Monitoring Pop-Up Success
Pop-up retail is not an add-on or a “let’s see what it looks like” to a retail marketing strategy. Pop-up retail is a real strategy and should be planned in advance. It must also be measured upon completion. It is crucial to track pop-ups in order to evaluate their value for your retail marketing plan.
Your pop-up is perfected by you spending time, money and resources. You have figured out how to best attract your target. Have you ever analyzed your measurable goals? How can you tell if your pop-up is a success? How do you measure success?
Pop-ups can be used to test ideas and help with future brand decisions. It is vital to understand how to measure the success of your pop up. This is not only for your popup but also for your brand. Here are the steps:
Stick to your goals.
First, it is important to define success before you host the popup. Also, it is important to define the goals.
This will be different for each company and pop-up. Your company’s goals may vary depending on what you need.
- Make buzz
- Get sales
- Create a brand
- Introduce a product
- Cross promotion can help you expand your customer base
- You can test a product, concept or service
- Relationships between cement and cement
- Help the community
It could also be a combination. It’s important to not dream too big. Your objectives should be concise and specific. Focusing on your goal will cause your pop-up to be unfocused. You won’t find success.
Set a goal that will lead to quantifiable metrics
Once you have defined your objectives and tailored your popup to achieve them, you can begin to consider how to measure the success of your popup.
Some indicators are more difficult to track than others. If your goal is to launch a product, or generate sales, it’s easy to track your success by simply tracking the sales totals, and, perhaps, more importantly, the number sold per SKU. These numbers tell a story. It is possible to compare the popularity of a product to others in your line, to compare sales in different markets, and, as accountants love to advise, to determine whether the product’s sales volume makes it profitable. The ultimate proof of ROI is tracking pop-ups and revenue results.
Online discussions, media conversations, and social media mentions can help you quantify brand buzz and build relationships. Compare brand awareness before and after the popup using the same social media metrics (likes share, follows, and shares). You can also conduct qualitative pre-post research with the market on brand awareness measures unaided or aided.
Do not confuse quality with quantity. Your product should resonate with your target audience. Sometimes your product may be more appealing in a different industry than you originally thought. This could lead to a change in product selection, or even your overall marketing strategy.
You can also partner with great brands from different categories, which can help you expand and complement your customer base. You bring your customers to them, and they bring your customers to you. Together you can raise the bar for both of you in surprising ways. This is called “co-shopperation.”
The result of a partnership between consumer beauty retailer Sephora and B2B giant Pantone Color Systems to create their ” Color of the Year” Collection was pure magic for both brands. What was the ROI? What number of new customers did they reach? How many were converted by their joint activation. What percentage of votes were cast for the “color of year” ballot in comparison to previous years? What did the partnership do to change their customers’ perceptions? All of these measurable responses support the stated objectives of a great pop up experience.
You can also record video of your pop up shoppers to observe their traffic patterns and see how they interact with products. Also, you can capture footage of which displays they look at and ignore. Video coverage of pop-ups can be very useful in gaining insight on many levels.
Some companies are becoming more strategic in their data collection and interpretations. Samsung Connected Spaces, a new retail solution by the tech giant, gives companies complete insight into consumer behavior. A pop-up space can be rented by brands that includes Samsung technology, dashboards, and cameras. This allows for seamless data analysis. This is a comprehensive solution to track pop-ups.
Communicate, communicate and communicate
Foot traffic can help to quantify relationships and build brand trust. Sometimes, buzz can be generated offline or in real-life conversations. It’s crucial to talk directly to your customers to find answers to tracking pop-ups.
The HappyOrNot button lets you quickly and easily answer the question, “Are you satisfied with our product/service/experience?”
This type of communication with the customer is also a great way to understand the “why” or “how” behind the numbers. Why did this product succeed? What was the memorable aspect of this experience? And how can we improve it next time?
Apart from surveys, which are often overlooked by consumers and tend to favor unhappy or happy shoppers, candid conversations can prove invaluable. It’s important to remember that in-person, face-to-face conversations are a great way for insightful and anecdotal reports.
The new fashion retail experience is about service, not products: Shopping in physical stores
Although we’ve heard it all, the truth is that consumers still love shopping and still shop in physical stores.
A survey was conducted of consumers from all ages and genders. 27% of respondents found shopping for apparel and clothing more enjoyable than shopping online.
Why? It’s an experience. It’s now retail theater.
Fashion stores and brands are trying harder to make shopping more enjoyable, to compete with online retailers like Amazon.
To complete the sensory experience, blur industry lines
You are surrounded with sensory stimulation when you shop in physical stores. The smells, the looks, and the sounds from the store all provide you with sensory stimulation. When food and drink are added to the mix, it’s sensory perfection. This is something Amazon will never be capable of offering online.
For years, cafes and restaurants have been found within the vast expanses of departmental stores. They’ve been an integral part of the shopping experience, but they have always been somewhat separate. A coffee would be served, and you could then shop or make a purchase. Then you’d sit down and eat lunch at a restaurant that might as well have been in a separate shopping center.
Shopping is now more about eating, drinking, and being merry.
One standalone Lord & Taylor in a Connecticut suburb has dedicated part of its parking lot to a food truck court. A few food trucks set up shop outside the store’s entrances every day for lunch and dinner. This creates a fun and fashionable food and fashion destination. The best part is that the department store doesn’t have to pay anything – they can now offer a rotating selection of trendy food.
Other brands are also focusing on the restaurant experience. Todd Snyder, a designer, opened his flagship store with a tapas bar and haircuts by the in-shop barber. Snyder claims the bar “softens” the store, making it less about the shopping experience and more about the community.
In-store restaurants have many benefits for shoppers. The shopping experience is changing for both the good and bad. Shopping for clothes, then stopping by for coffee or lunch. Alternatively, they might go to the shop for the food and stay for the apparel. This is a novel way to attract customers in every possible way.
Concept stores allow you to channel the emotions of a pop up with your creativity
This retail experience has been elevated to a new level by Nordstrom. The new concept stores Nordstrom Local are completely merchandise-free. Instead of selling products, they’re promoting and dropping them altogether.
You can also find stylist consultation, tailoring assistance, snacks, drinks, and manicure services if you just wander in.
You will need to schedule an appointment in order to try on clothes. Nordstrom has a way to distinguish casual shoppers from those who shop for the purpose. It’s more than just making a sale. Nordstrom wants to create brand loyalty and pamper customers. In the end, they hope that shoppers will return to their full-line department store (and other clearance stores) eventually.
These concept shops have the same goals as great pop-up shops. They place more emphasis on experience than product and work in partnership with the larger brand to leave customers wanting more.
Neiman Marcus follows suit with its Idea Factory. This department store chain will launch Phase One of the dedicated experience sections in selected stores. It partners with artists to create custom sportswear, jeans and jackets. Phase two will be more focused on food and beverages, beauty, and wellness.