I’ve just returned from a truly memorable holiday to Barcelona.  Even before I left I had anticipated that I was going to love this city as it’s very much famous for two of my three passions; football and food.  However, I was overwhelmed as not only did Barcelona quell these passions but it also managed to quell another – my love of brilliant marketing.

The landmark I was most excited about seeing was Mercat La Boqueria and it was here that I witnessed some truly outstanding marketing.  For those of you that don’t know La Boqueria is a food market located on Barcelona’s most famous street, La Ramblas.  La Boqueria has experienced several changes since it first opened its doors in 1217 and I’m sure it will continue to evolve, but I’m equally sure it’s marketing principles will not.

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If new products can come and go, why can’t the stores that display them do the same? Well they can, and this is known as ‘Pop-up retail’. Over the last year there has been a surge in the pop-up phenomenon. You may ask the question what exactly is pop-up retail? As I discovered, it can only be described as something that is a temporary venue — the space could be a sample sale one day then a host to a private cocktail party the next.

Pop-up retail is specifically an idea or mindset that allows a company to create a unique environment that engages their customers, as well as generates a feeling of relevance and interactivity. The main trend encompasses “popping-up” one day, and disappearing the next – creating a sense of being fresh and relevant – fantastic attributes for any brand. Read more…

If I had a pound for every time a client asked “Are we emailing our customers too much?” I would be a very rich man.  However, if I had a pound for every time a client asked if we were sending too much direct mail or are we broadcasting our TV or radio adverts too much then my bank balance would be no different.

Did the marketing team behind the infuriatingly more-ish Go Compare campaign debate whether their adverts were being shown too much during peak times?  I very much doubt it.  On New Years’ Eve 2008 did Pepsi worry that they were going a little over the top when they launched their new logo with a week-long ‘promotional extravaganza’ in Times Square.  Of course they didn’t.  So why do email marketers continually question their strategy when it comes to frequency and volume?

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