Inspiration to create a branded space within a retail environment
Experimenting with a branded space was thought to be a thing of the past, at least that’s what the forecasters foretold when they said Y2K was going to change lives forever. To some extent they were right. However, an immersive branded space within a conceptual retail environment has proven to maximise engagement with the consumer. Creating an activation has become a powerful marketing tool and a unique photo experience is at the forefront of this.
Calvin Klein #MyCalvins Campaign in Victoria Gate, Leeds.
Retail sales have stagnated in recent years and this is partly down to the sheer volume of options available. The internet has made the world a smaller place and for the consumer it’s as easy to purchase something from your local high street as it is from the other side of the world.
With transactions stalling retailers are pivoting towards driving sales through aspirational experiences. Retail environments have adopted a more hands on approach to interact with existing and potential customers. All with an end goal to stimulate consumer spending and increase their social media presence.
Calvin Klein’s bespoke photo experience in 2016 coincided with the launch of their new stores in Leeds, Manchester and London. The custom installation encouraged users to become part of their hugely successful #MyCalvins campaign. Visitors would have their photo taken, choose their #mycalvins slogan and share their photo on social media.
Calvin Klein #MyCalvins Campaign in Kings Cross
Brand Experience Examples
The Guinness storehouse in Dublin is a fascinating incite into the brands incredible history. The ‘Guinness Factory Tour’ ticks all the boxes for brand experience. The tour takes place in a 7-story building dating back to 1904. The main structure simulates the inside of a beer bottle, so large, it would take over 14.3 million pints of Guinness to fill it! What follows for visitors are 12 inviting activities that are innovative, imaginative, interactive, engaging, multi-dimensional, multi sensorial and full of culture. The Guinness storehouse is a wonderful melding of history wit fresh, new, engaging technology. Read more about the Guinness storehouse on Forbes.
Guinness Storehouse
A branded space has the ability to enhance the brands appeal and propel their identity outside of their initial target market . They reach out to consumers whose relationships with physical experiences and with other people are thoroughly mediated by physical content.
Uniqlo x Lego Collaboration in Uniqlo’s flagship London store.
Digital platforms have been successful at cultivating user bases that yield distinct subcultures and audiences. Vloggers are on YouTube, celebrities and photographers are on Instagram, alternative musicians are on Soundcloud, and so on.
Uniqlo use a simple and sleek photo experience to promote their various collaborations with artists. Lucozade curated a brand experience in a pop up nature to reposition themselves as an energy drink for people on the move.
What’s Next
The ways brands manipulate environmental spaces gives a good indication of how they view their customers and vice versa. People are attuned to the types of marketing and advertising that constitute the economy of aspirational branding in the city. View the full range of photo booths here.
