Experiential pop-ups are fast becoming a PR phenomenon and a must-do marketing strategy for the biggest brands in the business. The way they engage audiences and excite the consumer is unparalleled. They’re also enjoyable for brands to conceptualise and execute alongside the right production agency!
Each pop-up is completely different to the next, making them very hard to pack into boxes and stick a label on. Whilst each one will have its own unique style and purpose, there are things that all these pop-ups have in common…
What makes a Pop-up a Pop-up?
- Instant Appearance
- Space Brandformation
- Experiential Engagement
The very first thing that makes a pop-up a pop-up is … well … ‘popping up’ (shock, horror). Quickly appearing, sometimes overnight, in what some like to refer to as micro-locations. These locations can vary from blank space venues, shops, outdoor locations etc. Basically, you can pop-up anywhere you can get permission, but it’s worth thinking strategically about the location e.g. if your event is open to the public, you’ll need somewhere with a high footfall if it’s to be a success.
Now that you’ve got the perfect pop-up spot, it’s time to brandform that space. ‘Brandforming’ is what we call the transformation of a non-branded space by completely reimagining the aesthetic, to match the brand popping-up, down to the tiniest, minute, little detail. When you are configuring the brandformation of your pop-up, the purpose of the campaign needs to be kept in mind. It’s imperative that you visually emulate the message, or the individual product/service being portrayed, not just the brand portraying it.
Lastly, the pop-up needs to incorporate features that allow the consumers to immerse themselves in the experience and engage with elements of the pop-up. This is what makes brand pop-ups so successful – the memorable and shareable experiences of the consumer. Ensure to tantalise every sense so that they’re experiencing sights, sounds, tactile sensations, maybe even tastes and smells for food and beverage brands too.
What Would Your Brand Gain from an Experiential Pop-Up?
Creating an experience that people can engage with is a powerful thing, and it’s the reason that experiential pop-ups often lead to much stronger engagement from consumers. Positive consumer engagements often lead to ‘brand loyalty’ which encourages repeat purchases and also the likeliness to share positive messages about the brand by word of mouth and social media.
Social sharing is the next big thing on our list. There are so many factors that can encourage people to share their experience at a pop-up event with others, and the two main ways they can do this are; interpersonal sharing and social media sharing. These can lead to a much more widespread awareness of the brand and improve brand perception. Here’s how you can impact on each and ensure to maximise both when producing your pop-up…
Brand Awareness is increased by getting the brand in the eyes and ears of as many people as possible. Creating a pop-up event worth talking about will certainly help spread the word from person to person. Those who’ve been at the pop-up and enjoyed their experience will want to tell their friends and family about it, spreading the word by mouth. Whilst this is certainly beneficial, the coverage range and share speed of this method does not even begin compare to the world’s largest marketing tool … social media.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Pop-Up
There are a few key things to keep in mind when designing a brand pop-up to influence social sharing:
Aesthetic:
The aesthetic of your pop-up should encourage photography. It is human nature to want to preserve beautiful memories through photography and, in the social media age, we find it hard to resist sharing these photographs with friends, family and even the rest of the world! That means beautiful décor, well thought out interior design and lots of photo opportunities like photo backdrops, quoted messages, signs and art etc.
Ease of Sharing:
Trusting people to go out of their way to promote your business (no matter how much hard work you put into creating the pop-up experience for them) is, unfortunately, not going to cut it. You need to make sharing almost automatic for them. There are a few ways you can do this. One of the simplest ways is to take the pictures for them – get a photo booth or stand that sends the photos straight to people’s phones. Now all they’ve got to do is click share!
Reward:
As said before, you can’t expect consumers to promote your business without any kind of incentive. Providing a small reward or opportunity for a big prize is often encouraging enough for them to tag you in a post online, share your hashtag, retweet your tweet. You’ll see examples of this almost every day if you scroll through social media. See if you can spot it on your own devices.
Speak To Us About Your Next Project
Hopefully this has inspired you to start plotting your very own PR pop-up event. For further inspiration, check out some of the pop-ups we’ve done in the past. We’ve done everything from neon gym’s for Fridge Raiders new protein range, a magical open garden for Deliveroo customers to enjoy their food and even a personalisation experience for Tic Tac lovers! If you want to make your experiential pop-up a reality, get in touch with us via our contact page, or call 01273 749000 and talk us through your brief. We can’t wait to hear from you!
