Attire Accessories - May/Jun 2018 (Issue 70)

ATTIRE 69 BUSINESS ADVICE Which would you say has been Sanrio’s most successful pop up to date? After the first pop up in Topshop to celebrate Hello Kitty’s birthday in November 2016, we launched a Hello Kitty Gang pop up stand at Topshop Oxford Circus in June 2017.This drove great excitement amongst fans, with listings in Time Out, HypeBae and NYLON . Fans flocked there to buy personalised and limited-edition pieces, this being the first time the public could buy Hello Kitty Gang merch. When and why did Sanrio decide to start doing pop ups? Space licensing and experiential marketing are huge for Sanrio in Asia. Character restaurants, cafes, hotels (the list goes on!) can be found in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and many other countries.This strategic focus, and the trend in general, is sweeping westwards and pop ups of all kinds are now an integral part of Sanrio’s brand strategy across EMEA and the USA. Where did the company decide to do this and why? Topshop felt like the right fit because of Hello Kitty’s fashion links. Hello Kitty works with Topshop’s aesthetic and its target market of young, creative women fits perfectly with Hello Kitty’s fans. How long do the pop ups usually run and at what time of year? The pop ups usually run during the key seasons, for example, the Hello Kitty pop up in Topshop took place last Summer from June 18 th to July 1 st . Last Christmas, Mr Men hosted pop ups in Debenhams stores giving fans a chance to personalise their favourite Mr Men and Little Miss characters by bringing them to life in a range of products. How did they choose what products to sell? This depends on several factors: the retailer, whether this is promoting a specific occasion or season (such as Mr Men’s pop-ups in Debenhams) or is part of a wider campaign. What matters most is offering a specific consumer a one-of-a-kind or hard to get product (and experience in some cases) – this is what will drive footfall in a short period of time. Are the pop ups successful? Yes, we’ve so far had great results from our pop ups, though of course they will vary.They are not necessarily revenue generating and a business has to define clear goals for the project, and be realistic about how much it can deliver on all fronts. Here are 10 tips to help you open a pop up shop: 1. Plan, plan, plan Plan for all eventualities! The weather, staff sickness, regulations and health and safety (especially if you’re popping up in a larger store), are there particular rules you will need to follow? Be savvy with your stock! Make sure staff know when and where new stock will be dropped off. Especially if space is tight and you’ll be re-stocking regularly. Make sure you understand the financial set up – how are you going to be paid – especially if this is through a bigger department store. Make sure it’s all clear before you’re taking any orders. Have your marketing plan prepped weeks before so you can hit the ground running when it comes to promoting your pop-up. 2. Offer something money can’t buy Pop-ups offer a great way to promote or sell a product, but it’s key to offer something exciting or exclusive as part of the experience to drive footfall. We’ve seen great success by offering the chance to meet one of the Mr. Men characters at our personalised Mr. Men/ Little Miss pop- up stalls, which helps make the experience about more than just purchasing a product. At our Hello Kitty pop-ups we’ve offered exclusive limited-edition product, which has worked well to create a demand. If your pop up is part of a special event, offer that one-of-a-kind product that can’t be bought elsewhere. 3. Use partner marketing channels If you’re running a pop-up in collaboration Hannah Rowlands, Marketing & Digital Manager at Sanrio, talks to Attire Accessories about how pop up shop’s have worked for Sanrio and how the concept can help your business too 10 TIPS FOR RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL POP-UP