Posted by Todd Buckton on Tue, Aug 10, 2010
Pop-Tarts, the venerable and tasty yet questionable snack treat has popped up in Times Square to great fanfare this past weekend. The
New York Times says this pop up store could become permanent if it proves to be successful. Featuring Pop-Tarts "sushi", custom flavors and computer screens to access video games and social networking sites, it's a retailing concept that fits in nicely in the Times Square conglomeration of sensory over-stimulation.
Here at RoadBlog, we like the idea of pop up stores. They turn empty space into selling space, they give prospects a fresh look at a brand by placing it in a new and unexpected context and they generate buzz. Exactly the same thing that successful mobile event marketing programs achieve. If you look at them in this way, pop-up stores are like mobile tours without the wheels. They have taken a short-term retailing opportunity and turned it into an experience that resonates, especially in this combination of venue and product. Now, if only this new pop-up Pop-Tart store could produce a toaster pastry that tasted like a freshly baked, light and buttery, flaky, chocolate croissant, they'd really be on to something.