How to Curate the “POP” Factor
At Poppi, we like to reimagine the soda experience. We are on a mission to create a culture of health and happiness through real fruit and prebiotics, packaged perfectly into a soda can. However, the soda experience does not stop at the can. We like to be bold with our flavor and marketing to keep our loyal fans on the edge of their seats. We are excited to share our 5 cents on building your brand’s story and the impact of experiential marketing.
1. FOMO
The most effective partnerships and activations take advantage of limited time and quantities to increase hype and desire of participants. In late January 2024, we hosted our first pop-up experience on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. The pop-up generated lines that wrapped around the block for 2 days because of the limited-edition merchandise designed for the pop-up and a meet-and-greet opportunity with our founder. By hosting a convenience store-inspired activation, Poppi was able to create a sense of urgency and exclusivity for the activation, incentivizing fans to participate due to FOMO in-person and online.
2. Location
Whether it is a high trafficked spot like Melrose in West Hollywood or Bloomingdale’s in New York City, the strategic use of location can harness new eyes on a brand. In 2022, Poppi teamed up with Marc Jacobs’ space on 59th street to build a floor-to-ceiling wall of Poppi cans. The bright colors were hard not to miss with endless photo opportunities, igniting conversation from passer-byers and media due to the activations’ disruption in a major shopping hub.
3. User-Generated Content
In order for a pop-up to have the largest impact, there needs to be ample opportunities for user-generated content. The brand does not necessarily have to have photo walls, but the branding, colors, and space needs to be carefully designed to ensure backgrounds are poppin. Photo moments are great for fans to post their experience on their Instagram or TikTok and provides authentic content for Poppi channels to incorporate when reflecting on the events success.
4. Cultural Relevancy
Cultural relevancy can come in many forms – being at the forefront of pop culture with the inclusion of celebrities and influencers at your event or it could be promoting a product that enters your brand into a conversation about women leaders in the marketplace. For the Poppi pop-up, Paris Hilton made an appearance for the DJ set as well as other creators in the fashion, comedy, and entertainment space. Inviting influencers who have a following of their own can expand your brand reach and build hype around the product because of the association with icons like Paris Hilton.
5. Unexpected
Delight and surprise is the key to a successful activation! The experience may be big, the collaboration may cater to a niche market and be peculiar or funny. The importance of the unexpected activation is to build emotional ties and loyalty to your brand while authentically joining companies and their fans. Poppi included many unexpected details at the pop-up from Poppi slushies, new Wild Berry flavor launch to merchandise giveaways.
There are many benefits to unique marketing tactics. You can garner press, become a trendsetter, build your brand’s identity or even break into a new demographic of customers. Poppi is always looking for unconventional ways to redefine soda and treat our fans along the way!
Follow along on Instagram and TikTok to be the first to know where Poppi is popping up next.