CRED's Classic Cake Hack:

Growth hacks often involve complex tech stuff, but sometimes, the simplest ideas are the most brilliant.

This is definitely the case with CRED's fantastic (and personal favorite) growth hack from their early days. It's so clever, I just had to write about it, even after five years!

Here's the magic:

Every new CRED signup received a giant cake delivered to their office! This simple welcome gesture turned the recipient and the cake (with CRED's tagline) into the center of attention. It sparked conversations about CRED, creating a buzz within the office itself.

Imagine this: Your new user becomes a walking billboard, sharing their positive experience with their colleagues – pure word-of-mouth marketing gold!

Why Cake?

• Perfect Target Audience: CRED targeted young professionals who spend a significant amount of time at the office. The cake reached them in their natural habitat!

• Surprisingly Cost-Effective: A delicious cake can be easily shared with 10-12 people – way cheaper to reach your target audience than many online ads!

• Effortless Execution: Just collect the office address during signup and partner with a nearby bakery.

• Second Order Impact: People sharing such surprises on their social media was not just an added bonus but a planned and expected one.

But Why Did They Stop?

• Mission Accomplished: A few hundred cakes created the desired buzz. Continuing wouldn't be as effective. You wouldn't want to share something everyone already knows, or worse, seem like you joined CRED just for a cake!

• Tracking Challenges: While less crucial, some marketing campaigns benefit from direct results tracking, which can be difficult with this method (often funded from brand budgets).

• Scaling Issues: The cake delivery might have worked well in a few metro cities, but scaling it nationwide could be tricky. Users in other locations might feel disappointed if they didn't get the same treatment.

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What's Your Favorite Growth Hack?

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