I was in a speakeasy style bar in San Fransisco with some coworkers where a product had popped up on the television screen that caught my interest. Now the product itself was not the interesting part of this experience, but it was the fact that this was the third time I had seen this product.
The first time I saw this product was about three months before, when I had decided to try out TikTok and developed the addiction to scrolling endless videos. While scrolling I had come across this product, which had an account dedicated to it with several videos totaling over a million views. Each video had a link back to their website which if ordered from would dropship this product from China to you doorstep at more than a 50% markup. It was pretty easy to find the exact product they were selling on AliExpress and the single product layout Shopify site is pretty common in this area. The marketing at this stage is mostly just a numbers game, more people that see videos of the product equals more people that click the link and more people that buy the product.
The second time I saw this product was when it was branded and launched as it’s own unique product. The markup was about the same, but the product was now shipping from within the United States. The site now had a support number and looked more built out. The product was now also sold on Amazon under the brand name and claiming to be the true product. The product had upgraded from TikTok fad to official branded product.
The third time I saw this product, was on the television at the bar. But once again the product had a new brand name and an even higher price, but now with a phone number you can call to order the product and have it shipped directly to you.
What got me thinking after this third appearance, is that the product is still available on AliExpress at a fraction of the cost it is getting sold at on the TikTok, Amazon, or TV; yet each of these platforms really serves a different audience. People pay for the brand and the access to a product that aligns best with them.