As an agency built on a foundation of forging authentic connections with consumers, we read with great interest Neil Genzlinger’s piece in Sunday’s New York Times (“Invasion of the Pop-Ups: Time for a Smackdown”) about the ubiquity of pop-ups.
“This has turned into the Summer of the Pop-Up,” he writes, somewhat begrudgingly, wringing his hands over the impermanence of pop-ups and what effect they’ll have on tourists and children – oh, the children! – when they close up shop, departing forever like the final chapter of Harry Potter.
As seasoned pop-up experts, we at Grow agree with Mr. Genzlinger that pop-ups have moved past the guerrilla marketing phase, especially in a city like New York. They’ve evolved into distinctive spaces where consumers can experience a brand or service that engages them in ways that are more meaningful and timely — like customizing your own pair of Havaianas in July, just when you’re ready to rock flip-flops.
Pop-ups acknowledge change – both seasonal and cultural – in fashion, lifestyle and each city’s unique traditions, habits and habitats.
Mr. Genzlinger finds the phrase “pop-up” painful, akin to online pop up ads, but, “pop-up” is an industry term and not something commonly used by everyday shoppers. And didn’t we all activate our pop-up ad blockers back in 1998?
We think the language for the engagement marketing discipline is spot-on. “Pop-up” denotes an unexpected and innovative experience. Bringing something fresh and unusual to the daily lives of consumers is what makes pop-ups such pleasant surprises to find under the High Line Park in Manhattan, brightening up a previously empty storefront in Beverly Hills or transforming a super store in the heart of San Francisco’s Union Square into a 30-day EA training center.
Always changing, ever-innovative, pop-up experiences create indelible experiences. We covered this very topic in our May blog about the pop-up experience, “The Pop-up is Here to Stay”: http://grow-marketing.com/2011/05/the-pop-up-is-here-to-stay/
In the age of social media it is more critical than ever to deliver real-world experiences and engagement to fuel conversations, which, as it turns out, can fuel social media and online content that brands are desperately seeking. But that’s a story for another day.