Burns Night success
Festive Fun in Cardiff
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!
The changing face of retail
Today has seen the news that over 40,000 jobs are at risk within the #retail sector. This is partly down to changing consumer habits, with people preferring to buy more everyday items online, and partly down to the way retail spaces are taxed – the argument is that the system needs an overhaul to let retailers remain competitive against online operators. the interesting thing was that the commentators were not dismissing retail out of hand, but were, in fact stressing the need to adapt and become more #experiential in their offer. This is what we find with our clients – by actively going out and talking to consumers, and engaging them in some positive way, it gives the brand or shop much more ‘personality’ than they could ever convey through a phone/ tablet/ computer screen. It also helps to create memories, which again structures the way consumers relate to the brand or product. A couple of days ago it was #SmallBusinessSaturday, which helps get a bit more focus on small companies who are trying to showcase something new into the market. The trouble with big retail chains is that they have very specific minimum sale expectations, so products are evaluated and amended until they fit into a formula that works for that retailer. This often means creativity gets cut back, but in the case of small businesses the decision process is much quicker, leading to quirkier, more innovative products. the chances are you would not stumble across such products online, and if you did, you could not touch them, check the quality or look & feel of the product before purchasing. That’s the beauty of retail – you can go out and ‘mooch around’, seeing what takes your fancy, and you can ask questions there and then and get an immediate response from someone who knows what they are taking about. Ultimately, you see something that surprises you, maybe something yo never knew existed or even wanted, but it would make a great present for someone you know. So far from being ‘dead’, retail has the opportunity to entertain customers and prospects, educate them about new products, give them the chance to evaluate the product before purchase, as well as become a place for shoppers to collect products they had bought online. So the retail space needs to be redefined and to an extent re-invented to engage people.
People like people!
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!!
Tasty Savouries in Bradford
Get along to Clayton Road in #bradford to get some tasty and toasty favourite savouries and coffee – see us there today
Tasty Savouries in Glasgow
Get along to Greggs in St Enoch’s, Glasgow, for some tasty savouries and coffee – TODAY!!
Town Crier, York
Get to the #Lindenhomes development in York (YO11) at Cayton Reach and see our Brand Ambassadors in action, and a town crier too!
https://www.lindenhomes.co.uk/developments/yorkshire/cayton-reach-middle-deepdale#.W92Xn–si8Y.twitter
Santa’s Post Office
#Christmas is coming, a time for retail to look forward to higher footfall. EEP has been involved in various festive activities over the year – we provide staffing solutions for shopping centres, visitor attractions and all kinds of promotional events. Something that has proved to be great fun for us as well as customers is the Santa’s Post Office. It is a great way to get children off and running with the Christmas vibe – a brilliantly decorated pop-up Post Office, staffed by our very own Elves, where children can go and write their letters to Santa. The whole event is a great excuse for parents to get into town to make a visit, no doubt some of them trying to bribe their children to behave better in the run up to Christmas! Over the years we have worked with numerous shopping centres and retail venues, making the most of available units to create a magical setting that works on both children and adults! It is the start of the Christmas journey for the kids, and helped by our superb team of Elves, it really sets the mood for the run up to Christmas. It is one of the most fun campaigns we get involved in – our Elves go on from the Santa’s Post Office to help run Santa’s Grotto (coming to a shopping centre near you!!), which again is a brilliant treat for the kids.
So here we go, let the magic begin!
#santaspostoffice, #christmas, #retail, #promotions, #festivegrotto, #festive, #santa
Grab yourself a savoury snack!
This is the kind of thing you’ll see in Kirkgate, Bradford – Grab a tasty savoury at Greggs! What could be better on a chilly day?
