ARE POP UP EVENTS THIS YEAR'S TOP PR TREND?

Written for Fashion & Beauty Monitor

Any PRs following the action at September’s NYFW, will be aware of a swathe of beauty brand pop-up activations flooding the calendar. To launch its Virtual Flower Paradoxe fragrance, Prada Beauty held a temporary event in Chelsea, to bring the product to life. Not only could consumers sample the scent in person, but the temporary retail space offered Instagram-worthy photo opportunities, free mini flower bouquets, scented bubbles and make-overs, as well as bottle customisation and personalisation.

The activation – which reportedly welcomed a footfall of over 4,000 guests with lengthy queues around the block – was just the latest in a series of branded pop-up stores and PR activations saturating the fashion and beauty industry of late.

Only last week (October ’24), skincare brand Summer Fridays launched its latest Jet Lag Collection and new Lip Butter Balm shade with a London pop-up space. In partnership with Space NK, the brand – owned by influencers Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Ireland – took over Covent Garden Piazza to offer free samples, complimentary hot chocolate, exclusive merchandise and branded bouquets.

While experiential marketing and IRL activations are nothing new in the world of PR, it is clear that within fashion and beauty retail, a renewed focus on grassroots community activity is calling for increased slices of promotional budgets.

In previous years, pop-ups were typically used to increase footfall and on-the-spot sales, whereas the modern, Gen-Z-targeted version is prioritising community building and adding value to loyal customers. The growing appetite and demand for real-life meet-and-greets is clear, as over the past several months, a number of brands have hosted successful events, bringing together influencer partners, employees and regular customers in one, elevated space. It is no wonder then, that Molly Mae Hague chose to launch her fashion brand, Maebe, with an exclusive pop-up shop, complete with photo-opportunities, free gifts and Joe & The Juice refreshments.

Indeed, this appears to be a particular trend amongst influencer-founded brands. For example, the past quarter has seen a REFY (founded by British content creator Jess Hunt) beauty café open its doors during Paris Fashion Week. Located at 29 Rue De La Villette, the café invited consumers to enjoy coffee and pastries in a social-media friendly, REFY-branded environment. Similarly, influencer Grace Beverley was present in person at her brand TALA’s pop-up coffee cart activation in New York this year. In conjunction with fashion week, the brand launched its latest workout gear, in colour way Espresso, by handing out a complimentary caffeine fix to Big Apple residents, along with facilitating face-to-face conversations between the brand founder and her customers to gather direct feedback.

In the Summer, Hailey Bieber launched a ‘pocket-sized’ pop up launch of her latest Rhode Beauty makeup range. Inviting content creators and journalists to capture the experience for social media and press, before opening out to wider customers, the retail space was fully on-brand and showcased her entire collection, encouraging try-ons.

However, the pop-up popularity isn’t limited to the influencer sphere, with a number of consumer brands weaving an IRL or temporary element into their 2024 strategies. The likes of Blank Street Coffee, Cetaphil, Stanley, Damson Madder, Vital Proteins, Paula’s Choice, Britvic, ASOS and more have ridden the wave.

The PR pop-ups of old have evolved and matured with this new phase of IRL execution. Akin to miniature press days, led by a clear, social-media first strategy, today’s PR pop-ups are designed to encourage content creation, viral ‘moments’ and social buzz, whilst simultaneously curating friendly spaces for likeminded brand advocates to gather together and engage with products, whilst brands network with and reward their community, improving sentiment and attracting new potential customers.

It will be interesting to observe how these events could be maximised and extend into other global PR efforts, making more 360-degree campaigns that involve customers at every level.