• by Allison Arling-Giorgi , Yesterday

If consumer marketing has one North Star right now, it’s stripping friction from the path to the product. The theory is simple: The easier something is to acquire, the more likely people are to choose it.

This holds true for much of what fills a cart today. Google’s “Buy for me” button can complete checkout at multiple retailers, and Bain projects nearly 25% of U.S. online purchases will be AI-agent-led by 2030.

The trouble starts when the instinct to kill friction extends into the brand. Companies start stripping away health concerns with "low calorie" labels or running promotions to prevent sticker shock.

But within the indulgence category, friction-free as a comprehensive strategy falls apart. 

Sweets, snacks and premium beverages are emotional rewards that only deliver when they feel earned. Psychology confirms we value things that require more effort to obtain—and that includes giving yourself permission or turning an ordinary moment into an occasion. Eliminate the negotiation from “Should I?” to “I deserve this,” and a guilty pleasure loses its payoff.

For indulgences, the challenge is to remove purchase obstacles while protecting the frictions that make indulgence gratifying.

Cut any friction that’s just friction. Everything should be findable at grocery, in apps and online. For indulgence, the part worth obsessing over is timing.

A craving can have a short shelf life. It spikes when your ad runs or an influencer boosts you—but you risk losing the sale if there’s too much distance between that spike and the moment of choice.

When a TikTok craze for Swedish candy took off, BonBon met it in-app, selling a platform-exclusive mix you could buy right there in the feed. Claiming the treat satisfied the craving instantly, even though the candy arrived later.

Through pop-up stores or instant digital payoffs, be the craving that’s satisfied quickly.

Build strategic ease into the brand. Instead of marketing defensively, build mental availability: being easy to notice, understand and recall, and linking to an occasion.

“America Runs on Dunkin’” dominates the daily pick-me-up, positioning the brand as the nation’s automatic choice. Iced drinks lead sales, and flavored treat drinks like Refreshers are Dunkin’s fastest-growing—suggesting every day is treat-worthy.

Be the indulgence that’s top of mind when the moment you were built for is coming, like Friday nights with friends.

Calibrate frictions that make indulgence special. Market your treat as a well-deserved reward—earned by a tough workday or workout.

Add urgency by playing with scarcity. Limited runs build desire and FOMO that rolling discounts can’t.

Finally, remember the experience doesn’t end with purchase. With “Good things come to those who wait,” Guinness turned the delay forced by its two-part pour into pure anticipation.

This balance of ease and friction is what makes indulgence such a durable category. People protect their favorite rewards even when budgets tighten. It’s a pattern economists have called the lipstick effect since the Great Depression, and it’s even more relevant in today’s treat culture.

Want to tap that loyalty? Make them feel they’ve earned it. They’ll come back to earn it again.