• by Tanya Gazdik , April 5, 2017

Online retailer Zappos is engaging with consumers nationwide in a summer-long experiential marketing retail activation.

The Zappos "Friends with Benefits Road Show" hits the road in late March with the first stop in Nashville after a test run in Austin, Texas, in January. Next up is Madison, Wisc., followed by Portland, Ore., with other cities to be determined. 

Previous marketing by the brand has consisted of Zappos-owned events and title sponsorships that always have some sort of experiential nature, says Zappos Senior Brand Marketing Manager Kristin Richmer.

“The Zappos 'Friends with Benefits Roadshow' was an opportunity to bring our main brand pillars of culture, customer service, retail, charity and community to our customers as a way of thanking them for everything they do,” Richmer tells Marketing Daily.

Zappos has worked for about two years with experiential agency GranDesign, which previously created the Zappos Porta-Party. That activation was showcased at the Super Bowl and several big concerts and took port-a-potties to an “extreme next level,” says Kelsey McCormick, director, West Coast experiential at GranDesign, San Diego.

The success of Porta-Party led Zappos to invite GranDesign to create, design, build and execute a series of mobile stores for the online footwear retailer.

The Roadshow activities include sponsored pet adoptions, free local food and beer, multiple live bands and a Zappos retail experience where people can see, try on and buy clothes and shoes onsite and talk to Zappos employees. The “backyard experience” includes lounge chairs, fire pits and backyard games. The Nashville stop included a surprise concert by Wynonna Judd.

The display includes a kinetic wall on one of the outside sides, which moves when consumers walk by it. Inside, consumers can interact with digital touch screens and learn more about the Zappos reward program, view the Web site, take a Snapchat selfie and draw on a virtual chalkboard.

Also included is a virtual high-five machine, where event attendees can give a virtual high-five to a Zappos employee who is live streaming from the company’s  corporate office in Las Vegas.

Customers can find out about the Zappos “Friends with Benefits Roadshow” by going to www.zappos.com/roadshow as well as following via Zappos social media channels.