If two-thirds of all purchases are unplanned, as shopping expert Paco Underhill contends, then why should retail be so static? Consumers want multiple points of access to their shopping needs, so retailers are trying to come up with unique shopping solutions to meet them.
Pop-up shops have redefined the notion of when and where a sale can be made. Even a power cyber-retailer like eBay has utilized real-world pop-up shops to service their customers, spread buzz, impart authenticity and show value.
Pop-up retail combines retail with event marketing. It is also a cost-efficient way to build buzz and brand stature. And pop-up stores are necessarily experiential. There is no point in recreating a typical retail environment. That’s what big box stores and chain retailers are for. Pop-up retail seeks to surprise the consumer just by being there, and enhance the consumer experience through store design and consumer involvement.
This is a clear manifestation of the rise of the “experience economy.” These temporary spaces not only surprise a target consumer base with their existence, they also provide them with an engaging experience. Pop-up retail is also a manifestation of leveraging buzz to drive trial, and a way for retailers to experiment with design and product line-up.
Perhaps most importantly, pop-up retail taps into an imperative that all brands will face in the near future: brand authenticity. In their ground-breaking book Authenticity, Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore have a simple advice for companies: “think less about where to put ads – ubiquity is killing advertising’s power – and more how to shape the places customers interact with their products.”
The pioneers of the “experience economy” are rightfully proclaiming that the brand authenticity rests with the creative spaces—real or virtual—that can be built to deliver the brand experience. The experience is the message. It’s the marketing. It’s what makes a brand authentic. Whereas brands once relied on a visual but intangible promise, consumers today want something more than that.
In other words, the best way to generate demand for any offering—whether a commodity, good, service, other experience or even a transformation—is for potential (and current) customers to experience that offering in a place so engaging that they can’t help but pay attention, and then pay up as a result by buying that offering. Stop saying what your offerings are through advertising, and start creating places—permanent or temporary, physical or virtual, fee-based or free—where people can experience what those offerings, as well as your enterprise, are actually all about.
Here are seven ways to improve the customer experience:
1.VALUE There’s a reason why you’re there. Make sure the visitor thinks so, too. Give them an experience, not just an impression. Make your interactions meaningful, personal, and be mindful of the needs of the target shopper. For instance, moms are usually with kids. Make sure to cater to both.
2. STAFF UP Hire staff with crowd management and retail experience. Pop-ups often involve moving a lot of people through small spaces and good traffic flow is essential to a memorable and compelling experience. Models are great for showrooms, not pop-ups.
3. GET PERMISSION Ensure you have permission/licenses from all necessary parties (property owner, city, etc). This may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many times agencies that are attempting pop-up experiences forget this very crucial aspect of experience management.
4. LOCATION … LOCATION Set-up in high-traffic areas; don’t expect people to come to you no matter how valuable the experience seems, Unless you have a very limited product or brand. Then make it exclusive and hard to find. Otherwise, go big. There’s a reason why Target popped-up in Times Square in New York City.
5. KEEP ‘EM BUSY Think about the potential “dead time” the consumer might experience during their time in the space. Be thoughtful of every minute they’re in your space. This is your opportunity to totally control the sensory and contextual experience of your brand. Control all facets of both aesthetics and logistics.
6. TIMING Along those lines, plan the experience around the desired amount of time you want the consumer to spend with you. Be practical in determining the desired length of the experience
7. FIRST IMPRESSION Create the best possible first impression. Consumers’ moods will be set instantly, and you’ll want their interest to grow each minute they’re with you. Consider it to be like live theater. What’s the story arc to your pop-up experience? How do you keep them coming back for more?
Max Lenderman Max Lenderman is the author of “Experience the Message: How Experiential Marketing is Changing the Brand World,” and “Brand New World: How Paupers, Pirates and Oligarchs Are Reshaping Business.” He can be reached at [email protected].
