This week’s thought came after a ½ hour experience at the President’s Choice Insider Boutique in downtown Toronto (if you haven’t checked it out, it’s open until December 19). I have to say this is one of the coolest pop-ups I have ever experienced. Through a series of sampling opportunities, you get to taste new products in the PC Insiders line and learn how you can put a twist on the way you create your brunch, mingle, and dining experience (my personal favourite is the maple bacon waffle topped with Speculoos cookie butter). I was so impressed with the boutique – the welcoming hostesses, the knowledgeable chefs, the beautiful décor, and of course, the delicious food we sampled! That’s where most people would stop and acknowledge how exciting the experience was, but my wandering mind went to statistics!
When we left with a full stomach, some inspiration
for hosting holiday get togethers, and a little gift (I won’t spoil it
for you), what surprised me at the end of the experience was the fact
that I wasn’t asked for my email or received a coupon to redeem one of
the many products we sampled in store. How can this be (says the
analytical marketer in me)?While the consumer in me loved the idea that PC didn’t want my information (let’s face it, we share our personal information with way too many brands), I didn’t understand how they would be able to attribute sales from this line to the boutique campaign. I was expecting one of two tactics to occur:
- The brand ambassadors would collect our emails while we waited in line so they can follow up with us after the fact and share recipes, locate our nearest Loblaws store, view offers in a flyer or encourage us to share our experience with friends on social media.
- The brand ambassadors would provide an opportunity to purchase any of these products on the spot since there was a nice display of all featured products – or be provided with in store with a trackable coupon code.
