IBM is a global brand with cutting edge technology and consulting services in cloud, AI, security, systems and more. As their experiential marketing agency for over 20 years, GPJ has a long history of working with IBM to communicate their brand value and help them achieve return on investment though face to face and digital experiences.

In 2019, we were working together on a mobile pop-up that would travel to strategic locations throughout the DACH region, strengthening IBM brand awareness and solutions.

The two-story Pop-up was designed with multiple flexible spaces for events, meetings, and co-creation workshops with clients and prospects.

Due to COVID, the roadshow was canceled and the Pop-up never left the warehouse in 2020.

As innovative partners, we didn’t let the pandemic derail our creativity. Together with IBM, we created a digital solution to bring the Pop-up to life. The result? The Think Virtual Pop-up: a digital rebuild of the physical version, with a 3D environment offering everything the physical space did, and more.

This “always on” solution kept the attendee experience in mind, with interactive showcases, partner areas, breakout options and on demand content that were enhanced by chat functionality, and supported by the highest levels of data privacy.

Once it became safe to meet in person again, the physical pop up re-emerged, with new hybrid capabilities, allowing IBM to reach their partners and customers in person and around the globe.

The IBM Think Pop-up created a flexible set of assets, with the opportunity to deliver physical, digital and hybrid options to customers, technology decision makers and partners from varying verticals, showcasing IBM as the relevant partner for digital transformation. Our teams showed their agility, reacting in realtime to program their own virtual platform and transform the campaign. These assets will be a key platform for high quality content and connection in the near future, utilized for IBM DACH’s marketing and business strategy, ultimately helping IBM reach their business goals.

In September 2021, the physical Think Pop-up made its debut at IAA Mobility in Munich, positioned prominently with high visibility for partners and clients. The ground floor delivered mobility solutions and interactive showcases as well as IBM capabilities, while the upper floor was used for over 50 special IBM events for specific audiences. This was a truly hybrid event, as the physical events were streamed into the Think Virtual Pop-up.

International attendees also benefited from time zone flexibility that was built in with them in mind.

After Munich, the Pop-up traveled to IBM Headquarters near Stuttgart, where it hosted multiple events, internal and external activities through the end of 2021.

The unique Think Pop-up, virtual and physical, successfully supported the IBM brand during this era of massive disruption for the event marketing industry as a whole, through the creation of orchestrated narratives and personalized engagement opportunities. The results were striking, surpassing pre-pandemic KPIs.

50+ virtual events hosted in the Think Virtual Pop-up

70+ increase in Net Promoter Score

233% increase in Responses in Q3 2020 with the introduction of events on the Virtual Think Pop-up platform

124% increase in Responses YoY from Q3 2019 to Q3 2020

75% increase in Responses at IAA Mobility 2021 compared to the previous IAA