Indirect demand creation (Michelin Strategy)
Incentivize a behavior that naturally increases usage of your product, rather than marketing the product directly.
Why this can grow a startup
Instead of pushing users to buy, you pull them toward an activity that makes your product indispensable. This reframes marketing as enablement, which feels generous rather than salesy. Users don't feel sold to — they feel supported. The strategy also creates secondary content and community assets (like awards or leaderboards) that generate their own distribution.
Source-backed example
Michelin created restaurant star ratings to encourage driving (and tire wear); Nike tells you to run more (wearing out shoes faster); SaaS tools can create challenges, templates, or awards that drive deeper product usage and organic upgrades.
Source details
Source: reddit.com · Browse reddit.com tactics
Evidence scope: claims and metrics are attributed to the linked source; GrowthDex has not independently replicated the reported result. Check the original context and validate fit before applying it. Read the evidence methodology.
Source discovered: March 21, 2026
When to use it
Use this when Communities is relevant to 0-100, 100-1K and you can run a bounded test with a free budget.
When not to use it
Do not use it as a substitute for customer evidence, a clear owner, or a measurable stop condition. Local platform rules and market behavior still need checking.
How to do it
- Choose one target segment and define the exact next action this tactic should prompt.
- Adapt the tactic to Communities, using evidence from reddit.com as context—not as a promised result.
- Record a baseline for: Target users from this channel who complete the intended first action. Set a guardrail that would make you pause the test.
- Run a narrow pilot and choose a test window that fits the normal decision or use cycle; do not scale before you have observed the full cycle.
- Compare the signal with its baseline. Scale only if the intended action improves without crossing the guardrail; otherwise revise one variable or stop and record what you learned.
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Apply this with an operator
Build creator and community systems around real incentives, trust, and repeat participation.
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