Pop-ups. They’re everywhere these days, in form of pop-up stores, pop-up restaurants, bars, galleries and even pop-up gigs all around London. Some of us might already be suffering from pop-up overkill but I can’t get enough of them. As a ‘country bumpkin’, there’s still a lot for me to discover in London and pop-ups are a welcome opportunity to explore cool brands, new events or bands. There’s a lot happening in the Clerkenwell ‘pop-up scene’ and I wanted to share a few examples from our office neighbourhood. I will also take a quick look at why pop-ups work so well in connection with social media.
Pop-ups do not rely on a traditional circle of customers. Instead, they pop up in a new location and attract new customers from the neighbourhood, and if they’re smart their online customers too. The reasons why I‘ve jumped on the pop-up trend are simple: pop-ups give a feeling of exclusivity, freshness and surprise; the future of retail, sales, music and events lies in flexibility and pop-ups are a perfect example of this; and thanks to pop-ups, smaller brands, artists or labels can generate buzz and sales for their brand in an affordable way.
Of course, street vending and exhibiting are not new phenomena. Nevertheless, the smart use of social media is helping more and more pop-up initiatives to build their online brand. One successful example of a temporary pop-up concept with a strong reliance on Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools is the Galleria illy on Rosebery Avenue in Clerkenwell. This is a temporary pop-up gallery where art, literature, design and gastronomy come together. The Galleria illy creates inspiring conversations on the illy Facebook page and on the illywords blog and also crosslinks as much as possible with Twitter via @illycaffee and #galleriailly. In collaboration with London Design Festival and Clerkenwell Design District, the Galleria illy offers free talks and performances and free coffee training with famous baristas (yep, even the coffee is free). Check out espressocrazy.com to get registered for one of the events (running until 16th October).
The Meanwhile Space on buzzing Exmouth Market has been hosting a number a successful pop-up initiatives in Clerkenwell. This store provides space for a range of vintage shops, exhibitions and quirky restaurants that are well worth a visit. You can find Meanwhile Space on Twitter and Facebook, where regular updates on current events and projects are shared. Meanwhile Space also helps exhibitors find affordable and temporary spaces in otherwise empty stores. It does this with the support of organisations like New Deal of the Mind (NDotM), a charity set up to create access to jobs, and to support self-employment in the creative industries. Check out NDotM’s fabulous website for all links to the usual social media channels.
Another example of a great pop-up space is Craft Central near Clerkenwell Green. Here, crafts people showcase their work in the pop-up store, as well as in the online gallery, or on the Craft Central Facebook site and on Twitter. They can also rent work spaces and get practical business help. Craft Central also hosts the Creative Clerkenwell Pop-Up Shop every year during the Clerkenwell Design Week.
If you can’t get enough of pop-ups in London, check out the London Pop-Ups blog too. It collects all pop-up campaigns around the capitol. Are there any other pop-ups that have caught your eye or are you suffering from a pop-up overkill yet? Let us know.