The modified shipping container store trend is thought to have been pioneered by Starbucks in 2011 when they opened a 450 square foot shipping container store in Washington. But experiential marketing events have driven the increased demand for shipping containers around the world, and now, some 11 million unused shipping containers around the world could potentially be used for a variety of purposes. Of course, each industry should execute its experiential marketing events properly. Here are just a few tips for clothing retailers and brands to successfully carry out an experiential marketing event.
Keep Your Brand Involved, Front and Center
It may seem obvious, but it’s something that many clothing retailers neglect when planning and carrying out their experiential marketing events. Keeping your brand involved and in customers’ minds during your event is vital, but there’s a fine line that when crossed will make it seem like you’re overdoing it. But since customers having positive memories associated with your brand can help to boost it as a whole, focus on ways to include your brand — with subtlety — into the entertainment-based aspects of the event.
Experiment With Different Events
If you have major success with one particular event, that’s great — log it away for future use. But finding one event that works well doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue to experiment and carry out a trial and error process for your brand’s experiential marketing events in the future. Take careful notes of what went well, why you feel it went well and how it can be improved in the future. After a certain number of events, you’ll be able to find the perfect combination of features to bring each event to life.
Upgrade Shipping Container to Reflect Brand Personality
Finally, make sure to keep the look of your shipping container in mind with each event. There are several shipping container modifications that improve the atmosphere and appearance of your customized shipping container, and by extension, your event as a whole. Examples include window treatments, lighting installations, doors and entryways, and more.
Ultimately, don’t underestimate the impact that your clothing brand can make on customers through a thoughtfully crafted experiential marketing campaign. For more information about shipping container modifications and other custom shipping containers, contact IPME.