Pop-up marketing is not a new concept. Think of the demos you’ve seen in grocery stores, or of little outdoor holiday markets. Sometimes it’s about not having the resources for a full brick-and-mortar location.
Other times, it’s just about getting the word out in a new way. Companies like Starbucks are rolling out food truck-style pop-ups with new product samples, for example.
But there’s a new driver behind pop-ups lately that you might find surprising.
Pop-Up Hubs
The New York Times did a piece earlier this year on the ways traditional retail store spaces are being repurposed as pop-up hubs to generate an income and keep the buildings occupied.
There’s been a rise in short-term leases offered by landlords, in response to a shift in consumer behavior that is leaving once-flourishing retail spaces vacant.
For many web-based businesses, having a temporary brick-and-mortar, pop-up location can help boost business or provide an opportunity to grow.
And what the New York Times article points out is that landlords can also benefit from the connections made through embracing pop-ups.
Those short-term leases may turn into longer term if the company decides to stick around. They’re also better than an space.
A Temporary Phenomenon?
The article ends with a note that this may be a temporary phenomenon. But it raises some interesting possibilities about pop-ups and leaves room to consider how to make a temporary pop-up opportunity benefit your brand.
As the article points out, these pop-up opportunities can be cheaper than their more permanent counterparts.
They’re also not a long-term solution, which means they’re less of a commitment to make. Less of a commitment, less investment of money and resources–– these pop-up stores may be onto something!
Additionally, pop-ups are exciting for consumers. They’re new, and even better, they’re mysterious.
Pop-Ups are Exciting
Pop-ups sometimes seem to come from out of nowhere, without the long-term marketing that typically accompanies a grand opening of a more permanent establishment.
Pop-ups are fleeting, which encourages consumers to show up and make a purchase or to get your information and add their names to the mailing list.
They help get your name out there, with the natural buzz of a new use of an old space, especially if that old space had nothing in it before you showed up.
Plus, when you’re involved in a space that’s renting out to multiple pop-ups, there’s an opportunity for collaboration. You can make partnerships with other brands out there, your neighbors in that space, and figure out how to help each other.
The concept of the pop-up opens a lot of doors if it aligns with your marketing goals. The way you find space for pop-ups may continue to change, but the ways you use them, and what they help you to gain, will continue.
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