March 26 Briefing | Spaces

Whether it's West End flagships like our client HOFF, high-design concept like Voyeurvoyeur, independent studio-stores such as Nimph's in Barcelona, retail-first brands building their world through stores from day one, or even our own showroom in Soho - the same theme keeps returning.

It started us thinking more about the role of space in PR, and how spaces can best be used to enhance and deepen communication for brands.

PR campaigns are often structured around moments in time. A launch, a collaboration, an event. But space is different - is exists before and after the moment, it needs to mean something and function as a PR asset years after the doors open, season after season, year after year.

Physical environments shape perception and convey values without the need for explanation. They put context around product and let a brand be experienced instead of described. So much so that in The Business of Fashion's recent brand elevation report it states stores are the "ultimate proof of elevation". It went on to say "stores offer an environment where retailers control every aspect, from lighting and merchandising to customer service, creating the most complete representation of their brand".

Spaces aren't algorithmic. They're local and human, creating true brand and product discovery, in real time, in real life.

The way physical spaces let us tell stories, the human-first modes of communication they support, and the real-world opportunities they act as gateways for are unique - but an important layer to deep multi-approach PR strategies.

When we talk about PR we always talk about three things:

What you say. When you say it. Who you say it to.

But recently we've been thinking about a fourth:

Where you say it.

Good retail spaces make our cities more dynamic, rally communities, and physically place brands into our daily line of sight. In a digital-first age, do we really want to live, work, and shop online even more?

If physical spaces give us something real, somewhere to connect, and some human-coded respite from the algorithm: maybe "retail therapy" has taken on a whole new meaning.