Is a Tote Bag Enough to Make You Pay for Medium?

I Was Skeptical About Medium’s Friend Membership, Until the Tote Bag Offer

I never thought I’d be swayed to become a member of any online platform just for a tote bag.

But here I am, writing about how the Medium tote bag changed my perspective on membership.

Yes, you read that right. A tote bag.

But before you dismiss this as a frivolous endeavor, let me take you on a journey through the ingenious marketing strategy that Medium has embarked upon, and why it’s not as absurd as it may seem at first glance.

The Medium “Friend” Membership: A Stroke of Marketing Genius?

Medium’s decision to introduce the “Friend” Membership might appear unconventional, even desperate, at first. In an era where subscription models are becoming increasingly common, it takes guts to stand out. And Medium did just that. They chose not to offer exclusive access to content, early releases, or ad-free reading, but rather, they offered something tangible: a tote bag. This move is, without a doubt, a stroke of marketing genius.

Think about it. How many times have you contemplated joining a membership program, only to hesitate because you weren’t sure…