Transform Magazine: Why pop-ups are an important marketing tool for D2C brands – 2024

James Barnes, co-founder and business director at Backlash, talks about why pop-ups are an important marketing tool for D2C brands, exploring why they’ve skyrocketed in popularity and tips on how to make your pop-up a success.

Pop-ups, which started about a decade ago, have become increasingly popular, and their popularity has soared post-COVID-19. There is no hard data on what is behind this recent demand. Most cited consumers and brands wanting to connect post-pandemic. I personally believe that marketers, especially those with their D2C brands, are realizing that D2C offers a unique solution to the challenges that many marketers face…

1. Cut through the noise of traditional marketing
2. Engage and grow a passionate brand community
3. Acquire new customers and drive sales
4. Bring your brand to life in a more immersive way

For brands considering a pop-up, the most important success factor is the strength of the creative concept, which acts as a synergist for the project’s ROI. If a pop-up concept is newsworthy, consumer media will pick it up and increase public awareness. If the experience is exciting and generous, guests will share it online and become more attached to your brand. Consumers will go out of their way to attend a “must-see” pop-up, so location is less important than you might think to ensure footfall.

Other considerations include:

• simplicity – If you’re launching a new product, celebrate the product and all aspects of it. Existing products can be purchased at any number of retailers. Shoppers are looking for new products.
• Generosity – If a customer travels for more than an hour with a friend to attend a pop-up, reward them with free samples, exclusive products, shareable content-generating experiences, and promotional offers to drive sales for the day. there is.
• Content creation hub ・It is rare for D2C brands to have a space where they can express their brand’s worldview, so please take advantage of it. Having a day dedicated to influencers who create content and features that excite consumers to earn real UGC will drive huge visibility.
• prior recognition – Leverage your PR and social channels to get your pop-up buzz from the get-go. In addition, unscheduled visits from nearby shoppers are increasing as local media outlets are focusing on pop-up shopping, such as taking over subway stations.
• Duration and timing – I often see pop-ups that are only open for one weekend. So for most people, the pop-up ends before they can plan a visit. If he performs live on at least two weekends near the payday, the results will improve significantly.

One of the key attractions of pop-ups for D2C brands is the opportunity to engage with the brand’s fans and capture the power of the community. The direct and indirect effects of this are critical to the success of your pop-up. What does your community want from your brand? We offer interaction with founders, access to exclusive products, an exclusive program of events that celebrate niche aspects of your brand, and the opportunity to feed into new product development. Masu. Communities often want to spend time with your brand, so offering food and drink (through a symbiotic brand partnership) can further reward guest participation.

When measuring success, sales are often the main focus and the goal is for the pop-up to pay for itself. Commercially, this is important for brands, but pop-ups are great when campaigns and experiences are planned correctly against the other challenges brands face. The core strategy of pop-ups is the exchange of value between consumers and brands. Done well, they can deepen brand loyalty, gain new audiences, and increase public awareness through PR, social content, and physical visibility on crowded high streets (pop-ups can (Think of it as a large interactive billboard in a shopping environment). Sales are important, of course, and should be seen as a secondary outcome of the excitement consumers feel from participating in a great experience.

As an example, we created an immersive pop-up experience called “Warehouse of Dreams” for D2C beauty brand Beauty Pie. Consumers played the role of warehouse workers, donning pink hard hats and high-visibility vests, “taking turns,” choosing their favorite products, and finally collecting the products from the warehouse’s inventory room. This unique ‘must-attend’ experience for beauty fans saw a huge turnout over the 10 days and he averaged £20,000 in sales a day.

Finally, if you are a D2C brand considering a pop-up, my top tip is to be brave and embrace the core principles behind pop-ups. These are temporary spaces where customers expect the unexpected. Successful pop-ups are playful, creatively exploring the unique elements of their product or brand, and pushing the creative boundaries of the pop-up category. If you stick to this, your pop-up campaign is more likely to be successful.