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Are pop-ups a good marketing strategy for Singapore SMEs?

Dr Biz • Nov 12, 2020

Pop-ups have been grabbing headlines of late following Singapore Airlines’ decision to open up two of its jumbo jets as restaurants. Within 30 minutes of opening up booking, Singapore Airlines said that all of the seats on its Airbus SE A380 pop-up restaurant were reserved, despite the fact that prices for a seat range from S $53 for economy, to $321 for business class to $642 for a private suite.

Of course, much of this can be explained by growing wanderlust among Singapore’s travel-starved populace, many of whom are also rushing to book ‘stay-cations’ at some of the city’s most exclusive hotels. These include ‘wildlife’ experiences at the Marriott that feature a zoo visit and ‘panda safari’, as well as a Miffy themed staycation at the Fairmont Hotel that includes bags of Miffy swag for $375 a night.

Pop-ups, pop-ups everywhere

However, the appeal of pop-ups is not purely a result of border controls: it has been a growing trend across different sectors for years. Aside from Singapore Airlines’ record breaking pop-up eatery, the city’s latest high profile event comes from Korean boy-band BTS, who are launching the ‘Map of the Soul’ pop-up store at the Plaza Singapura. Open from 14 November to 14 February 2021, this will be one of only three physical stores globally, the other two located in Seoul and Tokyo.

You don’t have to be an international airline or boy-band to launch a successful pop-up, though. In-fact, SMEs in Singapore have been turning to pop-up markets for years to reach more customers and promote their products and services. The Orchard Road Urban Green Rooms initiative that began in April 2019 is a great example of an ongoing pop-up in Singapore. This allows SMEs from across the retail sector to set-up shop within malls and pedestrian areas, with activities potentially ranging from retail, food and beverage sites to arts and entertainment events.

Orchard Road also plays host to the Workgreat initiative, where health and fitness SMEs can offer services like rooftop Yoga, wellness talks and health screenings for employees of companies based in the area. Things are not quite back in full swing yet, but you can still join an online Zumba or workout class. Over at the ION Sky, though, parents desperate to entertain bored children can check out the Jurassic World Cafe pop-up where jungle foliage, a full size lego Velociraptor and volcanic mini beef burgers make for an exciting recent pop-up.

Getting started with pop-ups

While growing in pop-ularity (hehe...), pop-ups are not always easy to just, well, “pop up” and so SMEs often need a helping hand to get their concept off the ground. Thankfully, there are a few organisations in Singapore that can help out, including TGIF Bazaars, which offers a range of services for venues, merchants and sellers alike. These include design and creative for logos and branding as well as online communities for connecting business owners and buyers.

The TGIF “pop-up market academy” also includes a range of online resources to help SMEs new to the scene learn all about how to set up a pop-up and market themselves effectively, with retailer “pop-up personas” helping businesses to find their groove. TGIF has also been running successful online events of late, including its “Zoombazzar”: a virtual marketplace where shoppers get to meet, chat, bargain and transact with sellers or merchants face-to-face in real time using Zoom video conferencing.

Finding your pop-up space

Other organisations that help SMEs to set up a pop-up include Popup Angels, which allows SMEs across Singapore to search, book and set-up pop-up spaces. SMEs can book space using their online directory, connect with events organisers and landlords, with experienced agents on hand to answer questions and give advice, and finally to set up pop-ups in spaces across the city. The team can help businesses find shops, showrooms, roadshow, and gallery spaces including Marina One, Kinex Mall, Visual Art Centre (Dhoby Ghaut) and Tiong Bahru pop-up event space.

Finding your pop-up niche might not be as simple as setting up a stall: different shoppers have a range of habits and desires that today’s savvy SMEs need to be sure to meet. With a little imagination and vision, though, a pop-up can be a great way to showcase a different side of your brand or product line, giving you more freedom to have fun and even experiment with a new approach, design or flavour. As Singapore and the world begins to recover from recent circuit breakers and lockdowns the appetite for pop-ups is likely to grow further, too, so make sure you get a head start today.

At Dr Biz, we provide tailored and comprehensive solutions for all entrepreneurs’ business needs. From incorporation to accountancy, tax and payroll, to professional advisory services, we help businesses in Singapore assess potential risks and become more cost effective and efficient.

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