The Origin Story: In 1984, actress Jane Birkin sat next to Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight. Her bag spilled everywhere. She complained that she couldn't find a leather weekend bag she liked. Dumas sketched a bag on an airplane sick bag. The Birkin was born.
The Strategy: Hermès doesn't sell Birkins like normal luxury goods. You can't walk into a store and buy one. You can't order one online. You can't even get on a waitlist anymore (they killed that too).
Here's what you CAN do:
- Build a purchase history with Hermès: buy scarves, belts, jewelry, other bags
- Develop a relationship with a specific sales associate
- Wait: sometimes years
- Get offered the opportunity to buy a Birkin (not guaranteed)
- Accept what they offer: you don't get to pick color, size, or leather type
Price range: $10K–$500K+ depending on materials and rarity.
Why this works (and what you can steal)
1. Exclusivity creates status; The Birkin isn't just a bag. It's proof that you:
- Have disposable income (you spent thousands before getting the offer)
- Have patience and persistence
- Were "chosen" by the brand
It's become a status symbol separate from its function. People want it BECAUSE it's hard to get.
2. Scarcity drives demand; Hermès could make more Birkins. They choose not to. Each bag is handmade by a single artisan (takes 18-25 hours), but let's be real, they could scale if they wanted.
They don't. Because the limited supply IS the strategy.
The harder it is to get, the more people want it. Basic human psychology.
3. The brand controls the narrative; Hermès decides:
- Who gets offered a Birkin
- When they get offered
- What they're offered
- The price (which increases regularly)
You don't negotiate with Hermès. Hermès negotiates with you.
4. Pre-qualification filters buyers; You can't "try out" Hermès. You have to prove you're a serious customer BEFORE you get access to the thing you actually want.
This means:
- Lower refund/return rates
- Higher lifetime value customers
- Built-in brand loyalty (you're invested before you even get the bag)
- Self-selecting audience (only committed buyers make it through)
How to apply this to your business (without being Hermès)
You're probably not selling $40K handbags. But you CAN create exclusivity and scarcity that drives demand:
For service businesses:
- Limit client roster to X spots per quarter
- Require discovery call before accepting projects (you're pre-qualifying, they're "earning" access)
- Offer VIP/first-access to repeat clients only
- Create a waitlist (and be transparent about it)
For product businesses:
- Limited drops/batches instead of always-available inventory
- Early access for email subscribers or past customers
- Tiered access (loyalty program members get first dibs)
- Make some products "application only" or referral-only
For digital products/communities:
- Close enrollment periods (not evergreen)
- Cohort-based programs (finite spots)
- Require application or survey before purchase
- Invite-only tiers or communities
The key: ya gotta make sure the scarcity is REAL.
Fake scarcity = sleazy countdown timers and "only 2 spots left!!" emails every week.
Real scarcity = actual constraints (your time, your capacity, production limits, cohort sizes).
Your audience can smell the difference.
When constraint… becomes your positioning (a la the Birkin effect)
The Birkin bag isn't the best bag in the world. It's not even the most expensive.
But it IS the most desired. “OMG, she has a Birkin!”
Because Hermès understood something most brands don't: constraint can be more powerful than accessibility.
Not everything should be easy to buy.
Not everyone should be your customer.
When you make people work for it (ethically, not manipulatively), you:
- Attract more committed buyers
- Create a sense of achievement when they "get in"
- Build organic word-of-mouth (people love talking about things that are exclusive)
- Increase perceived value automatically
The bag costs $40K because you can't just buy it. Not the other way around.
⚠️ Er, one warning:
This only works if your product/service actually delivers.
The Birkin is expensive AND high-quality AND has decades of brand equity.
You can't create artificial scarcity around a mediocre offer and expect people to stick around. They'll try once, realize it's not worth the hoop-jumping, and leave.
Scarcity amplifies quality. It doesn't replace it.
Your move:
- Where in your business could you add constraint instead of availability?
- What would change if you made your best offer harder to access—not to be manipulative, but to make sure the right people get in and you can deliver your best work?
- What if "not everyone" was your positioning? 👀 👀 👀
