Schuh @ Lovebox; foot for thought!

I was excited for my maiden Lovebox festival with the Brand Activation Council. I felt like a mystery shopper, an old mystery shopper given that fellow festival goers all looked about 12! Although getting asked for ID on entry did soften that particular blow.

Arriving early (told you I felt old) and wandering around Victoria Park and the Schuh presence really did smack you in the face. Their eye catching lime green Lovebox sign (made up of, yes, you guessed it shoes) was really cool. So the queue we joined.

The friendly Schuh t-shirt wearing chap was welcoming but on asking what the twitter handle was and if there was a hashtag he confessed he was ‘just helping a mate’. As three of us piled into the photobooth we were told there would be four clicks so get posing. Silly faces commence and we leave via a dark curtain into an equally dark tent. Hang on two pictures are of the floor, surely a mistake, no wait it’s our shoes. Very clever. Schuh, not us.

There was a display of artsy wellies featuring the likes of Snoop Dogg, Cyprus Hill, Marc Ronson and Jessie Ware designs. However the staff did not know anything about said footwear. Did the artists design them or did Schuh? Are they for sale or being auctioned for charity? And most importantly where was the other boot? Granted I was more inquisitive than the average festival goer but it would have been great to have context as it really was just four random wellies on display. I left curious.

On leaving the tent, I was glued to my phone to live tweet my experience despite having to rather annoyingly search for all the relevant twitter handles and hash tags. I was delighted with not only a speedy reply from Schuh but an actual conversation. Prompting me to share my photo-booth picture was genius and I of course obliged.

Schuh take a bow….

1. Everyone loves a photobooth, especially with a twist

2. Everyone loves a speedy (social media) reply

3. Everyone loves a discount

Schuh take some notes….

1. Take the time to brief the staff, arm them with the basics at least, they are effectively your brand, if only for a few hours or days.

2. You really missed a trick, being so active on social yet having no visibility of how to connect with you, twitter handle, Instagram, hashtag etc

3. Make more of the artists display. I went online post event and found out that Jelly London selected two artists, Hannah and Nic, to design the wellies. Tell their story, it’s interesting.

This was a well-executed and joined up brand experience but it had the potential to do much more.

Right, I’m off to go spend my discount voucher! Thanks Schuh.