So often, brands want instant results.
Clicks. Conversions. Sales by Friday.

The go-to solution?
Promo codes. Discounts. Limited-time offers. And a heavy focus on performance metrics.

But what if you could build something more valuable — and more sustainable — by not selling right away?

That’s exactly what the Inspired Unemployed did. And continue to do.

And whether you’re a start-up, a solo operator, or an established brand trying to grow in a noisy market, there’s a powerful lesson in how they played the long game — and won.

1. They Entertained First — and Built Trust Before Asking for Anything

When the Inspired Unemployed burst onto the scene, they weren’t doing #ads or brand collabs. In fact, they avoided them.

They showed up on TikTok and Instagram simply to make people laugh. Tradie banter, parody fashion shoots, lo-fi chaos — content that felt like inside jokes shared with their audience, not posts written for marketers.

The key? It was never about selling. It was about belonging.

They didn’t chase a quick payday. They built trust, tone, and community — and they became the brand their audience wanted to be part of.

2. They Waited — So They Could Launch on Their Own Terms

Years into their growth, with a huge following and global attention, they still hadn’t sold anything. No teeth-whitening kits. No sneaker drops. No sponsored posts.

And then — they launched Better Beer.

A product that was:

• Bang on demographic (fun, social, low-carb)
• Well-branded and visually sharp
• Priced right and positioned to scale

And because they’d held out — and held onto brand equity — they launched it as their own. With ownership, control, and margin.

That’s the power of patience.

3. They Didn’t Need Discounts — Because the Brand Did the Heavy Lifting

Here’s where it gets interesting for businesses of any size:

Because they built a brand people already liked and trusted, they didn’t have to rely on deep discounts to drive conversion. There was no need to convince anyone — the brand had already done the work.

Better Beer wasn’t sold through price.
It was sold through loyalty.

And loyalty comes from time, tone, and consistency — not from 20% off.

4. They’re Doing It Again — With Arrival

Their latest venture, Arrival, proves the power of brand all over again.

A travel platform “for travellers, not tourists,” it’s perfectly aligned with the world they’ve built — mates, memories, and story-worthy moments. And once again, they’ve played it smart: no mass launch, just “exclusive pre-access” for their millions of followers.

In reality? Anyone can sign up. But the tactic builds anticipation, creates a feeling of privilege — and sets them up to market directly, across channels. Email campaigns. Lookalike audiences. Smarter comms at every stage.

That’s brand thinking in action.

5. This Is the Part Most Brands Skip

Everyone wants sales. That’s fair. But the short-term fix — discounting — often comes at the expense of long-term value.

When you build brand equity first:

• Your promos perform better
• Your margins stay stronger
• Your audience is more forgiving, more loyal, and more likely to share

You don’t need to race to the bottom.
You can price with confidence, market with clarity, and launch with actual excitement — because people already believe in what you’re doing.

💡 What Marketers and Business Owners Can Learn

Whether you’re selling beer, books, skincare or software, here’s the real takeaway:

If you invest in building a brand first, the ROI on everything else goes up.

People will:

• Pay more
• Buy faster
• Convert without discounts
• Stay longer

That’s the power of brand — and it’s not just theory.

The classic Binet & Field graph shows exactly why this works: short-term sales spikes fade fast, but brand-building creates lasting uplift over time.

Smart marketers know: sales activations can win the moment — but brand wins the future.

Final Thought

The Inspired Unemployed played the long game.
They built a following by entertaining, not selling.
They launched a product that made sense because of who they were — not in spite of it.
And they proved that if you build trust first, the payoff is better than a paid post ever could be.

So no, you don’t have to discount to grow.
You just have to give people a reason to care — before you give them a reason to buy.

Want help building a brand your audience actually wants to buy from? That’s what we do. [Let’s talk →]