PopUp Republic, which provides an online directory and social media promotional services to pop-up merchants, feels this is another integral marketing tool for the pop-up host. According to PopUp Republic, the ticketing service will go far in enabling pop-ups, especially pop-up restaurants and one-off events, to compete with established altermatives.
“Pop-ups hold certain advantages over permanent restaurants and stores, which can go stale or be prone to resting on their laurels. Pop-ups imply fresh, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities,”
PopUp Republic’s ticketing system is imported to its listings pages from Eventbrite, the third-party ticketing service. By parking the system within the listings themselves, merchants can promote their events, sell tickets, and take online payments at the same time and place, without having to handle everything by phone or email, set up separate online ticketing accounts or establish separate payment processing facilities.
According to Baras, this is a great addition for pop-up merchants. “If anything, pop-ups need MORE marketing tools than the permanent businesses, not fewer. They need to make it easy for the public to find their exciting, trendy but short-term shops, and then to seize the moment and purchase tickets while they are still available. This service helps them to accomplish that.”
PopUp Republic lists pop-up events taking place in all 50 states and Washington, DC, giving merchants the opportunity to post images, menus, and full descriptions of their events. PopUp Republic also provides supplemental support via social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and online media announcements and through a variety of contests and interactive events. The company says it has plans to introduce other marketing services to pop-ups in the coming months.
