Today’s consumer judges your brand by more than what you sell. Customers, partners, vendors, and employees want to know how companies operate – and who they choose to work with. The values shown behind the scenes now matter as much as the product itself. In fact, research from 2025 shows that more than 80% of U.S. consumers are more likely to recommend brands based on shared values than on product quality or price alone.
And while pop-ups are particularly powerful for retailers, they’re proving effective across sectors, from tech to hospitality, healthcare to entertainment. When executed well, a pop-up delivers something digital marketing can’t: a real-world, real-time connection that people remember.
According to G2, global spending on experiential marketing hit a record high of about $128 billion in 2024. And the trend is only accelerating. Here are some reasons why:
9 out of 10 marketers believe that brand experiences are essential to business success.
77% rank experiential events as more effective than digital ads, email campaigns, or content marketing.
Brands that leverage experiential marketing, like pop-up events, generate 3 times the word-of-mouth awareness of those that don’t.
For retailers, the numbers are even more compelling:
The pop-up retail market was projected to exceed $95 billion by the end of 2025, according to Capital One.
80% of retailers who’ve launched a pop-up call it a success.
58% plan to launch another pop-up.
Nearly half (44%) opened their first pop-up for under $5,000.
The average pop-up lasts 3 to 14 days. Yet, in this short window of time with the right idea and design, it becomes a billboard, a product trial, a photo opportunity, and a brand moment all in one.
Think of pop-ups as the flash mobs of modern marketing. They’re temporary, immersive, and designed to surprise and delight. They can last a few hours or a few weeks, and they’re often held in unexpected places, like a city sidewalk, a beach, an event, a museum, or even a laundromat.
The goal is to stop people in their tracks. To interrupt the scroll and the routine. To create something worth talking about. And to engage in a way that can’t be replicated anywhere else, online or in-person.
For marketers and event teams, pop-ups are the ultimate creative playground. They offer a fast, flexible way to:
Test or launch new products or markets
Generate buzz and earned media
Build customer engagement and loyalty
Create memorable, highly shareable content
Reinforce brand values and identity
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Pop-ups are one of many brand activation strategies. Read our guide to planning a successful brand activation here. Check out our sports activation insights here. |
Pop-ups create what digital marketing can’t: sensory engagement and emotional connection.
Here’s why more brands are investing in bold, temporary activations like pop-ups:
They’re inherently memorable. People remember how your brand made them feel in a moment of engagement.
They’re highly shareable. 96% of millennials who engage with a brand take pictures or videos and share them online. A single viral moment can generate thousands of impressions on Instagram or TikTok.
They deliver strong ROI. You’ll have lower overhead compared to a permanent location and higher brand visibility.
They generate press and earned media. Reporters love a good visual and a compelling story.
They fulfill the post-pandemic need for real connection. Customers want to interact IRL (in real life) again.
And the results speak for themselves:
91% of consumers say experiential marketing, like pop-ups, makes them feel more positively about a brand.
85% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand after attending a live event.
After an in-person experiential event, 75% of participants felt more connected to a brand.
40% of customers think that experiential marketing makes them feel more loyalty to a brand.
You can trace the success of pop-ups to behavioral science. We are hard-wired to love and remember immersive experiences that engage our senses.
When have you ever witnessed a silentdisco in a downtown park? Or an art lounge on a beach? Or an old-fashionedpickup truck selling skin care products at a farmer's market? That cognitivejolt of surprise and delight breaks people out of autopilot and commandsattention.
Like impactful experiences, we tend toremember physical spaces through strong emotions. Great pop-up design, throughlighting, layout, sound, color, and scent, creates an even more lastingimpression that will people remember and talk about long after the event ends.
Today's consumers don't just attend, theydocument. Pop-ups featuring exclusive gifts and branded merchandise, VIPmoments, and photo opportunities prompt customers to share with the world whothey are and what they're up to. Give them something worth sharing, and they'lltell your story for you.
At the Westin New York Times Square, surprised fans posed for photos with French soccer legend Thierry Henry, scored tournament tickets, and experienced an immersive soccer goal photo opp draped with team scarves. The event also teased future activations, including a stadium Suite of Dreams stay. See more details here.
Hollywood Boulevard transformed into a glow-in-the-dark forest complete with the film's signature VW bug, dueling DJ booths, custom lighting wristbands, and interactive movie art. Photo ops offered attendees the chance to interact with some of the film's set pieces and costumes. They truly felt like they were in the movie, not just watching it. See more insights here.
To launch Uni’s sustainable product line at Ulta in Los Angeles, Phase 3 created an immersive beachfront pop-up. The activation included custom sand sculptures, branded beachwear and accessories, striped umbrellas, and ocean-inspired textures that reflected the brand’s ethos.
To debut the Renew & Replenish Clarifying Duo, Phase 3's fabrication team built life-size shampoo and conditioner bottles for a VIP event at Le Sol House in Dallas. The oversized installations served as both photo opportunities and storytelling devices, designed to amplify the brand's promise to reset and refresh.
Criollas Baked Empanadas activated all five senses at their Lincoln Center pop-up, transforming a high-traffic NYC destination into a bold brand moment. As guests gathered around the outdoor kitchen at The Green, Phase 3 delivered eye-catching branded materials designed to amplify visibility, complement the culinary experience, and create a lasting impression. The result was a vibrant, flavor-forward activation that matched Criollas’ energy while drawing attention in one of the city’s most iconic public spaces.
Phase 3 partnered with Shake Shack to ideate and execute high-impact pop-up activations across the Southeast, beginning with a VIP launch in Atlanta and continuing with an exclusive sneak-peek pop-up at Lenny Boy Brewing Company in Charlotte. For the Charlotte event, Phase 3 fabricated a custom Shake Shack installation inside the brewery, transforming the space into an immersive brand experience. Supported by strategic PR and influencer collaborations, the pop-ups demonstrated Phase 3’s ability to bring iconic brands to life through thoughtful design, precise fabrication, and seamless execution.
When done right, a pop-up is more than atemporary event. It's a fresh and spontaneous brand moment that lives foreverin photos, online conversations, and customer loyalty. The magic doesn't comefrom its fleeting nature; it comes from being immersive and unforgettable.Pop-ups are a way to own a moment with strategic intent and innovative design.
At Phase 3, we partner with clients todesign, produce, and execute pop-up experiences that drive buzz and business.Whether it’s a product launch, brand awareness activation, or market test, weturn ideas into immersive environments that people talk about and share.
Let’s build something bold. Contact us to start planning your next pop-up.