Out-of-Area (OOA) Marketing: Popping Up Where People Vacation

For many of us, February – frigid, dark, and short – can be the dreariest month. But for those in retail, February means putting your summer plans into high gear. And this year, your summer strategy might include an out-of-area pop-up: one that’s conducive to customer exploration, lingering and purchases.
[bctt tweet=”Yes, we are suggesting sending your summer pop-up on a blissful vacation: one that works hard…and pays off handsomely.” username=”MeetMrPopUp”]
Shopping trends tell us that, when it comes to consumer choices, building a memorable experience is key. Case in point: 72% of millennials spend their money on unique experiences. It makes sense: on vacations, consumers are in an “anything goes” mindset, loosening their inhibitions, their budgets and their purse strings. And perhaps even more importantly, vacation shoppers report that they have the time to shop that they ordinarily would not have.
Retail used to mean driving foot traffic to your storefront. What we are encouraging suggests bringing your storefront (temporarily) to where your customers are. After all, consumers vacation much more frequently than ever before – and retail marketing would do well to capitalize on exposing your brand in new locations and unexpected ways.
Location, Location, Location
Start by looking at lodging and travel data, understanding where your audience jets or drives off to – and establishing your out-of-area pop-up, marketing strategy accordingly.
Established brands like J. Crew, Ralph Lauren and even Tesla know that come July and August, foot traffic in their metro New York stores slows to a crawl. Many people lease, buy or rent a Hamptons/Nantucket/Martha’s Vineyard getaway (or is a lucky guest). These brands’ opportunistic pop-ups convert unused storefronts into fun, temporary pop-up shops – taking advantage of the summer flow of vacationers. Or they place their pop-ups in parking lots as stand-alone “destinations” beckoning in the summer sunshine.
It’s All in the Experience
Location-wise, an out-of-area pop-up offers an element of convenience that shoppers seek. Plus, they’re inherently experiential – creating fun, rare moments a FOMO (fear of missing out)-focused consumer won’t want to miss. Brands tapping into this can provide consumers with an exciting and interactive display right before their eyes – physically closer and more tangible than e-commerce. Eliminate the barriers to exploration, and you open your brand to expanded sales.
Pop-ups are fun for retailers, too: by working in a smaller, unusual and temporary space, you can let your creative juices flow.
Take Ayr, for example. Last year, the online women’s apparel brand set up a temporary shop in Sag Harbor to cater to approximately half a million seasonal visitors across five Hamptons villages. Most who walked through the door had never touched, let alone tried on, items from Ayr’s line. It was a transformative, up-close experience that emotionally connected with shoppers, introduced them to a new brand and enabled them to bring their experience home.
On the flip side, why not try an off-season tactic and bring summer to winter? Rockaway Brewing Company’s Playa NYC was a temporary ode to a fun, beach-inspired drinking experience last April.
Targeting pop-ups to spots where current and potential customers relax and spend time introduces a new experience and positions your brand in a fresh and refreshing light. It’s capitalizing on an already memorable event – a vacation – and inherently tying your brand to that joy. And when you connect emotionally with a customer, you’ve created a bond that can extend for years wherever your brand is sold.
Interested in learning more about pop-up strategies? Sign up for our March 1 webinar or reach out to engage@meetmrpopup.com.
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