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The display, which features two models and is located at the entrance of the UK center’s Premium Village shopping area, was meant to look like a contemporary high-tech boutique. Green Room, a retail design and delivery practice, created and produced the installation, integrating digital technology to deliver customer support.

There are column-mounted iPads that feature an app that Green Room developed and which enables shoppers to draw content from the Citroën DS website, based on their individual needs. People visiting the pop-up also have the option to snap the QR codes displayed on plinths next to each car to conduct more in-depth product research on their smartphones. A QR code found by one car’s fuel filler cap links to details on that model’s fuel efficiency, while one placed by the wheels links to a Web page on customization options for the DS line.

The pop-up brings forth another innovation: the absence of storefront signage. Nowhere is the Citroën name to be found. Only subtle DS logos are visible, reinforcing the pull-versus-push marketing approach. And yet another “soft touch” is the lounge that Citroën offers, just in case some shoppers wish to sit down with DS representative in a quiet, non-public area.

“The installation delivered is the antithesis of how cars are normally showcased in shopping centers. We’ve done away altogether with the brash price-led decals and features dominated POS, and instead created a high-quality bespoke space reminiscent of the boutiques found inside The Village. This is an engaging and aspirational space for consumers to absorb and appreciate the DS brand in their own time, in their own way,” explained Green Room chief executive Richard Ash.

“Aside from the success of the design itself, we have also implemented working practices and measurement tools that have and will continue to influence the commercial success of the project. Through our single team approach and the smart use of measurement tools, we’ve made it possible for Citroën to integrate off and online channels with ease and measure the value of their investment both at and beyond the point of contact.”

Some of these tools involve profiling technology that uses facial recognition software to segment visitors, note traffic patterns and dwell time.

Across the pond in California, The Shops at Dos Lagos is also trying something new. The center and local dealership Corona Nissan are collaborating on a year-long program that will not only involve vehicle displays to be rotated monthly, but also free co-hosted community activities. Among the highlights planned for 2012 is a Teen Safe Driving event.

Our Advice: Don’t leave the data mining entirely up to the car dealership. Make that part of your partnership agreement so that you too can gain valuable insight on your shoppers’ demographic profiles, consumption habits, interests and concerns. And, if you’re going to have QR code capability, add a code that links shoppers to a limited-time offer, like a $10 center gift card for anyone who signs up for a test drive or to sit down with one of the dealership’s sales representatives.

Barneys has transformed the entire fifth floor at its Madison Avenue flagship store into Gaga’s Workshop, the star’s interpretation of Santa’s Workshop. So you won’t find any elves or reindeer, but plenty of visual stimulation with contemporary designs that reflect Lady Gaga’s unconventional style.

The workshop houses the “12 Days of Gaga” limited-time merchandise lineup, with one new product launched daily, and a branded collection comprising apparel, toys, cosmetics, accessories, treats, jewelry and media. These items can be purchased on-site or online at GagaWorkshop.com.

With a social media twist on word-of-mouth promotion, Barneys indicates on its micro-site how many Facebook likes and Twitter tweets each product has received, and there’s also a button for shoppers to forward the Web link to their own Facebook friends in order to spread the word and some holiday cheer. Barneys has promised to donate 25 percent of sales from Gaga’s Workshop to the Born This Way Foundation, which Lady Gaga recently formed to promote youth empowerment and equality by building awareness of issues such as self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring and career development, putting the emphasis on digital communication to engender positive societalchange.

Making the Gaga experience even more interactive, Barneys has hidden promotional codes on its websites and throughout New York City for customers to uncover. Anyone who finds a code can enter it online on the GagaWorkshop.com micro-site to see if they’ve won a holiday gift.

The flagship store also boasts an eye-catching 12’x6.5’ digital window display with which shoppers can interact to tweet their Christmas wishes to Lady Gaga using the #gagastars hashtag. The Science Project developed this social media-backed “Gaga Constellation” laser phosphor installation together with Moving Image & Content, making it possible for some of these wishes to be selected at random and posted on Twitter before appearing on the window display. That’s following a computer-generated fashion film that opens the experience and in which Lady Gaga’s cyber alter ego forms out of stars and particles right before shoppers’ eyes before dissipating in a burst of white unicorns—yes, very Gaga.

