In amongst more tales of woe on the high street, Matalan are bucking the trend by giving shoppers a bit of an extra incentive to visit. Tomorrow sees the unveiling of the refreshed Longton store, so we are supplying entertainment in store and a DJ to put a spring in those weary feet. Hugely looking forward to raising the temperature & getting some proper retail therapy!
Last weekend saw our cracking team of Elves in action at Mermaid Quay in Cardiff, along with Kitty’s Festive Swing Band. Our team kept the shoppers in a totally festive mood, and the jazzy swing versions of all your favourite Christmas songs made for a very memorable day. It was just another example of how, with a bit of planning and thought, a bog-standard shopping day can be turned into something a lot more surprising and fun – credit to the Elves of course!! This time of year is always a great excuse to get dressed up and maintain the festive story for all the kids (and, if truth be known, for half the adults too!) – the success of our Santa’s Post Office in Sheffield is another example of how a carefully thought out pop-up shop can transform and ordinary shopping day into a magical day out. We are not restricted to Christmas, our creativity works all year round, helping brands and retailers engage with their consumers. It is a two way street – not only do people get to know about your brands, but we also gather feedback on what people think, how they react to your advertising or products, and people get much more involved than they would ever do in an online survey. So as part of the overall marketing mix, experiential is worth its weight in gold. Enjoy the rest of the build up to Christmas!
So we are coming up to that period in the year when everyone is getting out and about, plugging in to the festive spirit. This got me thinking – all we hear about on the news is how retail is dying, and yet, we all love getting out and about, seeing the Christmas Markets, the Santa’s Post Offices, the buskers and all sorts of other things out there designed to entertain us. We like a bit of interaction, some face-to-face time, and also, if a product is totally new, you want to go and see it, hold it, check the quality, see it in action – most of those things you can’t do online. So the ‘interaction’ bit is becoming more important than ever, to get the consumer to experience the brand, not just to see it on a screen. We get some fabulous feedback from our clients – the taste-testing always seems to get people talking, and we get some genuinely funny responses – it is almost like some people are looking for an excuse to crack a joke, or have a laugh – just do something in the moment.
The high street isn’t dying, it is full of festive colours and lights, it is a vibrant place to go, to get out, to see something different. Enjoy yourselves this weekend!!
There is a lot of talk at the moment about how many high streets are failing. One of the most common explanations is that the internet has changed people’s shopping habits. Whilst this is undoubtedly true, people still like dealing with people, and this is something we have found in our business. Despite increased brand spend on digital marketing, there is still a strong case for brand owners to undertake face to face marketing, whether that is product sampling, taste-testing, or just engaging your customers in some way to get their feedback, buy-in, or support.
People still like to go out and have a look around the shops, the trouble is that they don’t always buy on the spot! Retail has always relied on hard work to create the kinds of spaces where people want to come and be encouraged to shop. Our work over the past 20 years has seen a big shift in marketing spend away from POS to online, but one of the most rewarding parts of the marketing mix has been the ability to get out and in front of customers and prospects and get some real immediate feedback. Our promotions cover lots of sectors, and we can supply entertainment staff such as magicians, or face-painters, or any kind of performers. All of this adds up to an opportunity to get people out from behind their screens and start mingling, which creates a more memorable experience on a day out. An extreme example of this is the recent parade of the Giants in Liverpool, where thousands turned up to see a story unfold across the city. Yes, you could have watched it on TV or online, but the feedback from spectators was overwhelmingly positive, and it gave something to talk about to their friends. The town centre café’s and restaurants did well too, as all those people needed something to eat or drink. It also serves to encourage people to go out more often, just to experience the vibe and see what is going on. Things are changing, but that means we have to think differently and work that little bit harder to make sure we get customers on board.
#highstreets, #brandambassadors, #brand, #retail, #shoppingcentres, #visitorattractions, #product sampling, #tastetesting
