Myyrmanni shopping centre in Vantaa, Finland is engaging both tenants and visitors with a special social media KONE lift, the first of its kind in the world.

Is it possible to make a hashtag for something as mundane as an elevator trend on social media? Totally doable – if you ask Citycon and KONE. Citycon is a leading owner, manager and developer of urban shopping centres in the Nordic and Baltic region, and always willing to pilot new innovations to better serve their customers.

KONE’s lift with a social media wall at Myyrmanni shopping centre is almost a local tourist attraction. It stands in the middle of a row of three lifts, marked with colourful tapes and, of course, a hashtag.

The lift enables visitors to have their Instagram and Facebook posts displayed on its wall, simply by using the hashtag #myyrmannin_somehissi (#myyrmannis_somelift). Thus far, the lift has been decorated with people’s holiday photos and even art.

For Citycon’s tenants, the lift is a new marketing channel. For example, a hairdresser can advertise last minute appointments, a clothing store may announce discounts, or a restaurant is able to share photos of their menu.

Even if visitors aren’t drawn to social media, the lift can be a more pleasant visual experience in comparison to traditional ones. When there are no posts on the wall, it turns into a mirror. The lift can also be coloured with lights, for example, red for Christmas, or the colors of the Finnish flag, blue and white, for Independence Day celebrations.

For Citycon and KONE, the project has been lengthy, not least because it’s the first one of its kind in the world. Citycon, being a market leader in Finland with a strong foothold in the Nordics and Baltics, is always willing to try out solutions that both smoothen the shopping experience and provide tenants with new tools and marketing opportunities.

The project began three years ago, and the lift itself was launched in December 2017, with plenty of attention from the media.

The SoMe lift at Myyrmanni has proven that having a social media wall could become a standard feature in all of Citycon’s shopping centres.