In a world where beauty brands have to fight for attention, pop-up events offer a way to stand out from the crowd and reach more customers. But not everyone knows why these events are so effective, and some brands still need a bit of help moving their beauty pop-ups in the right direction.
If that sounds familiar, welcome to our guide! Here, we look at pop-up events in detail, including what they are, why they work, and how to make your event a success.
Above: Students attend a LookFantastic pop-up for free makeovers.
What is a beauty pop-up?
A beauty pop-up is an event designed to spread awareness about the brand – often when launching a new lipstick, foundation, compact, or skincare formula. It can act as a small boutique in one location or tour multiple cities using a promotional vehicle.
Beauty pop-ups fuel excitement by encouraging people to get involved through freebies, tutorials, makeup stations, shareable moments, or all of the above!
They can visit one location for a single weekend or hit multiple cities over a month-long tour with promotional vehicle hire. You can learn more about this option in our article: why the beauty industry has fallen in love with promo vehicles.
Why are beauty pop-ups so effective?
Beauty and skincare pop-up events have exploded in recent years because they deliver something no digital campaign ever will – and that’s physical interaction.
Here’s why they work so well:
A sense of urgency
A limited event, for a limited time, naturally plays on people’s fear of missing out (FOMO). This encourages people to actually stop and get involved. In turn, they’ll be more interested in what you do, and they could be inclined to buy your products.
A bigger social reach
Even the most glamorous names can struggle with content. Beauty pop-ups breathe life into promotional campaigns, creating the ideal space for guests to share their experience online. Every photo or video can spread awareness, making for a much bigger product launch.
Cost-effective advertising
People see over 4,000 ads a day, but a pop-up in a busy high street or shopping centre won’t be missed! That’s why it’s often more cost-effective to run a short beauty event than it is to constantly run paid ads online. A Piaggio Ape, for example, could cost as little as £4,990 for a busy weekend – that’s for both the branded vehicle and the driver!
A measurable impact
Pop-up events help beauty brands connect with people and collect data. You could give away free goodie bags, and see how many samples were handed out, how many social posts were made, and how many email sign-ups were gained.
Want to learn more about the power of live beauty pop-ups? See why online-only beauty marketing fails to build connections.
How to make your beauty pop-up a success
In beauty, every promotional campaign is a bit different. But what works for other brands could work for you. These tips will get you started…
1. Create a visual showcase
When people think of beauty and skincare, they immediately think of glitz and glam. So, you can’t slouch just because pop-ups are temporary beauty events! They need to be every bit as glittery and special as your fans expect.
Think vibrant branding, product displays with a premium finish, flattering lighting, and gorgeous imagery. Launching a new product? Display a giant 3D version for picture taking! For more ideas, visit how to design an Instagrammable pop-up event!
2. Build sampling into the experience
Beauty pop-ups tend to build sampling into the experience. Free makeup and skincare items go a long way, allowing guests to find the product that’s best for their skin type. But why stop there? Pop-up events can include nail bars, colour matching, makeovers and pamper sessions. See these 8 experiential beauty ideas for more inspiration.
3. Make it fun for all
Beauty pop-ups need to get people involved, and one of the best ways to do it is with a game or competition. Spin-to-win games and prize draws entice people to come and play, and it’s the perfect way to encourage guests to stay longer for deeper interactions.
Alternatively, keep it modern with digital touch screens, AR try-ons, and Polaroid selfies. These can help to make your event a social media success story.
4. Customise your beauty hub
Vehicle hire lets you run your pop-up events your way. Go big and immersive with a glittery Airstream, deliver the perfect sampling day with a Citroen H-Van, create French vibes with a Renault Estafette, or push the envelope with a branded beauty bus.
At Promohire, we can customise any vehicle in our fleet and manage the entire project on your behalf. Read how we help beauty brands for more info!
5. Call on famous faces
Influencers and celebs add glamour, class, and gravitas to beauty events while building a buzz online. You could run doorstep drops (delivering to celebs in the city) in exchange for unboxing videos, or invite famous faces to a special event day, giving them access to must-have items. Follow our guide to running a doorstep campaign for more info.
If you’re running a winter campaign like Naturium, you could always invite Santa instead!
How beauty pop-ups found success
Here’s what some of the biggest names in beauty have done to reach new customers
Charlotte Tilbury
Easily one of our most glamorous, this pop-up campaign combined glitz and fun with modern technology. Their Airstream featured a beauty bar and photo backdrop, along with a digital game for random prizes. Guests could also write messages for display on a nearby billboard. Dive into the Charlotte Tilbury campaign for more on this project.
Liberty London
Fans of Liberty wait eagerly for the annual advent calendar box of products. So to honour its release, Liberty wanted to do something special. They asked us to replicate the look on two promotional vehicles, which would visit influencers and engage with guests at London’s Covent Garden. Check out Liberty’s calendar on wheels for details.
Aveeno
No stranger to live campaigns, Aveeno needed a mobile space where guests could hop on board, try the products for themselves, and discuss what works for them. This meant a clean consultation space that could move between venues, while looking the part from every angle! Visit the Aveeno skincare experience to learn more.
How to begin your pop-up project
With so much to consider, it’s natural to wonder where to start and who can bring your vision to life. At Promohire, we understand this challenge better than most – and so we’re thrilled to offer a FREE discovery call. This no-pressure call is your chance to explore ideas with the experts and learn what’s most likely to work for you.
So, why not hit the button below to learn more and book your free slot. You can check out our 10 favourite beauty pop-ups to see what we can do.
