When seeking to establish bonds between employees, what could be better than escape rooms, karaoke sessions or other activities that get them out of the office? A pop-up store!
Companies have everything to gain by giving their teams inter-departmental projects, because a collective challenge brings people together and gets everyone involved. Pop-up shops are too rarely considered as an effective internal format, but they are nevertheless perfectly suited for it in every way.
Here are 3 key ideas inspired by pop-up projects whose success came down to the collective efforts of a unified team.
1. Join Forces to Complete a Project in Record Time
Before launching its “Color Garden” project, a 2-week pop-up store in the heart of the Marais, Clarins gathered its team together for an intense 24-hour period. It was their dedication and coordination that made this race against the clock a wholehearted success. “Getting every team involved was of vital importance for such a project,” explains Morgan Lefrancois, International Retail Director for the Clarins brand. Relying on the teamwork approach meant the pop-up store also helped strengthen the company’s internal cohesion.
2. Build a Viable Commercial Space Together
When the Sodexo Group in Paris decided to open a pop-up restaurant called “Signature,” it became “a perfect opportunity to challenge the team,” according to Sébastien Modat, Marketing Director at Sodexo. This project mobilized all internal resources at the company’s disposal: marketing, R&D and design, who were then charged with designing the space, transforming it from an empty space into a foodie haven. As a result, for Sodexo “The project was not just a communication operation or PR launch, but a genuine mobilization across our business!”
3. Group Learning Builds Flexibility
For Leroy Merlin, the pop-up store allowed them to open a DIY shrine at the heart of the Marais, so that they could better understand a new generation of home improvement enthusiasts – a demographic not previously loyal to the brand – and win them over. What’s more, Antony Guinvarch, the brand’s Product Manager, said that the project “was a genuine way for the team to increase their skills.” In fact, while big companies benefit from a large workforce and long-established skills base, they often lack the flexibility common to start-ups. The pop-up store is an ideal fix: it allows teams on site to get out of their comfort zone, show their creative side and try new things to make the project a success.
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