Ensuring Fair Distribution - Fanfare Documentation

Fairness is critical for maintaining consumer trust during high-demand events. This guide covers strategies for equitable distribution and common pitfalls to avoid.

Why Fairness Matters

Unfair distribution can lead to:

Loss of trust: Consumers who feel cheated won’t return
Negative publicity: Social media amplifies unfair experiences
Reseller dominance: Bots and bad actors capture inventory
Brand damage: Long-term reputation harm

Distribution Type Selection

Choose the right distribution type based on your fairness goals.

Type	Fairness Model	Best For
Queue	First-come, first-served	Rewarding early engagement
Draw	Random selection	Equal opportunity regardless of timing
Timed Release	Simultaneous access	High-volume, self-serve purchases
Auction	Highest value	Price-based allocation

When to Use Queues

Queues work well when you want to reward:

Early awareness and preparation
Dedicated fans who show up first
Organic demand signals

// Queue configuration example
const queueConfig = {
  type: "queue",
  accessMode: "sequential",
  batchSize: 50, // How many users get access at once
  batchIntervalSeconds: 30, // Time between batches
};

Queues can disadvantage users in different time zones or with slower internet connections. Consider draws for global fairness.

When to Use Draws

Draws provide equal opportunity regardless of:

Geographic location
Device speed
Internet connection quality
Time zone

// Draw configuration example
const drawConfig = {
  type: "draw",
  selectionMethod: "random",
  winnersCount: 500,
  registrationPeriodMinutes: 60, // Give everyone time to register
};

Sequence-Based Access

Use sequences to provide different access levels while maintaining fairness within each tier.

VIP/Priority Access

Allow loyal customers priority access without excluding general audiences.

// Multiple sequences with staggered timing
const sequences = [
  {
    name: "VIP Members",
    audienceId: "aud_vip_members",
    startsAt: "2024-01-15T09:00:00Z", // 1 hour early
    maxParticipants: 200,
  },
  {
    name: "Email Subscribers",
    audienceId: "aud_email_list",
    startsAt: "2024-01-15T10:00:00Z", // 30 min early
    maxParticipants: 500,
  },
  {
    name: "General Access",
    startsAt: "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
    maxParticipants: 1000,
  },
];

Fair Allocation Across Sequences

Reserve inventory proportionally across access tiers.

Total Inventory: 1000 units

VIP Members (10%):     100 units
Email Subscribers:     200 units
General Access:        700 units

Purchase Limits

Implement limits to prevent stockpiling and ensure broader access.

Per-Consumer Limits

Restrict how much any single consumer can purchase.

// Configure per-consumer limits
const orderLimits = {
  maxQuantityPerOrder: 2,
  maxOrdersPerConsumer: 1,
  enforcementScope: "experience", // or "product", "organization"
};

Enforcement Strategies

Strategy	Description	Strength
Account-based	Limit per authenticated user	Medium
Session-aware	Limit repeated participation patterns	High
Combined	Account + session + behavioral signals	Highest

Session Integrity

Session integrity checks help prevent one person from gaining unfair advantage with repeated or automated participation.

How It Works

The SDK includes integrity signals with participation requests. Your integration should initialize the SDK normally and avoid trying to construct or inspect those signals directly:

const client = new FanfareClient({
  publishableKey: "pk_live_...",
});

Privacy Considerations

Integrity signals are designed to support fair access without exposing enforcement details
Customer integrations should disclose data collection and consent requirements appropriate to their implementation
Do not publish detection thresholds, bypass behavior, or enforcement rules in consumer-facing experiences

Access Codes for Fair Distribution

Use access codes to control who can participate.

Unique Codes

Generate unique codes for each entitled participant.

// Each code can only be used once
const codes = [
  { code: "VIP-ABCD-1234", maxUses: 1 },
  { code: "VIP-EFGH-5678", maxUses: 1 },
];

Shared Codes with Limits

Allow a code to be used by a limited number of people.

