Status is a bit like cash back programmes. Unless the programme is designed hopelessly wrong, it should never be worth it chasing status per se, yet should be close enough to give people the illusion that it is, encouraging them to use your company rather than competitors where it would be blatantly absurd to do so without such a perk. Unless you are a paper thin distance away from status, consuming products or services you don’t need or want just to get a reward should never make sense.

that is of course the theory, and we know that in real life, people sometimes choose to buy 20 packets of cereals just to get the beanie hat they will complain about (Calvin and Hobbes fans will understand) or will be the promotional 2kg of steaks for £19.99 and throw away the 1.5kg they never needed or wanted in the first place while they could have got the 500 grammes they actually wanted for £6.99 instead.