While I’m certainly no expert, I’ve recently been reading up on POP displays and potentially using them in your brand strategy.
You can walk into just about any Walmart, Winn Dixie, or <insert retail store of choice here> and find yourself exposed to what’s called a point of purchase display, whether you realized what you were looking at or not.
According to BrandingStrategyInsider.com, a point of purchase is a place where everything a brand has done to promote themselves and raise image awareness either results in a sale, or it doesn’t.
Point of purchase sales displays are typically placed at or near where folks cash out of the store, aka the point of purchase.
However they aren’t restricted solely to these areas and can in fact wind up in multiple locations throughout a store, strategically placed and designed to interrupt and influence a person’s buying habits at different points of the buying cycle.
Many a consumer has succumbed to impulse purchases because of a well-placed and unique display designed to market a particular brand’s product, or call attention to special sales, new products just released, or holiday promotions.
Impulse buying is big business apparently when it comes to the retail world, and businesses who learn how to market effectively and take advantage of those shopping habits are businesses that do very well for themselves.
Why Are POP Displays Effective?
Well usually it’s because the brand using the display has done their job well, and created a brand bond with their customer base already through other marketing means.
And when that brand places their products right under the proverbial nose of consumers who are about to check out, who already know and love said brand, the itch to impulse buy becomes extremely high.
That doesn’t mean up and coming brands can’t utilize them effectively, provided you have the means and the resources to include such displays within your strategy.
Are POP Displays Right for Your Biz?
Good question.
If you are an entrepreneur that has created a product designed to appeal to the masses via big business retail outlets then most likely yes, they very well could be a great investment for you and your brand strategy.
However if you are peddling a product that is more upscale in nature, designed for a more narrow target market, then perhaps not.
Point of purchase displays made for retail locations also most likely won’t be an effective brand strategy for digital businesses or freelancers, although if you have creative ways to do this effectively, I’m all erm… ears? eyes? in the comments below.
What Makes for a Great POP Display?
POP displays seem to be the most effective option for brands we already all know and love, i.e. brands that have already done the work to establish a brand bond with their customer base.
Posters and digital displays seem to be used more for the purposes of brand-building and image awareness, while aisle displays, shelf-based coupon displays, and package coupons are used more often used to appeal to a customer seeking more bang for their buck.
Consider a backlit display to really capture the attention of consumers. Backlit displays are often attractive, compelling, and unique. All words you should want to associate with your business, at least in my admittedly humble opinion.
If you plan to use point of purchase displays in a large retail location, make sure you work closely with your point of contact to maximize the effectiveness of your display. If you own your own shop, sit down and plan your strategy, and rotate your displays around to avoid stagnation, and your displays becoming invisible. Just make sure that where you place each display makes sense to the customer that is shopping.
You wouldn’t place a display for underwear…
Over next to the cereal aisle for instance. Well… I guess you could perhaps, if you were trying to sell a little kink with your cereal. Hmmm.
Over to You
So have you ever used Point of Purchase displays in your marketing strategy, and more specifically for branding? Did you find it effective? Have you ever used them for something other than a physical product, like a service instead? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.