Pop-up stores become especially popular during the holiday season, which lends themed decorations and an opportunity to engage.
Pop-ups are meant to find consumers where they are, which can be much easier when holiday shopping gets into full swing. Pop-ups appear spontaneous, and as such give a certain appeal and a certain ethereality.
They put an extra impetus on the consumers to engage, to buy, to collect contact information or get on a mailing list for when they need something more from your brand before the pop-up disappears.
Here are some important qualities for a successful holiday pop-up event.
For your eyes only
A pop-up can generate more attention when the experience is exclusive. But how can you create exclusivity? One option is to put a limit on a number of people allowed into your pop-up space.
Maybe only 20 people will have access to the newest product, or to a new way to experience your brand.
You can give people a deadline to sign up for the pop-up experience or put a cap on invitees. Or get creative, and come up with your own “exclusivity” edge.
Timeframe
Pop-ups are temporary, which gives your brand the aspect of “available for a limited time only,” without you having to do extra work to create that feel.
Still, you can add to it by keeping even the event marketing on a tight schedule. There are a few things that well-planned last-minute marketing can do.
Invitations near the event date can help generate the buzz, as well as FOMO. Consumers like to have a spontaneous experience.
Just avoid the trap of believing that means you don’t have to plan far in advance. Your planning time may become even more intensive, so give yourself enough time an event that feels spontaneous.
Location is important
Bring it to the consumers, but make the space yours. You don’t want your consumers to have to travel too far, or else they won’t, regardless of content.
But you still want to transport them. Bring them into a space that you’ve manipulated to represent your brand.
(Store within a store pop-up option, using floor space inside larger retailers for exposure, and instead of your own brick and mortar location)
Seasonal product lines
Consumers also often look to the pop-up store as a place to get seasonal products (or a seasonal experience). How does this fit into your brand experience?
You can take advantage of seasonal marketing to give your brand a seasonal profit boost. But seasonal boosts can also appear in the form of brand attention if you can incorporate sign-ups and using FOMO to encourage consumers to follow what your brand is up to.
A limit to pop-ups
Keep in mind that pop-ups aren’t right for every product or every experience. They have a specific type of appeal. You can offer many types of experience, but not every one.
The impression pop-ups give won’t be the kind you want for all of your marketing needs, though they will help many.
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