For a long time, pre-sale was synonymous with a gray button below the product with the phrase “coming soon” — or at most, a registration form for those who wanted to be notified by email. In physical retail, the goal was to ensure demand for stock that had not even arrived. But in the digital world, the tables have turned — and turned with force.
Today, the logic of pre-sale has been completely redefined. It is no longer a passive notice, but a spectacle with a date, script, calculated scarcity, and meticulously constructed expectation. “In digital marketing, pre-sale has become the main persuasion tool. It generates desire even before the product is available. And it does so with a well-structured narrative, positioning, and triggers,” explains Thiago Finch, founder of Holding Bilhon and a reference in digital launches in Brazil.
The difference between ‘informing’ and making people count the days
Instead of waiting for the consumer to remember that the product exists, brands today create events around the launch. They are series of content with a beginning, middle, and end, exclusive funnels that only work for a few days, and campaigns that turn the ‘not yet on sale’ into an unmissable opportunity. “Digital pre-sale is emotional. It plays on FOMO, scarcity, the sensation that if you don’t get in now, you’ll miss out on something important. And this works because people make decisions based on feelings, not just reason,” points out Finch.
The combination of storytelling and automation has also elevated this model to a new level. Email sequences, pages with countdowns, exclusive groups, lives with spoilers, and even gamified teasers are part of the machinery. The consumer not only follows but participates in the process – and the more involved they are, the higher the chance of conversion. ‘A good launch turns curiosity into a decision. And this happens before the official opening of the cart,’ says the entrepreneur.
The launch is the new stage – and the consumer is already ready to buy
One of the main changes brought by digital launches is the shift of sales to the center of the experience. It is no longer about showing a finished product, but about building a narrative that makes the audience want to be part of it even before it ends. ‘People don’t just buy out of utility. They buy for alignment, for story, for feeling that the product arrived at the right time. And the launch creates this environment,’ says Finch.
Another factor that has been gaining strength is exclusivity. Pre-sales lasting 24 or 48 hours, with limited bonuses, mentorship only for the first buyers, or early access to new versions create a sense of belonging and urgency. For the consumer, it is more than a purchase: it’s an event they want to be a part of. ‘When the brand hits the right tone of conversation and the timing of the campaign, the product doesn’t even need to be available for long. In a few hours, the stock runs out – because the desire was already latent,’ reinforces.
This new model also favors data intelligence. With the audience heated around the launch, brands can test messages, measure engagement, and predict results more accurately. All of this feeds back into the strategy and makes each new campaign more powerful. As Finch points out, “a well-done launch teaches as much as it sells. It’s a behavior laboratory and a growth accelerator at the same time,” he concludes.
