RECLAIMING CONSUMER LOYALTY THROUGH POP-UPS

COVID-19 has reshaped consumer behavior and left brand loyalty up for grabs. Nimble pop-ups offer an opportunity for savvy brands to take hold and win market share. Here are five strategies for successful pop-ups in 2021 and beyond.

As the global pandemic upended the consumer marketplace nearly overnight, safety precautions, inconsistent and unpredictable consumer behavior meant brands large and small spent much of the past year scrambling just to catch up.

Now, with vaccine distribution ramping into full-swing, and a complete re-opening on the immediate horizon, brands must focus on making a splash markets where months of relative isolation have reshaped consumer behaviors and expectations for what in-person experiences should be like.

What’s more, COVID-19’s wake has left a vacuum of brand loyalty never previously seen.

An incredible 73 percent of US consumers switched brands or shopping behaviors since last March, according to a McKinsey report. And of that group, less than 1 out of 4 intend to exclusively return to their previous loyalties and behaviors post-pandemic.

Therein lies an opportunity for savvy brands to take hold.

Belied by months of behavioral re-programming that saw an accompanying spike in online sales, according a recent poll commissioned by our studio, nearly 70 percent of US consumers still say in-person experiences are the most likely to increase their brand loyalty.

As COVID-weary and experience-starved consumers return to the post-pandemic physical marketplace, the big winners will be brands that can quickly execute in-person experiences that nimbly adapt to evolving consumer behavior. As such, we predict 2021 will bring an effervescent rise to temporary pop-ups and brand activations, perfectly suited to the current climate.

In this insight, we share five strategies to winning customer loyalty through brand pop-ups in the post-pandemic world.

1. KEEP IT SIMPLE

First and foremost, successful pop-ups and activations will be designed around clear, central purpose that can be understood from a (social) distance to draw people in. While consumers are hungry for safe, in-person experiences, many will still feel apprehensive to linger and peruse for too long if the pay-off isn’t immediately clear.

During design and strategy phases, the persistent question needs to be: “what’s the big take-away?” And the execution should stay true to that answer without brand bloat. Less is more, and uncomplicated is ideal.

We designed a fleet of pop-up carts for Oscar Health’s open enrollment campaign. Rather than focus on the time-consuming and complicated enrollment process, the carts were designed to simply engage interested consumers with a few key messages and bo… — We designed a fleet of pop-up carts for Oscar Health’s open enrollment campaign. Rather than focus on the time-consuming and complicated enrollment process, the carts were designed to simply engage interested consumers with a few key messages and book them for follow-up from a licensed insurance agent. This “health insurance made easy” approach was a success.

What’s more, simplicity allows for better versatility and flexibility IRL—a huge plus during a time of shifting consumer preferences. Temporary activations have long been a training ground for brands to quickly learn and adapt in streamlining brand experiences, and that function should only take a more prominent role now. Speaking of experiences…

2. MAKE EXPERIENCE QUEEN

Once you’ve nailed down you raison d'être, it’s time to obsess your consumer journey at every turn—and dial it in to create impact. People are looking for seamless escapes from the world we’re living in, and the months of pandemic-fueled “bear with me” and “we’re all adapting to the new normal” are 100% over when it comes to winning loyalty.

It’s also important to soften and humanize the experience, now more than ever. Masks, clear dividers and advanced cleaning protocols may be required, but make them feel like part of the experience, and not a break from it.

One way to author a seamless experience is to imagine the end at the beginning. When our studio is designing a pop-up or activation, we build the experience in-part by making up sound bites we’d want to hear from our target consumers as they walk away. The quotes establish a destination from which to build a complete journey.

Bottom line: whether your pop-up’s objective is selling, launching, educating or enrolling, consumers need to walk away with a bright memory that sticks with them above the monotony of pandemic life.

3. REDEFINE 'SPACE'

The pandemic has forced us as experience creators to reevaluate our relationship with space, and consumers will continue to be sensitive—consciously and unconsciously—to those shifts for the foreseeable future.

This doesn’t just mean reconsidering layout, capacity and traffic flow, in the form of wider walkways, fewer fixtures, and clean product displays, but reinterpreting what a comfortable space offers and feels like for target consumers as a place they want to be.

This means designing pop-ups and activations that look different than they have in the past.

We designed these pop-up cubes to display product, digital and other messaging on all sides allowing consumers to maintains social distancing in the safety of and open-air environment.

When our studio sat down to envision what pop-ups could look like in the pandemic world, we pulled the space inside-outside, designing a collection of open-air kiosks, with customizable displays on all sides. The 360 degree experience provides considerable brand exposure, while giving customers a safer environment to move about in.

4. BRIDGE DIGITAL + PHYSICAL

While leveraging digital technology in physical spaces is nothing new, the rapid acceleration of digital consumerism paired with the drive for more contactless in-person interactions means the lines between physical and digital have been blurred like never before.

After months of isolation and endless online shopping, consumers are hungry to (safely) experience brands and products in person. However, their evolved taste for the ease and convenience of the online world, means brands must spotlight their omni-channel functionality at every turn.

Among other digital integrations, the cubes were designed to include QR codes for consumers to buy product from their mobile devices, as well as smart lockers for contactless pick-up.

For retail pop-ups, connecting smart phones through QR codes that link to product information, wider selections, and contactless purchases creates an invaluable connection once consumers leave. Offering for purchases to be shipped, or accessed through contactless lockers on-site, limits on-site stock demand, and reinforces the on-going loyalty.

5. OBSESS LOCATION

The old adage, “location, location, location” rings true now more than ever. Working from home, shifted shopping habits and new daily routines, means successful activations will eschew traditional locations to land in the path of target consumers.

For many brands, that means relying on shopping foot traffic, or becoming a destination spot, may not be the viable strategies they once were. Instead, hone in on your target consumer and where they are today. With a rise in commercial vacancies, spaces that might have been hard to find, or unattainable in the past may be within reach.

Another approach is rotating locations over the course of the activation. By designing our outdoor cubes to sit on the footprint of an 8x8 pallet, the mobile kiosks allow brands to pop up wherever it makes most sense to capture maximum exposure.

Whether mobile or static, leveraging out-of-the-box strategies to show up where your target consumers are now will mark the difference between making a splash and truly measurable ROI.

Temporary pop-ups and activations are an ideal format to brands to nimbly win over consumer loyalty that’s currently up for grabs in the pandemic‘s wake. And brands that act quickly, with a solid set of strategies, will be the big winners.

xoxo

Let’s connect to talk about how our unique combination of strategy and creativity can help your brand.

Chris Giovarelli is an experienced creative, strategist and communicator who believes in the power of synergizing left-brain and right-brain thinking to solve problems and produce magical outcomes. He has presented, taught and spoken in dozens of venues on a variety of topics. As co-founder and director of creative strategy at Studio Butch, he and the team work with global and boutique brands to help grow customer affinity through experiences, spaces and content. You can connect with him on LinkedIn, or send him an email.

DATA POINT: BRAND LOYALTY STILL DRIVEN BY IN-PERSON EXPERIENCES

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