With everyone having their say about what’s going to be ‘hot and what’s not’ for 2010 here at Launch HQ, we thought it might be apt to give our thoughts on the experiential trends sure to dominate the coming year.
Despite the words ‘recession’ and ‘budget’ looming inevitably over a number of ideas, there’s one creative little gem that that has no end of magical possibilities, and that’s the pop-up shop.
Pop-up shops, or ‘guerrilla stores,’ have evolved considerably over the last few years, becoming increasingly more creative in design and location, with some going as far as to inhabit virtual worlds.
Here’s some of our top tips and hints to creating your own pop-up:
- You must always ensure when embarking on a pop-up to adhere to the brand values, and ensure that it generates an exciting customer experience
- Pop-up shops should not be used purely to drive sales – it shouldn’t be about a ‘pile it high and sell it cheap’ ethos. Rather a pop-up should engage its consumers while creating as much buzz, interest and publicity as possible
- In essence, pop-ups have to develop and expand on the in-store experience to properly allow customers to physically interact with brands (see Launch Group’s Moet example). Launch Group’s promotion of The Atelier Moët brought a bit of sparkle to shoppers last Christmas by creating the UK’s first pop-up champagne boutique, giving customers the opportunity to watch their bottles of Moët being personalised with Swarovski crystals by an in-store Artisan (see picture!)
- Pop-ups can be the perfect testing platform. You can market and trial new products, without the risk of a long lease. Brands can build any successes, and, if not, simply close without any fuss. A good pop up will also provide the space with an impression of exclusiveness, originality and freshness
We see the pop-up growing as a trend in 2010. They will no longer be viewed as just seasonal speciality shops. Brands are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits pop-ups yield in terms of capturing the public and media’s attention in a limited time frame. And consumers see pop-up shops as an exclusive retailing opportunity to purchase a limited edition / designer product. It’s the scarcity of time and limited edition product that creates such a sense of urgency in the consumer purchase.
And don’t forget that with the internet celebrating its 40th birthday this year, we can definitely expect the pop-up concept to develop further in the digital space. The collaboration of the real and virtual world of pop-ups is an exciting extension of an activity that, in marketing terms, has been around for a while – so watch this space!