This out-of-this-world holiday program will end on January 2.

THE TECH TEAM

• “Gaga Constellation” computer-generated film: Tim Richardson (director), Nicola Formichetti (creative director), Q4 The Digital (agency), A White Label Product (production), The Mill LA (post production)

• Window installation: The Science Project and Moving Image & Content

• Window supplier: Prysm

THE TRENDZ TWIST

Combining visual merchandising, online marketing and sales promotions is surely a strategy to include in your plans for 2012. Here are a few ideas:

• Support F&B sales with an interactive window that presents your eateries with a combination of static images and QR codes. These codes would act as links to each eatery’s menu and daily deal. Shoppers who “like” the shopping center on Facebook could then access a promotional micro-site with the downloadable meal coupons. If you’ve got the budget to fund a more elaborate plan, why not run short films on your restaurants and cafés on that window display? It could be a powerful way to connect with shoppers and draw them in. Run food court promotional films at lunchtime, and reserve the restaurant videos for the evening.

• Allow your charity partners to take hold of empty windows and use them for awareness building and fundraising purposes. Social media tie-ins and other mobile tools could help encourage donations. The windows would also function as delivery platforms for your center’s own CSR initiatives (e.g. safety videos, green amenities presentations and youth programs).

• Use interactive windows instead of static signage to run promotional or pure-play treasure hunts during major holidays and celebrations. This could work well for Back to School.

• Look for partners for all these projects. Otherwise, you might be stuck with a hefty bill. If professional agencies aren’t cooperating, try the colleges and universities in your area. They might be willing to develop a collaborative project to give their students some real-world experience and help them build their portfolios.

Located just past the mall entrance, by popular discounter Winners in the corridor near the public washrooms, the station is where shoppers, center staff and retail employees can stop to refill their own reusable bottles whenever they feel thirsty, instead of purchasing bottled water. Those who don’t have a bottle, or have simply forgotten to bring it along, can always use one of the compostable cups provided.

Similar to home installations, Conestoga Mall’s hydration station processes tap water using a Brita system that sends it through an NSF-certified filter that removes sediment, chlorinetaste and odor.

According to operations manager Craig Walsh, the mall has gone through approximately 18,000 cups since launching its program in June.

“The majority of the customers use the compostable cups,” he noted. “However, we have seen an increase in the [number of] tenants using their own bottles.”

Walsh also said plans to add a second hydration station were already in the works.

MEDIA MIX

• On-site: large exterior pylon sign
• Digital Out of Home: Pattison Onestop Media network
• Web: ConestgaMall.com and BlueW.org (a site where consumers can locate free municipal tap water refill stations in Canada)

“With a lot of media coverage at present about online shopping, we felt it was important to promote the tangible benefits of shopping local. There is a perception out there that you always get a ‘deal’ online, but taking dollars away from your local community may impact you greater,” explained marketing manager Julie Elliott.

“In addition, shopping online does not guarantee [that] you will get the product you are after. You can’t see it, feel it or try it on. Add to this the unknown factor of if you will actually get the right item or size from unknown sellers and unconfirmed delivery dates, [and] it really becomes a risky purchase decision. We hope that the Live Local Love Local campaign raises awareness of the fact that if you shop local, you are keeping local people in local jobs and allowing many community initiatives to continue to be funded, simply by spending at any of our stores.”

The argument, of course, it tough to dismiss unless you’re in a community whose fortunes depend on a sizeable group of retailers operating solely online. There’s also no question that CGSC is using the campaign to keep its own tenants thriving—consumers have clearly moved past the issue of the touch it/feel it experience and embraced online shopping en masse. These caveats aside, however, CGSC’s connection to the local scene seems to be the real deal.

The center has a number of outreach initiatives, including monthly $30 Student Encouragement Awards for local schools, funding for the Hands on Wetlands program at Yangebup Lake, a Cockburn Charity Christmas Tree drop-off point for donations to local families in need, a welcome pack that’s handed to all new City of Cockburn residents and the Cockburn Community Chest, which provides quarterly donations to local community groups.

