There was a time when pop-up spaces were considered solely as a short-term promotion tactic; one which gave a little boost to sales or exposure to your business in a fresh, new setting. But over time, these pop-ups have evolved into a very profitable industry in their own right, worth $50 billion annually and attracting the kind of Instagram attention whose value it’s hard to put a price on.
Whether you’re pondering starting your first small-scale business or you’re expanding your already established store, pop-ups can, indeed, pop off, and will undoubtedly help your business grow. With that in mind, here’s our IDEAL beginner’s guide to hosting your first pop-up event.
A TOOL FOR OFFLINE CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
Businesses should always be looking to provide their customers with omnichannel experiences, to diversify engagement and reach the highest number of potential users possible, but this becomes especially difficult for retailers that solely rely on e-commerce. Research suggests “webrooming” – the process of browsing online with the intention of making the actual purchase at the store – is done by 78 per cent of shoppers.
But for a business that has no physical store, these are potential customers being lost. Pop-ups, then, serve to provide a solution to this conundrum for e-commerce retailers, and because of this, they represent the ideal opportunity for real life customer engagement.
TEST NEW BUSINESS IDEAS
Pop-ups provide you with a low-cost method of testing the viability and feasibility of a business idea; a testing of the water, if you will, for its potential for a nice, long dip in profit. Even if it’s an existing business, a new product can be tested through pop-ups as a form of test run instead of going into full release mode prematurely. Pop-ups have the advantage of not requiring a long-term lease, and this also provides the ideal opportunity to test potential locations for your new outpost.
The best part about pop-up events is that they can be created for anything and utilised by all. From fashion accessories and clothing to pop-up events for food, there’s huge flexibility in this format, enabling your business to take advantage of that all important customer feedback with minimal investment.
EDUCATE YOUR CUSTOMERS
Sometimes new, innovative products can be impenetrable in their complexity to new users at first glance. These products, then, may well require a live demonstration for the user to get to grips with them correctly and benefit from their full potential. Pop-up stores provide an excellent alternative to those distant, loosely instructional social media videos as they can inform the customers on how to use the product and give a rich first-hand experience of the correct method to use the product. What’s more, a knowledgeable member of your team can field questions after the demonstration, which is both educational and ramps up that sense of customer engagement, which is loyalty building.
But how to get the most out of your pop-up stores, we hear you ask?
DEFINE AND FOLLOW GOALS
Well, there should be a specific reason behind opening your pop-up store, and some clear goals that you need to achieve by opening the pop-up space if you want the exercise to be truly effective. Make it clear both within your company and to the customer about whether you’re using the pop-up to put a new product in the spotlight, test waters in a new market, or improve your brand image. Clarity is king here.
SELECT THE BEST LOCATION AND TIME
After some clear and time-defined goals have been set for your new pop-up store, you need to make sure that the physical location attracts footfall. Yep, you need to consider the location when opening a pop-up store very seriously indeed; a make or break moment, we think.
Luckily, there are many options you can choose from that offer sufficient footfall, like renting a vacant retail area or a booth in a shopping centre, a storefront in a high traffic area of the city centre, a prized position in a trendy covered market or Box Park situation, or a pop-up location that is outdoors elsewhere, such as on the peripheries of a popular town park or seafront.
The end goal is to reach as much of your target market as possible, and drive subsequent traffic from the same group your way. So, for example, if your target audience is Generation Z and educated, you should consider setting up the pop-up store next to a college or university and prime your pop up for the highest levels of operation during lunch hours. The timing and location of your pop-up store will significantly influence its success.
USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO CREATE BUZZ
Though an irritating buzzword, the term ‘Instagrammable’ is an essential element to consider in your marketing campaign. Indeed, forward thinking companies are actually making their products, stores, and experiences deliberately instagrammable to drive free exposure through the hallowed filters of the hugely popular photo-sharing app. So, if your pop-up store’s layout or your product’s packaging and other branding is designed in such a visually appealing way that people would want to have pictures taken of it or with it, it will generate positive social media buzz. This buzz could prove to be an excellent example and application of pull marketing.
Another effective method of attracting people’s attention through social media is to use influencers, that much-maligned but actually highly effective internet subset, who are adept at spreading positive word of mouth. If you can grab people’s attention through social media, it can encourage physical traffic to your store.
GIVE IMPORTANCE TO BRANDING
Social media is going to be, or at least should be, a big part of the overall experience of your pop-up store – from you and the customers alike. You have to make sure that you create a pop-up store that is so visually appealing and attractive to your target audience that they identify with it, and share it virtually as a result.
And when they do post it on social media, your brand should be in the pictures; recognisable and relatable in equal measure. Try innovative takes like adding Snapchat geo-filters to create a positive word of mouth regarding your brand. You can also make use of hashtags and urge customers to use those hashtags that include your brand when they post to social media regarding the pop-up store.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Pop-ups are an excellent tool to establish, build and enhance the image of your brand. Indeed, pop-ups have also proven to be a beneficial and cost-effective method of increasing brand awareness in a unique and enterprising way. The rise in the culture of pop-ups is changing the dynamics of the retail industry and how it operates; get on board the train!