The Magic of Action Magazzin’s project with Ecoalf shows

THE MAGIC OF ACTION

It started off as a conversation about god and the world - and how one could, at least, make the latter a little better. What came of it? The result is an Ecoalf pop-up store at Magazzin in Graz. It reflects reciprocal appreciation. Javier Goyenche, the founder of Ecoalf, and Kathi Bauer and Tini Köck of Magazzin sat down for a chat. Text: Martina Müllner-Seybold. Photos: Magazzin

What did you take away from the pop-up project?

Javier Goyenche: It was fantastic to have the chance to interact on a personal level - not only with clients, but also with the amazing Magazzin staff. I was positively amazed to see the reaction of customers when they heard our background story. I always stress that we don’t tell stories, we invent them. And I had the distinct feeling that the customers understood the difference. Tini Köck: We can achieve great things together. Incidentally, we didn’t have much budget left. The agency helped us a lot, actually. We were able to present the entire collection: Primaloft jackets, jogging pants, sneakers, backpacks, drinking bottles, candles… Our customers were thrilled by the large range of recycled products. It afforded us an opportunity to test new items too. The collaboration with Ecoalf was terrific. The merchandising team from Madrid styled the entire pop-up store, which gave us completely new ideas in terms of product presentation.

What surprised you more: the interest or the financial success?

JG: The primary aim of the pop-up store wasn’t to sell products. We wanted to introduce our brand and its underlying concept. I believe the latter was a consequence of the first, so to speak. Customers started buying spontaneously. Kathi Bauer: We started building interest in the story early via social media and personal contact, thus introducing the concept to customers step-by-step. The media interest was sensational, ranging from newspapers to TV channels. This, in turn, attracted many new customers and - more importantly - customers with a certain level of awareness. The project has broadened horizons, spread positive vibes, and enabled everyone involved to contribute to a good cause. The additional revenue was merely a logical consequence. At a price of 179 Euros for a Primaloft jacket in a sporty, reduced look, we were sold out almost immediately. Fortunately, we were able to re-order.

Javier, will Ecoalf rely more heavily on such popups in the future?

JG: Pop-ups are fantastic, but they require time, organisation, and resources. You can only implement them with retailers as professional as Magazzin.

“Javier Goyenche, the founder of Ecoalf, attended the opening in person. His charisma and dedication to recycling added to the event,” says the Magazzin sisters Kathi Bauer (2nd from left) and Tini Köck (3rd from left).

Ecoalf’s slogan is: “Because there is no planet B”. It is setting precedents.

An especially enthusiastic customer even asked Javier Goyenche to sign his raincoat.