Hit the road!

Pop-up as a trend

In recent years, roadshows and pop-up events have grown to become a huge trend in the live communication industry. Their fast-moving and exclusive nature are a perfect fit for the zeitgeist and have huge potential for brands.

Almost no other form of communication – perhaps with the exception of social media – currently receives more attention than roadshows and pop-up events. Just like corporate events, the aim is to give the target group new, personal touchpoints for the brand and connect them with a positive experience. While traditional events are largely unique, roadshows generally stay in the same town for a few days and then move on. The art is to make the immense task of logistics and planning look spontaneous and playful. It is precisely this light and carefree aura that is the attraction for visitors to roadshows and pop-up events.

For companies, this form of live communication has various advantages. They have the opportunity to be where their clients are, or they have access to new client segments. In addition to being a successful sales and advertising measure, such events are also an excellent source of further communication content that can be used in their own publications or on their social media channels. For the public, the attraction is the exclusive aura of short events. A unique opportunity that people won’t want to miss at any cost. Because tomorrow, the roadshow has already moved on. This “living in the moment”, the spontaneity and the link to fun and experience enthral people like almost nothing else. However, in order for this to work, visitors’ high demands have to be fulfilled. Brands impress when they present products and services with unique ideas that offer the audience clear added value.

According to the article, the important thing is to bring the right visitors to your event. Those who hope that a good location alone will guarantee lots of visitors is passing up a good opportunity to look after existing contacts. Roadshows and especially pop-up events – even more so than conventional events – require targeted visitor marketing. It should emphasise the exclusive aura of the event and trigger the right expectations. This increases the chances, even in advance of the event, of promotion via word of mouth and of heightening anticipation in a targeted way

Most of the time, the implementation of unusual ideas poses special demands concerning locations and infrastructure. From the correct permits through to any electricity or water supply, there are many little things to take into account. And in Switzerland especially, the weather is also an issue that has to be factored in. To have a dry or shaded area available at outdoor events, there is fortunately a huge array of mobile event constructions that can be tailored to the respective needs of the event. Since the spring of 2016, Messerli has been marketing seven such structures: from the inflatable option – the LUNA – to the erected AirClad or Cyclone, the range covers a broad palette. Brought together under the banner of “messerli to go”, they form an exciting new product line that creates a huge amount of creative space for new ideas. All the structures can be personalised and adjusted to the relevant brand. This creates mobile brand spaces that form the perfect basis for roadshows, pop-up events and temporary points of sale.

Publication

This article first appeared in the 2016 issue of Brandworld.