Physical Activation Adoption Loop
Turn a memorable physical experience into adoption of your core technology.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
Start by identifying the behavior that unlocks adoption, such as creating a wallet, using a payment method, or activating an account. Build that behavior into a desirable physical experience rather than presenting it as a technical onboarding task. Offer enough immediate value—discounts, collectibles, or premium merchandise—to compensate customers for trying something unfamiliar. The merchandise extends the activation by turning participants into visible advocates. Finally, remove transaction friction so the experience itself demonstrates the technology's advantage. The result is a loop in which incentives drive participation, participation creates product familiarity, and customers carry the brand into the wider world.
Origin
Extracted from Marketing Against The Grain through Kip Bodner's analysis of the Solana store in Hudson Yards.
Core principles
- 01Reward the behavior required for adoption.
- 02Use the physical experience to demonstrate the technology.
- 03Make the value exchange overwhelmingly attractive.
- 04Remove friction from every activation step.
- 05Create merchandise people genuinely want to display.
How to run it
- 1
Choose the Adoption Behavior
Define the single action customers must take to start using the core product or technology.
Pro tip Choose a behavior that leaves the customer ready to use the product again later.
Watch out Do not reward an action unrelated to meaningful adoption.
- 2
Design a Desirable Activation
Wrap the behavior in an experience or product customers already want, such as exclusive merchandise or an event.
Pro tip Make the physical item competitive with products customers would buy without the promotion.
Watch out Low-quality branded merchandise weakens the taste signal.
- 3
Create an Overwhelming Value Exchange
Use discounts, collectibles, or other rewards to make experimentation feel worthwhile.
Pro tip Reward both setup and first use when each is a separate adoption barrier.
Watch out Do not make the incentive so complicated that customers abandon it.
- 4
Remove Transaction Friction
Reduce the activation to a few obvious actions and complete the transaction quickly.
Pro tip Let the promoted technology demonstrate convenience during checkout.
Watch out A slow or confusing experience teaches customers that the technology is difficult.
- 5
Extend the Experience Publicly
Give participants something useful or attractive that displays their affiliation after the activation.
Pro tip Design merchandise customers will repeatedly wear or show.
Watch out Do not assume a logo alone makes an item desirable.
In the wild
At the Hudson Yards Solana store, customers could receive discounts and an NFT while buying desirable ecosystem merchandise. Receiving the NFT required a wallet, and paying through a Phantom Wallet unlocked a larger discount. The physical purchase therefore encouraged both wallet setup and transaction experience while the merchandise turned buyers into visible advocates.
→ Customers received immediate value while Solana gained product adoption, awareness, and public brand visibility.
Common mistakes
Promoting Without Onboarding
An activation may generate attention without adoption if customers never use the core technology.
Making Forgettable Swag
Generic merchandise will not turn customers into willing public advocates.
Breaking Brand-Experience Consistency
Promoting one technology while using another at the decisive moment creates a noticeable credibility gap.
Is it for you?
Best for
Brands introducing technology that customers need to experience before they understand its value.
Not ideal for
Brands whose activation cannot be connected naturally to a useful customer behavior.
From the transcript
“So what they're doing is they're using a physical activation to drive awareness and to drive adoption of the core technology necessary.”
“They were giving me a discount to make sure I set up my wallet, and they were giving me an NFT to make sure I…”
“The third way you make taste is make it really low friction, make it easy, change the experience around for the prospect, the customer, whether…”
From the episode
How to Become a Brand Tastemaker