How To Be Creative In A Low Footfall World

What’s the footfall?  

How many opportunities to see will there be? 

How many deep engagements will we have? 

Is there a bigger footprint available? 

Numbers. Numbers. Numbers. 

They are a mainstay of the conversations between experiential agencies and our clients. A quick caveat that this depends on the strategy and the communication goal of course but most of the time this is what we are asked.  

The answers are very easy if you ask us today… 

As we enter recovery (and we will) we will be preparing creative for the new normal. The issue is we don’t know what it will be. A bit like those year ahead pieces in marketing magazines in January we are just making educated guesses right now. We will need to be nimble when we do get there. That will be crucial. 

Will shopping malls be rammed again? 

Will bars be packed? 

Will festivals be thronged? 

Will there be a shift towards even more remarkable experiences with the focus on singular engagement rather than numbers? 

This has long been the approach of luxury brands so let’s take a peek at this hypothetical world where social distancing stays in vogue and who knows even makes the cover of Vogue. High fashion lives in a world where unobtainable is key. The unique experiences regularly in amazing places are amplified through social media. 

Take Prada Marfa as an example. It’s literally in the middle of nowhere. Some impact though. Especially when you get Beyonce snapping herself on Insta outside the installation. 

The new normal of extreme examples of low footfall experiences in all kinds of incredible locations would be very cool. We’ve already talked about the North Face store on a mountain side.

The initial footfall is low but the amplification opportunities are endless. It’s a chance for us to look beyond the footfall metrics and create experiences that genuinely deliver direct and indirect reach.

Low production costs can then mean quicker sign offs so the content can become incredibly creative. What would you do in this space if you could?

- JD