The Power and Purpose of Brand Activations in Shopping Malls

Just a few years ago, it looked like the heyday of the American shopping mall was long gone, and the challenges of the Covid era only sealed the fate of indoor shopping centers coast to coast. But “the reality of the American mall landscape is more nuanced than the popular narrative suggests,” says a recent article by CoreSight Research. “While headlines and media coverage have focused on the decline of malls, top-tier malls are actually thriving.”

Bricks-and-mortar shopping, the basis of the shopping mall, has bounced back post-pandemic, with store openings outpacing closures. What does this mean for experiential marketing?

“Mall activations are an ideal way to generate brand awareness for our clients and to introduce new products/services to consumers,” says RealPromotions, a marketing agency based in South Africa. Mall customers, the agency says, arrive prepared to spend money and time.

Engineered Arts, a custom fabrications company, says that consumers appreciate the mall environment, creating a unique opportunity for brands. “In today’s environment, where customers are bombarded with marketing messages from all angles, it is more important than ever for brands to find innovative ways to cut through the noise and connect with their target market. Mall activations provide a unique opportunity to do just that.”

What Is a Mall Activation?

A mall activation is an event or experience staged within an indoor or outdoor shopping mall to engage with consumers. In a mall activation or pop-up shop, the brand “leverages a mall environment to experientially engage people with popups, events, PR stunts, and activities to achieve marketing goals.”

Like any other brand activation, a mall activation gives brands opportunities to increase brand awareness, drive sales, generate leads, connect with consumers, and create a positive brand image. Mall activations open up new ways to communicate with individual consumers, helping brands nurture relationships, increasing their visibility and memorability, says a post on peekage.com. “This approach is especially effective for retail activation ideas and mall activation ideas where in-person interaction is key.”

Staging an activation or pop-up in a shopping mall has several advantages, one of the most obvious being weather: “Malls are where you reach people when it’s too hot or cold outside.”

Location, too, is often a major advantage: malls are located in suburban areas, giving brands access to upscale consumers who are in “brand discovery mode” — an attitude of receptiveness to purchase and openness to novel experiences — and who show up with disposable income and a readiness to spend.

There are less obvious but strong advantages malls have over city streets and other public spaces: an easier permitting/licensing ecosystem, built-in security, and access to the detailed demographic information malls often maintain on their customers. Malls also have a higher density of shoppers, particularly during holidays, than nearly any other location. “In the suburbs, malls are among the few places to reach thousands of people in a single day.”

Success Tips: Mall Activation Case Studies

Nikon’s Vintage Pop-Up Diner

Success tip: Leverage nostalgia for all-ages appeal

When Nikon wanted to promote its retro-styled Nikon Zfc Camera, the brand created Nikon’s Vintage Pop-Up Diner, an activation in Toronto’s Yorkdale Mall. Inspired by the design of classic Nikon models, the activation featured a retro diner theme, complete with a photo booth and incentives to create their own Nikon-centered content. “Guests [were] encouraged to take selfies and share their experiences on social media for a chance to win a retro-styled ‘Nikon Zfc Camera’,” says a TrendHunter article. Though inspired by classic Nikons, the Zfc includes modern features like 4K video capability and a flip-out vlogger screen.

As the article notes, a pop-up based on Nikon’s vintage cameras is on-trend. “There is a growing interest in nostalgic goods, allowing consumers to connect with the past while enjoying contemporary technology.”

Dr. Martens’ Made Strong Campaign

Success tip: Lean into color for a transformative effect

Unlike traditional malls, LA’s The Grove shopping center features a dedicated space specifically designed to host activations. The Grove boasts some of the highest foot traffic numbers in the city, and its “Glass Box” space, designed specifically for pop-ups and activations, gives brands ample room to create eye-catching experiences. For its October 2023 activation, British shoe brand Dr. Martens showcased an exclusive collection found only at Nordstrom with an art installation of 14,000 shoelaces hanging from the ceiling. Throughout, the vibrantly colorful activation featured numerous photo ops for attendees. Said one of the activation’s creators, “You want to create disruption in a space where neutral tones are most predominant. We always approach with an intent of transformation as we are frequently limited by space and shape — so pushing the envelope in our design is always a priority.”

Tetley’s Live Teas Pop-Up

Success tip: Offer multisensory appeal

For a pop-up activation in Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens, beverage brand Tetley created a colorful, immersive activation that offered shoppers a “wellness pit stop” spanning three interactive galleries. The multisensory, color-saturated galleries represented the emotions of three of the brand’s newest teas — calm, cool, and bold — through the use of shades of a single color, person-sized teacups, and words of affirmation painted on the walls. “Traditionally, tea is a ritual; it allows you to take a moment to breathe,” explains Tetley’s brand manager. “People in the middle of this chaotic shopping mall were actually able to relax and disconnect and fully immerse themselves in the activation.”

Stranger Things: The Store

Success tip: Offer exclusive merch

Netflix’s megahit horror show Stranger Things was the inspiration for a Halloween pop-up that allowed fans to immerse themselves in the show’s world. Appearing in six U.S. cities, the 5,000-square-foot installation took guests on a tour featuring Joyce’s House, complete with the iconic living room sofa; Starcourt Mall; the Palace Arcade; and Instagram-ready photo ops like a Demogorgon, the iconic monster from the show’s Upside Down alternate dimension. The tour ended in a Stranger Things merch store that featured “capsules” from some of the show’s iconic scenes, retro candy, reusable totes in lieu of shopping bags, and customizable apparel.

“We find that one great way to really engage with our fans is to have unique offerings you can’t get anywhere else,” said a Netflix exec. “This is yet another interactive component that gives our guests the opportunity to take home custom merchandise that is personal to them.”

Promobile Marketing is a dynamic experiential marketing agency based in New York City. For over a decade, Promobile Marketing has collaborated with a range of brands—from budding startups to major CPG brands—on immersive marketing campaigns. Get in touch to discuss your next project.