Selling air can also make money? Packaging techniques for niche products
The business logic behind air buying and selling
When Canadian company Vitality Air sold fresh air from Banff National Park for $20 per can, many questioned whether it was a ridiculous marketing gimmick. But data shows that the annual sales of this product in the heavily polluted Asian market exceed one million US dollars. This seemingly counterintuitive business model is actually a classic case of niche product packaging – reconstructing product attributes through emotional value and transforming intangible things into consumable symbols.
Three core strategies for packaging niche products
Scenario based narrative: Italian brand Aeropure packages air as “the morning breath of the Alps”, showcasing the process of gas extraction through video, giving the product the spiritual value of escaping urban pressure.
Scarcity Creation: Limited to 2000 bottles of oxygen enriched air are available for sale in Japan, with each bottle labeled with latitude and longitude for collection, utilizing geographical scarcity to enhance collection attributes.
Social currency design: O2GO, a US company, has launched a customizable bottle body where users can upload photos to create exclusive air gift boxes, making it a carrier for expressing personality.