While any center would hope for its local community to buy into a campaign that promotes its best interests, CGSC is still rewarding shoppers for their active support.

For the entire month of November, shoppers could pick up free Live Local Love Local wristbands and bumper stickers at the customer service desk. If they were spotted around town with them, they’d get a chance to win one of six $50 weekly prizes or the $1,000 grand prize.

While the ultimate goal is to keep local physical stores busy, that doesn’t mean CGSC marketers are stuck in the promotional Stone Age. They too understand the power of the Web and grasp the importance of social media. That’s why they’ve included the center website, a downloadable Live Local Love Local + Shop Local catalog, a link to Twitter, a Google +1 button and Facebook in their campaign media roster.

The Facebook fan page, for one, has already earned 3781 “likes,” a sign that the center’s “You’re not simply shopping, you’re helping to create a better community” claim is resonating with shoppers. CGSC retailers must be loving it.

Not yet a subscriber? You can take a look at a sample the newest issue of Trendz here. If you like what you see, subscribe for full access.

Click the image below to read in full screen. Click the magazine in the reader to zoom in, and press escape to return. You can also use your arrow keys to navigate.

Click the image below to read this issue of Marketing Trendz in full screen. Click the magazine in the reader to zoom in, and press escape to return. You can also use your arrow keys to navigate.

How’s this for a pop-up concept? Fifteen vintage retailers, a month-long operation, a 32-percent boost in traffic and retail sales increasing by 15 to 30 percent; that’s what a partnership with Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair did for Leeds Corn Exchange last fall.

Following a refurbishment in 2008, the UK center had been struggling to sign up tenantsagain. In fact, by mid-2010, the property’s entire first floor was empty, leaving local shoppers to think that the center had either closed completely or was just a food emporium.

The center’s marketers approached Judy Berger, a rising retail “star” whose vintage shopping event had grown to 30 UK cities and six major festivals in just a few years, and their idea was to turn that empty floor at Leeds Corn Exchange into a giant vintage pop-up store for the whole month of November. So that’s what they did, taking six weeks to outfit the shops with basic electrical hook-ups and temporary signage.

From November 4th through 28, the ghost town turned into a compelling destination hosting an event not to be missed for shoppers looking for vintage fashions, re-worked and handmade clothes and jewelry, local designer showcases, crafts, home wares and a few novelties.

For the launch, Leeds Corn Exchange had musicians perform, held vintage hairdressing sessions and tied in additional highlights, such as the Marvelous Tea Dance Company.There was a promotional push through the local press and Facebook, as well as regular leafleters roaming the city center.

Even as momentum built, the marketing team continued to sustain local interest with its regular fan page postings (the number of fans increased by 261), weekly leafleting and more events, like the Reetsweet Craft Fair.

By the end of the four weeks, there was no more doubt that Leeds Corn Exchange was indeed open for business.

The register is just one of several services that Castle Towers is offering this prom season (remember, it’s spring over there). The center developed a dedicated website at FormalFever.com.au, where students can get styling tips and find retail offers. Updates are posted on Facebook and there’s also a 16-page Formal Fever Guide 2011, which caters mostly to gals but has some advice and looks for the guys too. Another high point of the Formal Fever campaign was a competition in which four high-school students won a complete makeover with fashions from center stores, hair styling at Royals Hair & Beauty and makeup at Myer, courtesy of M.A.C Cosmetics.

The Trendz Twist

If you want to have a little fun, run your own prom competition together with local schools. Invite the schools to sign up for your formal registry, then get candidates to come down to the center to peruse the shops and find their perfect outfit. Next, the candidates take a picture of themselves with their new look and post it on your center’s Facebook page for voting. The winner gets the full value of the purchase back in center gift cards and a prom-day pampering session, while the two runner-ups win smaller amounts in gift cards.

Take a cue from Castle Towers and extend your competition online with a micro-site where candidates can post videos of their shopping day, share styling tips and ask-a-date-to-the-promadvice with each other, and later record their best prom memories.