BTS Is Popping Up Everywhere 📍, And They Could Be Near You!

Malaysian Army, rejoice!

The first ever exclusive BTS pop-up store in Malaysia 🇲🇾 officially opened on September 8th in 1 Utama Shopping Centre, in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Army, as fans of the South Korean supergroup are called, are now able to browse and shop 🛍 over 300 official merchandise to add to their collection.

These range from limited edition apparel, accessories, bags, wallets, figurines, posters, stationery 🖊, and lifestyle products offered at the BTS Pop-up Showcase. There is also a special corner dedicated to exclusive Dynamite-themed items that are only available at the venue itself. The megahit Dynamite, released in August last year, is the band's first song fully recorded in English and garnered BTS its first Grammy 🏆 nomination.

Over the years, pop-up shops have gained a lot of popularity 🌟.

Not only are more businesses trying their hand at these one- or two-day events, but customers are responding in a very positive fashion. However, before you start planning 🤔 your own pop-up shop, make sure you are ready for the marketing side of things.

As the name suggests, pop-up shops are temporary retail establishments that emerge for a few hours ⏰, days, or weeks on street corners, in malls, and at major public events. The goal 🥅 of a pop-up shop is to create a new touch point with customers and engage with them in a unique way without having to fully invest in a new store or location.

That certainly sounds good, but why are brands really investing 💰 in pop-up shops? Well, the first reason has less to do with immediate sales and more to do with branding. Research shows that unique services or products, localised assortments, optimal pricing, convenience, and a fun 😆 experience are among the top things pop-up shoppers are looking for. By aligning your brand with this temporary sales strategy, you can encourage 💪 customers to view you in a new light. In other words, the value extends far beyond the shop itself.

This is not to say that pop-up shops are not profitable - they certainly are. There is a lot that goes into a pop-up shop, but much of the success (or lack thereof) can be directly tied back to marketing. If the marketing strategy is sound, then foot 🦶 traffic and sales will follow. Nonetheless, if the strategy is lacking, you may find your pop-up shop to be a waste of resources. 

Having said that, here are 4 marketing tips and techniques that other brands successfully implement for high returns:

1️⃣ Build buzz 🐝 in advance

Think 💭 of yourself as a boxing promoter, in the weeks leading up to the pop-up shop. It is your mission to build 🧱 as much hype and anticipation around the event as possible. Much of this will happen on social media via event pages, content marketing, and possibly some localised pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

2️⃣ Nail 🔨 day-of marketing

While building advance buzz is important, the most critical factor in your success is day-of marketing. For many shoppers 🛒, the decision to visit your store is impromptu. You are missing out on a significant source of traffic 🚦 if you are relying only on your pre-marketing. Hence, feel free to get clever and try some new things.

3️⃣ Keep promoting 📣 after the event

The third stage of pop-up shop marketing actually occurs after the event is over and everything is packed up. This is the time to share pictures 🤳 and stories on social media. You want those who attended to remember what made the event so great 👍, as you simultaneously encourage those who did not visit to come to your next pop-up event. This is also a great opportunity to remain in contact with customers you met at the pop-up shop via an online newsletter or strategic discount offers.

4️⃣ Use your momentum 📈

Very rarely is the pop-up shop itself the end goal. Sure, it can give you a temporary sales boost 🚀 - but it is ultimately about momentum. The objective of a pop-up shop is to give your brand the boost it needs to thrive after the temporary event ends. Be sure to use the momentum you have gained to foster future success ✨ as you transition out of pop-up shop mode and back to normal retailer mode.

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If you want to receive high returns, these marketing tips and techniques will help you! Have you visited BTS’s pop-up store yet? Let us know in the comments 👇👇👇😎.

References:

Alton, L. 2017, June 21. Pop-up Shop Marketing: a Quick How-to Guide. Entrepreneur.

Murad, D. 2021, September 8. BTS pop-up store opens today in 1 Utama. The Star.