Whether your pop-up shop is designed to move inventory fast, break into a new market, take your online brand into the ‘real’ world, or launch new products, success rests not only on the concept but also the marketing. The ephemeral nature of pop-up retail means brands don’t have time to wait for the shop to grow its audience — you need to hit the ground running. That means planning for pop-up success starts months in advance as your brand generates social media buzz, media coverage, and word-of-mouth.
Existing in the liminal space between online and in-person shopping, pop-up shops are different from other retail, and so are the considerations in marketing and promoting them. Here are some ideas for marketing your pop-up creatively and effectively.
Involve Influencers and the Media
Alert local media to your shop’s upcoming presence. This is a step to take early on, rather than waiting until closer to opening day, because starting early is critical. The media may need as long as two to three months to plan and produce a story, says Shopify.
Identify the influencers and content creators who best align with your target audience, and let them know what you’re doing and why they should get involved. Come up with incentives — free products, for example, or a discount code they can share with their followers. Find out what additional pop-up services they might offer — personal appearances? Coordinating publicity?
Design to Get Noticed
“To maximize both your investments and profit, your pop-up should turn heads,” says thestorefront.com. This means booking the right space for your brand and its audience, and planning not only the inside of the shop but also its appearance from the street. Consider using inflatables, marquees, and sidewalk blackboards to attract the attention of passers-by.
Marketingscoop.com urges brands to design creative pop-up shops that are memorable and social media-ready. Today’s consumers crave experiences as much as good deals and great products. “Focus on creating immersive, multi-sensory experiences that engage attendees on multiple levels.” This may mean adding interactive elements like demonstrations, workshops, or games; vivid visuals and decor; personalization like one-on-one consultations or custom products; and photo ops and backdrops to encourage social media sharing.
Throw a Launch Party
Those influencers and journalists you’ve contacted about your pop-up? Organize a launch party and invite them, along with local celebrities. The exclusive nature of the event will be buzzworthy by itself, and content generated by influencers, brand ambassadors, and others in attendance will help promote the shop.
Promote on Social Media
Social media is possibly the best means of spreading awareness of your brand and the shop. Before the event, create a unique, branded hashtag, and distribute it in any and all materials and media promoting the event. Create a Facebook event for the grand opening.
Distribute products or samples to bloggers, influencers, and content creators, and ask them to post about them, Shopify advises. “The more products they can touch and feel, the more likely they are to connect with one of the products and post about them.” As you build the pop-up shop itself, take photos and video to post on social media as “behind the scenes” content, and post sneak previews of the shop and the products.
“From the opening day to the last day of your event, it’s a great idea to make your online presence all about it,” says storefront.com. Encourage customers to post photos and feedback, and interact with them by tagging and replying as much as possible to connect with customers and lay the groundwork for future purchases and customer loyalty.
Make Sure Customers Can Find You
The spaces that house pop-up shops are often in unusual or out-of-the-way locations, which means taking extra care to promote the shop’s location along with hours, dates, and other wayfinding info. Shopify recommends putting your pop-up shop on Google Maps, and making sure the address and ZIP code appear in promotional materials and all publicity.
While the shop is open, have staff stand outside the location to steer prospective customers your way. These wayfinding employees don’t need to act like a street team, pulling in passers-by or passing out fliers; just having them in branded attire may suffice.
Don’t Stick Around Too Long
Focus on seasonal opportunities, and choose dates carefully. “Most people tend to visit the opening weekend anyways,” said one pop-up owner, who ran her shop for just 4 days. The best pop-ups are limited in duration, because the short life span creates urgency and the excitement of grabbing great merchandise while it lasts. Think about seasonal sales around holidays like Christmas; these events last only a few days, but while they’re open, excitement is high and anticipation is huge. “You should ride the buzz of excitement to market your products, and match your potential customers’ expectations once they’re in-store,” says storefront.com.
Promobile Marketing is a dynamic experiential marketing firm based in New York City. For over a decade, Promobile has collaborated with a range of brands—from budding startups to major CPG brands—on immersive marketing campaigns. Want to discuss your next project? Reach out below.
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