In an era where digital campaigns dominate the marketing landscape, one question arises: are physical PR stunts still relevant?
Recently announced, CapitaLand Mall’s Pixar Puffy Happiness campaign is aimed at delighting shoppers with an immersive and colourful experience of joy and wonder, featuring vibrant Pixar-themed displays, pop-up stores, and enticing rewards from now until 30 June.
MartechAsia finds out if such physical PR stunts still work in the world of digital marketing and discussed the future of ‘phygital’ retail and marketing in the metaverse, with June Tan, Head, Digital Platforms, Strategic Marketing & Business Partnerships, CapitaLand Investment.
In the predominantly digital world of marketing today, what is the relevance of physical PR stunts?
June Tan (JT): At CapitaLand, we recognise that creating unique and impactful retail-tainment experiences can significantly enhance customer engagement and reinvigorate communities. By offering an unexpected and delightful surprise like the whimsical balloon shower on 1 June, as part of our Pixar Puffy Happiness campaign, it not only creates moments of joy and excitement for our shoppers that resonate deeply, but also experiences which encourages social sharing.
The Pixar Puffy Happiness campaign was designed to create a summer burst of fun at CapitaLand malls, with many activities curated to spark happiness. Shoppers will be greeted by vibrant installations inspired by Pixar characters, along with Pixar-themed retail spaces. They will also get the opportunity to snag amazing rewards, including access to CapitaLand’s cinematic experience screening for the highly-anticipated Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2, eCapitaVoucher and promotions on thematic Disney and Pixar merchandise.
Experiential retail is key in attracting and engaging shoppers in the post-pandemic world and this is part of a holistic strategy that retailers are increasingly adopting. Pushing boundaries and redefining the shopping experience at our malls are core tenets of our asset operating capabilities as we strive to create unique retail-tainment concepts that will leave lasting memories with our shoppers.
For example, during the year-end festivities in 2022, CapitaLand also organised an exclusive Disney-themed launch event with a mesmerising light projection show featuring scenes from Star Wars: Andor, a Disney+ Original, as well as ample photo opportunities with a life-sized X-Wing Starfighter and roving characters. There was also a Star Wars fan community parade event with dozens of enthusiasts participating.
In 2023, 165 lucky fans gathered at Funan to set a new record in the Singapore Book of Records for the most number of people unboxing blind boxes together in Singapore. The online registration for the event was open for one week, which saw overwhelming responses with a total over-subscription of close to 660%. The event united a passionate community of POP MART fans through a specially curated retail-tainment experience as part of Asia’s largest POP MART holiday extravaganza festive campaign.
Events such as these create memorable moments and provide us with opportunities to enhance the overall shopping and leisure experiences for our shoppers.
How can physical stunts be seamlessly integrated with digital marketing efforts to maximize reach and impact?
JT: Marrying physical activations and digital marketing efforts can help boost engagement.
As part of the Pixar Puffy Happiness campaign, we leverage digital channels to build anticipation and amplify awareness of the physical activation. This includes pre-event teasers on social media hinting towards a ‘Poppin’ surprise’ happening at our malls.
In addition, as part of the campaign, there is a social media contest element encouraging shoppers to share their experiences using specific hashtags like #PixarPuffyHappiness. Shoppers can capture and share Instagram-worthy moments with Pixar characters such as Mei from Turning Red, enhancing online engagement and increasing the reach of the campaign with seamless integration through O2O2O (Online-to-Offline-to-Online) strategy.
This approach begins with online engagement to tease and drive offline activities, which are then amplified online, creating a continuous loop of interaction and engagement that not only leverages the strengths of both physical and digital platforms, but also amplifies campaign reach.
As part of the whimsical Balloon Shower activation at Funan on 1 June, up to 1 million STAR$® rewards were also up for grabs. Shoppers earned STAR$® via our digital loyalty CapitaStar rewards programme by keying in unique reward codes found on balloons that had quotes related to the theme of Happiness on them. This helped increase brand awareness of the CapitaStar loyalty programme and effectively sparked happiness in shoppers.
The community-angled and innovative activations created many shareable social content and we saw many engaging with us through their user-generated content. This integration not only maximises reach but also enriches the overall customer journey, blending the best of both physical and digital worlds to create a holistic experience. The garnered interest online will help to call for participation for our second balloon shower that is happening on 19 June, 7:30pm at CQ @ Clarke Quay, further sparking interest of the online community.
What experiences and outcomes are you expecting from CapitaLand’s Balloon Shower and Pixar Puffy Happiness campaign?
JT: Centred around the theme of Happiness, the Pixar Happiness Campaign takes a multi-prong approach to spark happiness in our community. This includes the unexpected whimsical Balloon Shower at Funan and CQ @ Clarke Quay, cinematic movie event experience for shoppers, vibrant Pixar-themed displays as well as retail pop-ups to delight shoppers and enticing rewards. All these varied aspects are curated to delight our community across multiple touchpoints and the multifaceted strategy helps amplify the campaign by creating multiple waves of excitement for our shoppers, bringing fresh new experiences and memorable magical moments for them and their loved ones.
The spread of happiness includes uplifting the lives of the under-privileged in our community too. Shoppers can do their part through the STAR$® for GOOD donation campaign from 17 June to 31 October 2024 by gifting their STAR$® through the CapitaStar app. For every 5,000 STAR$® eDeal redeemed, CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF), the philanthropic arm of CapitaLand Group, will match the contributions dollar-for-dollar, doubling the happiness! These contributions will support Fei Yue Community Services in their efforts to enhance youth mental wellness and facilitate the social integration of youths.
By engaging our shoppers in this meaningful cause, we hope to foster a sense of shared responsibility and community spirit, where every contribution can make a meaningful difference in someone’s life.
As digital innovation in marketing and customer experience continue to evolve, what will be the role of physical experiences? How does CapitaLand envision PR stunts evolving in the future ‘phygital’ world and in the metaverse?
JT: Shoppers constantly seek differentiated experiences and technological advancements have impacted trends like digital engagement. CapitaLand has been actively repositioning our malls and transforming them to lifestyle hubs that extend beyond mere shopping destinations.
The integration of online and offline retail-tainment strategies offers consumers a unified and cohesive customer experience, driving higher shopper engagement and cultivating repeated shopper interactions.
Physical experiences remain crucial in creating deep, memorable connections with our shoppers, and physical events like our first-ever whimsical Balloon Shower was made more unforgettable as it was devised as a surprise spectacle to delight shoppers.
Earlier this year in April, CapitaLand also announced the third iteration of its award-winning CapitaVerse, setting foot on Roblox, the world’s most popular metaverse gaming platform.
CapitaVerse bridged the gap between physical and digital experiences – allowing audiences to participate in gameplay to discover brand stories specially designed to represent each brand partner. This included engaging players in game quests that allow them to collect exclusive virtual wearables and win real-world rewards.
This online experience was also brought offline as part of the teaser prior to the launch of CapitaVerse, where singer Glenn Yong made a surprise appearance and interacted with media and fans with live gameplay demonstrations.
This year’s CapitaVerse, which is available to players until October, also demonstrates our commitment to pushing boundaries and leveraging frontier technology. It not only elevated our engagement with shoppers but also positioned us as a frontrunner in the metaverse, offering endless possibilities for innovative retail-tainment.
By integrating these elements, we ensure that our marketing strategies remain innovative and impactful, all while staying ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving landscape of shopper engagement where both physical activations and digital innovation are celebrated.
