Pickleball Pop-Up
There are two things Toronto loves: waiting in lines and going to pop-up experiences. The Well is home to all sorts of events and experiences, and the Pickleplex Pickleball Pop-Up Experience is no different (try saying that three times fast!).
Pickleball is becoming increasingly popular, both in urban and suburban settings, and it appeals to a wide age-range of players, making it a perfect springtime pop-up for The Well. Their retail and culinary spots attract people of all ages from across downtown, and the Pickleplex experience runs in a timeslot between The Well's winter ice skating plaza and summertime beer garden.
There is little to no infrastructure in Toronto for pickleball courts, so while the city catches up on that end, this pop-up offers a chance for a "premium pickleball experience ... in a high visibility location." Furthermore, Pickleplex partnered with other retailers in The Well for "cross-promotional opportunities" for everyone to enjoy and benefit.
Pop-ups are such an effective marketing tool for all types of industries, hence this one playing a crucial role in Pickleplex's GTA expansion plans. The Attack Marketing article mentions that FOMO (fear of missing out) is a big reason that pop-ups work so well - people want to experience something unique, limited, exclusive, and that exclusivity inspires them to attend these opportunities. The more exclusive the event feels and is advertised, the more likely people will want to go.
The key to pop-ups is they create an emotional connection to the product or company and creates opportunities for engagement directly with the customer you don't typically receive from traditional marketing techniques. Location is so important in how successful a pop-up can be, and that is why The Well is a prime spot for these experiences - not just pickleball but all kinds of pop-up experiences.
Between both of these articles, I can't help but to agree in the effectiveness of pop-up experiences as a marketing ploy. A few months ago, LEGO held a pop-up experience at a various location around the world for just a few days - including one right here in Toronto at The Well. The LEGO botanicals truck offered photo-ops, building workshops, a pop-up shop, and more. As someone who loves LEGO, this was such a fun, cool experience that was also unique. It was different than just going to the store in Yorkdale, and that is what pop-ups are all about. It's different, it's exciting, it's new, it's exclusive.
Another personal experience I've had with pop-ups is the pop-up shop from Harry Styles' last album, Harry's House. They hosted a pop-up experience inspired by the album in a Queen West location the weekend of the album release. I waited outside in line for 4 hours prior to the doors opening, another hour to get in, and spent roughly 20 minutes inside. But it was exciting, and it was worth it, and I would do it again. There were only a few locations around the world, making this unique and exciting, and it created a safe, fun environment for fans to be express their excitement and happiness at a new album. That is what pop-ups can be and should be and they are.
Toronto has proved that it is a prime spot for pop-up marketing - they are happening all the time, all over the city for all kinds of industries. They are perfect opportunities to engage directly with the customer and create a long-lasting loyal fanbase. Creating positive experiences and building relationships leads to long-term success. Toronto is a nationally and internationally important city, and by bringing pop-ups to the city, it keeps these brands on the national and world stages. While pop-up experiences are marketing, you also have to market the pop-ups themselves, and location alone can contribute to that.
Have you ever attended a pop-up experience? And if you did, do you agree with its efficacy in marketing and building emotional ties?
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