For brands wanting to improve their PR game, taking your strategy in-store could be the key to boosting high-street viability and increasing in-store footfall.
As we continue to operate in a digitalised retail sector, more brands than ever before are viewing their brick-and-mortar store as a last thought when it comes to business promotion.
We see product releases shine on social media, and ecommerce stores drive traffic with innovative campaigns, but could pouring the same focus into your in-store PR take your success to the next level?
With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of five different ways high-street brands can optimize their in-store PR in 2024.
Launch New Products With a BANG!
Your high-street store is your brand’s first chance to showcase its most popular products in real time. If you have a new product in the pipeline, make sure it’s not quietly placed on the shelf. Instead, position your product at the front of the store and build a buzz around your newest release.
Creating a positive product launch strategy is a brilliant way to generate positive PR for your high-street store. The key here is to go bold with your product launch and find a way to get your consumers talking about it.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to think outside of the box and get interactive with your campaigning. Whether you opt for an in-store AR-powered try on booth or a merchandising design that draws in footfall, the more creative your product launch is, the greater PR payoff you’ll see.
Take Adidas for example. On the release of their F50 miCoach football boot, the fashion brand presented an innovative product launch in their German Headquarters store in Herzogenaurach.
Revealing an Adidas Virtual Footwear Wall, the brand invited consumers to interact with a virtual product experience. Users could spin digital shoes around and look at the brand’s newest release from all angles before the physical version arrived on the shop floor.
(Image Source: Drapers)
This attracted local press and customers hungry to interact with a virtual campaign. It also increased excitement in the run-up to the boots’ release in-store, encouraging customers to come back for the real thing just a few weeks later.
Excite Your In-Store Shoppers At Each Touch-Point
On the topic of encouraging shoppers to stick around, awareness is key, if you want to ensure your brand stands out on the high-street.
Retail buyers can make or break a high-street business, so it’s important to create a PR campaign that extends to all business touchpoints.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to gather coverage on your brick-and-mortar store in an attempt to improve your visibility online. Whether this is a set of influencer social media mentions, In-store photos and videos online or a high-street mention in your local newspaper, the more coverage you have, the better.
Take New Look, for example. They leverage TikTok to create coverage for their high-street store. Blurring the lines between in-store and online shopping, local New Look accounts made for each city location reply to TikTok comments with in-store content that shows an employee finding the perfect outfits on the shop floor.
(Image Source: NewLook on TikTok)
This method of store promotion not only targets online brand touchpoints but encourages viewers to head down to their local store to source an outfit rather than posting a link to the ecommerce alternative.
Blur The Lines Between In-Store and On Screen
It’s no secret that we live in an increasingly digital world. Therefore, if high-street brands want to do well, they must adapt their PR strategy to fit in with evolving consumer tastes and trends.
One way to do this is to blur the lines between in-store and online shopping during your next PR campaign.
American Eagle used this change in consumer shopping behaviour to influence their 2021 Future Together. Jeans Forever campaign. Partnering with Snapchat, they introduced QR codes in-store that allowed shoppers to scan and interact with in-store products on the social app.
(Image Source: AdWeek)
Using AR, Snapchat enabled users to try on the new jeans virtually in different colours and styles. Users could even dress their Bitmoji avatars with a mini pair of matching jeans.
This bold move from American Eagle took their in-store strategy one step further and encouraged their tech-savvy customers to ‘try on’ in style rather than queue for the fitting rooms.
Position Your Campaign At The Point-Of-Sale
In-store campaigns work best when placed at the point of sale. Point-of-sale marketing is a brilliant way to capture consumers when they are already checking out.
Adding posters, seasonal product PR and discounted deal campaigns to your checkout area encourages customers to slow down in the queue and take a look at potential products to quick-add to their basket before they head to the register.
This method not only increases spend per-visit, but can constantly be updated to address seasonal trends and demographic favourites.
If you’re looking to run a seasonal PR campaign in-store, positioning it next to the point of sale is crucial for two reasons. Customers who have visited the store for the seasonal products alone enjoy a streamlined journey from first glance to checkout, while customers who have yet to purchase seasonal gifts such as a Valentine’s Day card or scent are encouraged to pick one up in the line to convert.
Leverage In-Store Influencers
If you have a store location that is underperforming, inviting an influencer into the store for the day could see your footfall double.
This PR technique is all about local coverage. Choose an influencer that is popular amongst your local demographic, and employ them to advertise your in-store experience, This could be an Instagram Reel of a recent trip, or a meet and greet surrounding a partnered product release.
This type of coverage attracts not only your audience, but the influencer’s fan base into the store, in turn enhancing purchase potential and raising awareness for your brick-and-mortar brand online.
As #ComeShoppingWithMe continues to go viral on TikTok and shoppers demand user-generated product visuals, Alodia Beauty presents a great example of influencer PR for their in-store products.
(Image Source: Andrea Nicole on TikTok)
Enlisting popular local influencer Andrea Nicole to head down to their stand in her local Target, the haircare brand was able to promote their product via an influencer channel to more than 6,000 followers, gaining more than 27K likes.
The Future of Retail PR
As we step into a digitalised future of retail, it’s no surprise that most PR strategies are moving into an online realm.
However, brands that combine their in-store and online PR are tipped to enjoy high street domination in 2024.
