The Plausible Excuse
"Disarms skepticism and adds perceived legitimacy to an offer by providing a narrative reason for its existence. This makes the customer feel they're getting a special, non-random opportunity rather than just being sold to."
Invent a simple, believable reason for a sale, discount, or special offer. This 'because' doesn't have to be robust; it just has to exist. Common excuses include 'clearing out old inventory,' 'founder's birthday,' 'warehouse move,' or 'we made too much!'. It taps into the human need for causality, first demonstrated in the classic 'Xerox machine' study by Ellen Langer.
Same hack. Three very different choices.
A genuine reason. 'We're discontinuing our V1 widget to make room for V2, so all V1s are 50% off.' This is honest, transparent, and provides real value for a clear reason.
A flimsy but harmless excuse. 'It's our company dog's birthday! 20% off all leashes.' The reason is silly and obviously a marketing ploy, but it's not deceptive. The customer is in on the joke.
A deceptive, high-pressure excuse. A mattress store running a perpetual 'Everything Must Go! Fire Sale!' event. This creates false urgency and misleads customers into believing they're getting a unique, time-sensitive deal when it's just business as usual.
A formula you can steal
Because of [Plausible Event], we're offering [The Deal].
Where you've already seen this
- **Surreal Cereal:** The UK cereal brand frequently runs campaigns based on 'mistakes.' They'll create ads claiming they 'accidentally' printed a typo on thousands of boxes and now must sell them at a discount, turning a manufactured reason into a fun, engaging sales event.
- **Local Furniture Stores:** The classic 'Going Out of Business Sale!' or 'Lost Our Lease!' event that seems to last for years. The excuse is the business closing, but it's often a permanent marketing tactic to create urgency.
- **Brooklinen:** Like many DTC brands, they use 'Warehouse Cleaning' or 'End of Season' sales to justify discounts outside of major holidays, making the offer feel timely and finite.
When running a promotion outside of standard holiday cycles. It helps justify a random Tuesday sale and makes it feel like an event. Excellent for clearing actual excess inventory or launching a surprise 'flash sale' that needs a narrative hook.
When the excuse is easily disproven or contradicts previous marketing. Don't run a 'We're closing down!' sale if you just announced a major expansion. Overusing it also dilutes the effect and erodes brand trust.
Try the trick today
Next time you see a non-holiday sale, look for the 'why.' Is it a 'Warehouse Cleaning Sale'? A 'Founder's Birthday'? An 'End of Season' event? Notice how the presence of a reason, any reason, makes the discount feel more legitimate and less like a desperate plea for your money. Now, ask yourself: is the reason real, or is it just a convenient story?
Free Marketing Hacked module included. See more cautionary tales and learn the playbook from the inside.
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