a systematic approach. That’s where the PRICE framework comes in. Each letter represents a key element in building sustainable value:
Right, let’s dig into each piece of this puzzle. Trust me, when these elements work together, price becomes the last thing your customers think about…
Position:
Make the competition irrelevant – Instead of competing on price, compete on prestige. Apple doesn’t sell phones; they sell memberships in the innovation club. When you position right, price becomes secondary to belonging.
Create ‘must-have’ moments around your brand
Build anticipation through limited releases
Design customer experiences worth bragging about
Turn your product into a status symbol
Quick win: Map three ways your brand delivers value that has nothing to do with price. Build your marketing around these instead of discounts.
Rarity:
Create real reasons to act now – Forget fake scarcity. Create genuine reasons why your offer can’t last forever:
Limited by quality (we only source the best)
Limited by craft (each piece takes time)
Limited by intention (keeping our community intimate)
Generate FOMO through actual value, not manipulation
Pro tip: The best scarcity isn’t manufactured – it’s a natural result of doing things right.
Identity:
Become part of their story – Look at how Adidas builds identity value. Their ‘impossible is nothing‘ campaign isn’t just a tagline – it’s a belief system. By showing diverse athletes crushing their goals, they’re not selling shoes; they’re selling belonging to a community of achievers. The result? Customers care more about what the three stripes say about them than what’s on the price tag. And it works – 88% of consumers point to authenticity as a key deciding factor when choosing where to shop.
Here’s how to build your identity value:
Build social proof through customer storytelling
Create content that celebrates customer success
Make your brand part of their personal narrative
Turn customers into brand ambassadors
Community:
Build belonging, not just buyers – Turn customers into members. Just look at how boutique fitness studios create tight-knit communities that make price secondary to participation. Members aren’t just buying access to equipment – they’re buying into a tribe of like-minded achievers.
Bundle unique experiences with purchases
Create member-only perks that feel exclusive
Add services that make price comparison impossible
Develop loyalty programs that reward commitment, not spending
Experience:
Create moments worth paying for – Stop selling products. Start choreographing experiences. When you craft moments that make customers feel closer to their aspirational lifestyle, price becomes secondary to transformation. Just look at how Peloton transformed a stationary bike into a gateway to an elite fitness lifestyle – they’re not selling exercise equipment, they’re selling the experience of becoming your best self. With 6.4 million members and a 92% annual retention rate, including 718,000 digital subscribers, they’ve proven that customers will pay premium prices for experiences that transform daily routines into something special.
The magic happens when every touchpoint reinforces this transformation. From the white-glove delivery experience to the instructor shout-outs during live classes, Peloton members aren’t just buying a bike – they’re buying daily moments that make them feel like elite athletes. The $2,000+ price tag? It’s justified by the experience of belonging to this premium fitness community.
Even in everyday categories, this strategy works powerfully. Take YETI, who turned the humble cooler and water bottle market upside down. They don’t just sell drinkware – they sell the experience of outdoor adventure. By creating premium unboxing experiences and sharing real stories of outdoor enthusiasts, they’ve built a brand that commands $35 for a tumbler that keeps their customers’ drinks cold and their brand affinity hot. Their revenue skyrocketed from $89.92 million in 2013 to $1.659 billion in 2023, proving that when you sell experiences, not just products, customers will happily pay more.
Here’s a wake-up call: Consistent branding can boost revenue by up to 33%. Why? Because when you’re crystal clear about your value, price becomes just one part of the story. And with 90% of consumers actively looking for authenticity when choosing brands to support, discounting isn’t always the answer.
Smart discount strategy (when you must)
Sometimes discounts make sense. Use them strategically:
To reward loyalty, not desperation
To clear genuine end-of-season stock
To acquire customers you can upsell to premium offerings
To test new market segments
Your next move
Before rushing to discount, revisit your PRICE framework elements. Ask yourself:
Are we competing on price because we have to, or because it’s a habit?
Where are we leaving value on the table?
How can we make our full price feel like a bargain through added value?
Because here’s the truth: Every time you discount, you’re not just setting a price – you’re setting expectations. Build value consistently, and price becomes secondary to desire. List three unique aspects of your brand that have nothing to do with price. These are your building blocks for sustainable value. Then ask yourself: “How can we make these so compelling that price becomes secondary?”
In the end, the goal isn’t to win the race to the bottom. It’s to build something so valuable that customers stop looking at the price tag.
(P.S. Want to test if you’re on the right track? Ask your best customers why they chose you. If their answer starts with “because it was on sale,” you know where to focus next.)
Want to brainstorm with our team on new ways to scale your business with YouTube Ads (and other performance video platforms)?
Join us for a free YouTube ad brainstorming session👇
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Holly Preston, Lead Copywriter
Holly is behind most of Inceptly's successful creatives, supporting the team with her experience and imagination, making her an invaluable asset to Inceptly.
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