// Shared code with limit
const promotionCode = {
  code: "FLASH-SALE-2024",
  maxUses: 100, // First 100 users only
  expiresAt: "2024-01-15T12:00:00Z",
};

Timing Fairness

Synchronized Start Times

Ensure all users experience the same start time.

// Server-synchronized countdown
client.on("experience:countdown", ({ serverTime, startsAt }) => {
  const remaining = startsAt - serverTime;
  updateCountdown(remaining);
});

Grace Periods

Allow a window for late arrivals to still participate fairly.

const experienceConfig = {
  startsAt: "2024-01-15T10:00:00Z",
  lateEntryGracePeriodSeconds: 60, // Allow entry up to 1 min late
};

Monitoring Fairness

Key Metrics

Track these metrics to ensure fair distribution:

Metric	Target	Concern Threshold
Unique participants	High	< 80% unique devices
Geographic distribution	Broad	Single region > 80%
Entry time spread	Even	> 50% in first second
Purchase completion	Balanced	Wide variance by segment

Detecting Anomalies

Watch for patterns that indicate unfair advantage:

Many accounts from same IP address
Repeated session integrity signals across accounts
Unusually fast form completion
Automated request patterns

Common Pitfalls

Starting without announcement

Always give consumers advance notice of when an experience starts. Surprise launches benefit only those who happen to be watching.

Too-short registration windows

For draws, allow enough time for all interested parties to register. Consider time zones and typical user schedules.

Unlimited quantities

Without purchase limits, determined resellers can sweep inventory. Always set reasonable per-person limits.

No session integrity checks

Without session integrity checks, repeated or automated participation can be harder to identify.

Ignoring geographic fairness

If your audience is global, queue-based launches at a single time disadvantage some regions. Consider regional releases or draws.

Communicating Fairness

Be transparent about your distribution approach.

Pre-Launch Communication

## How This Launch Works

- **Registration opens**: January 14, 10:00 AM EST
- **Draw held**: January 15, 10:00 AM EST
- **Winners notified**: January 15, 10:15 AM EST

Everyone who registers has an equal chance of being selected.
Winners will have 30 minutes to complete their purchase.

**Limits**: 1 item per person

During the Experience

function FairnessNotice() {
  return (
    <div className="fairness-notice">
      <h4>Fair Access</h4>
      <p>This experience uses random selection to give everyone an equal chance, regardless of when you registered.</p>
    </div>
  );
}

Next Steps

Bot Protection - Prevent automated abuse
Testing Strategies - Validate your fairness measures
UX Patterns - Communicate fairness to users

​Why Fairness Matters

​Distribution Type Selection

​When to Use Queues

​When to Use Draws

​Sequence-Based Access

​VIP/Priority Access

​Fair Allocation Across Sequences

​Purchase Limits

​Per-Consumer Limits

​Enforcement Strategies

​Session Integrity

​How It Works

​Privacy Considerations

​Access Codes for Fair Distribution

​Unique Codes

​Shared Codes with Limits

​Timing Fairness

​Synchronized Start Times

​Grace Periods

​Monitoring Fairness

​Key Metrics

​Detecting Anomalies

​Common Pitfalls

​Communicating Fairness

​Pre-Launch Communication

​During the Experience

​Next Steps

Why Fairness Matters

Distribution Type Selection

When to Use Queues

When to Use Draws

Sequence-Based Access

VIP/Priority Access

Fair Allocation Across Sequences

Purchase Limits

Per-Consumer Limits

Enforcement Strategies

Session Integrity

How It Works

Privacy Considerations

Access Codes for Fair Distribution

Unique Codes

Shared Codes with Limits

Timing Fairness

Synchronized Start Times

Grace Periods

Monitoring Fairness

Key Metrics

Detecting Anomalies

Common Pitfalls

Communicating Fairness

Pre-Launch Communication

During the Experience

Next Steps