Camera brand Nikon aims to inspire the creatives who flock to the annual South by Southwest convention and festival in Austin in mid-March with an experiential pop-up.

From March 12-19, Nikon is operating a store adjacent to the festival with free events including photo walks, portrait studio sessions, light programming and panel discussions. Each of the six events have a few dozen people attending, said Kristen Pritchett, Marketing Events and Experiential Manager at Nikon.

The goal for the marketing initiative is to acquire new customers, get “hands on cameras” and have people post the photos they capture on the Nikon cameras to social media. Pritchett expects to reach about 2,000 consumers throughout the week in Austin and aims to have 60% of them posting about it on social media.

“Camera trials are so important to us,” Pritchett said. “Then, through that, we want people to be able to take what they learn and apply it into real world settings and tell their stories. Get comfortable on Nikon gear, get comfortable using a professional camera.”

Nikon expects the target audience will be more experienced photographers, as South by Southwest caters to consumers interested in art and technology. In fact, many of the consumers who come to the pop-up may already be in-market for a Nikon camera and want to try it in person, Pritchett said. Nikon is eager to showcase its full collection of cameras to this audience. The last time Nikon had a presence at South by Southwest was in 2013 when it was a sponsor.

Pritchett declined to share the cost of hosting this event, but said Nikon is reaching its goals for its other in-person marketing events, so it is a worthwhile investment.

In-Person Events Drive Future Conversion

In-person marketing events help improve consideration of a Nikon camera purchase and drive loyalty down the road, Pritchett said. Nikon will be fulfilling at-festival orders via an Austin-based camera store that carries its products. While a few sales may occur, the goal of the event is not conversion, she said.

With a Nikon camera costing a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, the purchase cycle is long. The camera brand will look for a conversion three to six months after the event, Pritchett said. Pop-up events allow consumers to take the camera outside and play around with it, which is not something a shopper could do when looking at it in-person at a camera store.

“A lot of people come because they are interested and they want to take ‘a test drive’ before purchasing because it is a big purchase,” Pritchett said. “A lot of them have been researching for a long time and they use the opportunity to really say, ‘Oh, I want to see all the specs of this. I want to see what it can do.’.”

Nikon will track if a consumer has purchased based on data a shopper provides during the feedback survey. The brand has a swag incentive for taking the survey that typically yields a high response rate, she said.

Nikon Caters to Creators

To boost awareness for the South by Southwest pop-up, Nikon invited about 100 influencers to attend and post content. This included a preview party for local Austin influencers, which included food, drinks and a portrait session.

The creator economy — or more everyday people looking to become social media influencers — is helping fuel more interest in higher-end cameras, and Nikon is eager to be a part of this uptick.

“YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, they’re really shaping how new photographers discover tools and develop their craft,” Pritchett said.

To that end, Nikon makes a point to integrate influencers into its activations to strengthen its authenticity and loyalty with this group of consumers, Pritchett said.

“We’re really aiming to build that strong community and demonstrate that professional quality storytelling tools are accessible to all levels,” she said.

More In-Person Marketing Events

Nikon has scaled up its in-person marketing events over the past 18 months, as consumers are continually craving more real-life connections, Pritchett said. It hosted a “mobile tour” in five cities in 2025, plus hosted camera kiosk pop-ups to get more “hands on cameras.”

“It’s about providing that physical space for connection and popping up where those hubs of people are already wanting to learn and wanting to grow in their craft,” she said.

These activations cater to beginner groups looking to uplevel their gear from a smartphone or increase their skills. The kiosk activation allowed consumers to check out one of Nikon’s cameras and take pictures within a certain area, such as the outdoor street art museum Wynwood Walls in Miami. Consumers can then take the memory card home to then edit their photos on their computer to get a sense for how the Nikon camera works.

“Having them be able to take that content home with them and see the power of the camera versus a smartphone is really impactful,” she said.

Typically, people tag Nikon’s TikTok and Instagram accounts during the event period. Plus, photographers continue to post the pictures they took during the activation for up to a month after the event, after they’ve retouched them.