Lush Creative Showcase Immersive Events And Interactive Product Demonstrations

Introduction

Lush has established itself as a distinctive brand in the cosmetics industry through innovative approaches to customer engagement and experiential marketing. The company's Creative Showcase represents a significant aspect of how Lush connects with consumers, offering immersive experiences that extend beyond traditional retail environments. This article examines Lush's strategies for product demonstrations, digital innovations, and promotional events that provide consumers with opportunities to experience products firsthand.

Lush Creative Showcase: Overview and Purpose

The Lush Creative Showcase is described as "a kaleidoscope of imagination, invention and innovation, with four spheres of creativity spanning music, product, film and technology." This event serves as a platform for employees and fans from around the world to celebrate all things Lush. Initially an internal affair, the Creative Showcase was opened to the public for the first time the previous year to capitalize on the significant hype surrounding Lush's new product range launches.

The event takes place in a large event space, featuring themed installations, stages, and pop-up stalls. The design detail of these installations is particularly impressive, creating an immersive experience that has been compared to "Disney-land for Lush fans." This immersive approach allows Lush to deliver a hands-on consumer experience that aligns with the preferences of the brand's younger shoppers who are said to crave such interactive encounters.

The Creative Showcase has evolved beyond being merely a product launch event; it now represents an opportunity for Lush to better connect with fans and transform from just a retail brand into a source of entertainment. The entire event is filmed and live-streamed on social media channels, extending its reach beyond those who can attend in person and creating digital content that can be repurposed across the brand's marketing platforms.

Interactive Product Demonstrations

A key feature of Lush's in-store and event experience is the emphasis on product demonstrations, with staff demonstrating enthusiasm for testing products on shoppers. During the Creative Showcase, these demonstrations were significantly enhanced, allowing visitors to learn how new ranges are made, their ingredients, and their functions in a much more immersive fashion.

The event featured several distinctive demonstration setups designed to highlight specific products in engaging ways:

• A wobbly stage to showcase the similarly wobbly shower jelly
• A giant sink to demonstrate the new bubble spinners
• Literal showers where people could try the new naked shower gel (with the clarification that "the people were not naked")

These interactive elements create memorable experiences for consumers while effectively communicating product features and benefits. The hands-on approach allows potential customers to experience products in a way that traditional retail displays cannot match, potentially increasing the likelihood of purchase.

The Creative Showcase also featured people sliding into foam baths and girls dressed as bath bombs, indicating that the events incorporate theatrical elements that align with Lush's playful brand identity. Even notable figures like Queen guitarist Brian May have participated, discussing topics such as animal rights, which reflects Lush's commitment to its brand values.

Digital Innovations

Lush consistently demonstrates its commitment to innovation through technology, using the Creative Showcase as a platform to unveil new digital features designed to enhance the customer experience and streamline operations. Two particularly interesting innovations featured at the event were:

1. Lush Lens: A visual search tool similar to Pinterest Lens or ASOS's implementation. This tool allows consumers to instantly access information and content about products simply from a photo, with or without packaging. The visual search capability represents an advancement in how customers can discover product details and related content.

2. Lush Concierge: A virtual assistant that enables users to ask questions by voice rather than conducting manual searches. This feature can be used to check whether a product is in stock at a particular store or to locate the nearest Lush location. Both the Lush Lens and Lush Concierge are designed to eventually be integrated into the Lush app, suggesting a continued focus on digital customer experiences.

These digital innovations align with Lush's broader strategy of reinvention and adaptation to changing consumer behaviors. By developing tools that simplify product discovery and store-related inquiries, Lush aims to enhance convenience for customers while potentially streamlining certain aspects of store operations.

Product Strategy and Innovation

Lush has demonstrated a willingness to evolve its product portfolio, as evidenced by the announcement that it would discontinue 45 of its iconic products, some of which had been part of the brand since its inception. This strategic decision was made to create space for new and more creative inventions, reflecting Lush's commitment to innovation and keeping shoppers interested and excited.

The Creative Showcase highlighted how designers are experimenting with 3D printers to create product moulds, illustrating the brand's embrace of advanced manufacturing techniques. This technological experimentation complements Lush's product development process, potentially enabling more rapid prototyping and innovative product forms.

Additionally, Lush announced plans to launch a subscription service in the UK, designed to deliver products to shoppers every one, three, or six months. This subscription model represents another evolution in how consumers can access Lush products, offering convenience and potentially creating more predictable revenue streams for the brand.

While Lush emphasizes innovation and reinvention, the brand does not overlook the cult status of certain products. This balanced approach allows Lush to maintain its core appeal while continually introducing new elements that generate excitement and engagement among its customer base.

Seasonal Product Lines

Lush has successfully cultivated anticipation around its seasonal product offerings, particularly its Christmas and Halloween ranges. These limited-time collections generate significant consumer interest and inform the brand's social and digital activities in the lead-up to these holidays. The eager anticipation that surrounds these seasonal releases suggests that Lush has effectively positioned them as special events rather than merely product launches.

The popularity of these seasonal lines indicates that consumers view Lush not just as a source of everyday cosmetics but as a brand that delivers unique experiences and products tied to specific times of year. This seasonal strategy contributes to maintaining consumer engagement throughout the year rather than being dependent on constant product innovation.

Trade Show Presence

While not directly related to consumer free samples, Lush's approach to trade shows provides insight into the brand's broader marketing strategies. The company has developed expertise in creating effective trade show displays that attract visitors and communicate brand values.

Recommended practices for Lush's trade show presence include using large shipping cases with wheels for easy transport and setup. Security is also emphasized, with suggestions to use black shrink wrap to cover valuables and giveaways to prevent theft during transit and at the event. This attention to detail reflects Lush's comprehensive approach to brand presentation across all contexts.

Following up on leads after trade shows is identified as a critical step, with statistics indicating that 75-80% of trade show leads are never followed up. This suggests that Lush recognizes the importance of maximizing the return on investment from its marketing activities by systematically pursuing potential business opportunities.

The brand also utilizes digital communication strategies in its trade show efforts, such as sending video emails to attendees the night before an event to share booth numbers and tease giveaways and prizes. This approach helps build excitement and ensures that potential visitors can easily locate the Lush display.

Conclusion

Lush has developed a distinctive approach to customer engagement that extends beyond traditional retail experiences. The Creative Showcase represents a prime example of how the brand creates immersive events that combine product demonstrations, entertainment, and brand values. Through interactive elements like product testing stations, theatrical displays, and digital innovations, Lush provides consumers with memorable experiences that deepen their connection to the brand.

The brand's commitment to innovation is evident in both its product development strategies and its adoption of digital tools like the Lush Lens and Lush Concierge. By continually evolving its product offerings and embracing new technologies, Lush maintains consumer interest while staying true to its core values.

While the provided source material does not offer specific details about Lush's standard free sample programs or mail-in sample offers, the Creative Showcase and other events demonstrate that the brand prioritizes hands-on product experiences as a key component of its marketing approach. This strategy allows consumers to experience products directly before purchase, potentially serving as an alternative to traditional sample distribution.

Sources

1. How Lush Delights Customers with Brand Marketing, Strong Values and Digital Innovation
2. Digital Scrapbook Kit Lush by Anna Aspnes
3. 32 Trade Show Tips to Attract More Visitors