Point of Purchase displays that POP

The successful promotion of a company’s product line depends on effective marketing and presentation. It is vital for a product to be advertised in such a way that grabs the audience’s attention and also creates brand recall among customers. Most companies are looking for an approach that will give them the best return on their investment.

While there are many methods of advertising, Point of Purchase (or POP) displays are an effective and low cost method that can be used as one component of an overall marketing strategy. POP displays can be found at many different retail applications. They have been in utilized in a basic way ever since man started selling their wears. Used in the simplest form, merchants would hang samples of their product in shop windows to inform potential buyers of what they sold. Nowadays, with technological advancements, samples have been replaced with picturesque depictions of the products.

Point of purchase displays come in variety of forms. They may be backlit signboards, an entire showcase, or a counter top display right at the cash register. An effective piece will have the brand name predominately mentioned. POP fixtures and displays should be colorful and attractive to consumers. The goal is to draw the customer’s attention to the display to entice them to buy your product. They need to be targeted to the demographic you are trying to reach. They should also make a statement about your company and be consistent with your brand image, as it may be the only impression the customer gets of your company.

The machine we recently purchased to create the Artisan Colour Display Graphics Division is ideal to produce this type of marketing. It was recently recognized for its superior print quality at the Euro-Reklama Outdoor Expo. The Océ Arizona® 350 GT won the 2009 Poznan International Fair (PIF) Gold Medal. The first generation of this machine (the 250 GT) was awarded the PIF Gold Medal in 2008.

Océ Wins Double Gold at Euro-Reklama Outdoor Expo 2009

The PIF Gold Medal is awarded to a product that meets a number of criteria, including quality and innovation, and that has been produced using the best technology available. A panel of specialists in each industry judges the entries. The PIF Gold Medal competition jury has a 30-year tradition of recognizing outstanding products in various fields.

The Océ Arizona 350 GT UV curable flatbed printer uses Océ VariaDot™ imaging technology to deliver near-photographic image quality for nearly any application. Designed as a true flatbed system, it can print on a wide variety of rigid substrates and features a Roll Media Option for printing onto flexible media. A White Ink Option is available to enable under-printing on colored media or objects, over-printing for backlit applications on transparent media, and printing white as a spot color. The Océ Arizona 350 GT printer is ideal for producing a wide variety of applications such as event graphics, point-of-purchase displays, limited-term signage, banners, backlit and reflective rigid displays, transit advertising, and directional signage.

Advertising in slower economic times

It is seems to be all anyone can talk about now, the economy. Many companies have made hard decisions and sacrifices to tighten their finances. However, tightening the belt on your advertising budget may be the wrong move. Companies that keep their advertising dollars consistent during a slower economy are the ones that come out ahead when the tide turns. Alternatively, in slower economic times consumers tend to stay close to home. That includes where they spend their money. Consumers may be more likely to spend their dollars with a neighboring business to help stimulate their local economy.

What strategies can you utilize to help maximize your advertising dollar? Here are a couple of suggestions:

• Use eye-level graphics in your environment by printing large format photos, backlit signage, or window graphics. Sandwich boards printed direct to a variety of substrates is another great option. Customers are pretty much guaranteed to notice advertising placed at eye-level.
  
  
• Look up. Space above eye-level can be utilized with banners, fabric flags, or wallpaper murals. This type of marketing can reinforce your main marketing imagery and attract a broader audience to your business. The trick with any these options is to create unique graphics to set your marketing message apart from your competition.

Effectively executed, your company can position itself to stand out and become more memorable in a less crowded advertising environment. It is important to keep looking ahead and use this time as a great opportunity to communicate your message. Contact a Mighty Imaging representative to find out how we can help.

Photographer's survival guide

The local ASMP chapter will be holding a seminar this Thursday that could not be more timely. The 3 hour seminar entitled The Photographer's Survival Guide (for Today's Market) will be given by portfolio and marketing consultants Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa Stone. They will touch on many aspects of what can make your photographic business flourish, even in times like these.

The seminar will be held at Legend City Studios at 521 West Van Buren Street in downtown Phoenix, this Thursday October 9th. Registration and social hour is at 5:30 PM, with the seminar beginning at 6:30 PM. If you wish to attend, you can see all the details for the event here.

This program is for all levels of photographers — those who are just starting and those who have been in the business for years and want to take it to the next level. The program is a 2-hour presentation and each participant will receive a "Survivor's Guide." The Guide covers everyday photography business basics to those uncomfortable "what do I do" moments in our industry.

Effectively using color in marketing

The holiday season is just around the corner. In fact, the Halloween merchandise has been on the shelves for weeks now. In a time when retail spending is down, what tools can you use to boost sales? Think color. Choosing the right color scheme in your store design and marketing material can subconsciously stimulate and attract customer attention.

Jeff Grant from Trio Display offers some great tips on how to effectively use color to design an environment that not only helps you build your brand and promote your product, but also generate more sales.

The Retailer's Guide to Color in Store Design

Color is often underestimated as a marketing tool. That’s right, I said “marketing” tool. Think about it for a second: some of more powerful brand associations you can think of connect through color. UPS: “What Can Brown Do for You?” IBM is “Big Blue.” Home Depot and orange are forever linked.

Coloring Between the Lines

Marketers are merely taking advantage of the fact that we respond strongly to color on a visceral level, reacting and making judgments almost instantly without being aware of it. Here are a couple common associations…

• White: Cleanliness, purity, honesty.
• Red: Vitality, passion, love.
• Blue: Calm, stability, peacefulness.
• Brown: Open, reliable, grounded.
• Orange: Energetic, warm, happy.

Blue vs. Pink

Gender plays a part in color choice. Darker colors or brighter colors seem to appeal more to men than women, while softer or more “ambiguous” colors find a better reception with female clientele. Which particular colors are preferred tend to be tied to culture. It is worth noting that a standard blue is favored by both genders. If your retail space is heavily weighted toward one sex or the other, scheme appropriately.

Ingenious light box displays

Walls + Forms, a company that specializes in retail display solutions, has come up with a couple of innovative designs for light boxes perfect for point of purchase displays. They recently released their Lights Alive line that include a double sided light box, a super thin single sided light box, and a ceiling mounted electric free "light thief" that utilizes the light from your existing light source.

Like they say on their website: "With over 70% of buying decisions made in store, your advertising message needs to stand out." We couldn't agree more. With these original display options, and our Duratrans printing, your advertising piece will get you noticed.

How to save money and have eye catching trade booth graphics

When designing a trade show booth it is all about attracting interest. When faced with so much information and so many choices what will make you stand out from the rest? One way is with killer graphics that will grab the attention of your audience. Unless you are big corporation that can afford to hire your own photographer; how do you find images that will motivate, and also be big enough to create high quality graphics needed for your booth? That is where stock photos can help. This article by Evan D. Owen of A Smash Hit! explains the different types of stock photos, and which will work best for your needs. You don't necessarily need to spend thousands of dollars to get an image that will draw in the crowds. Found [Via].

A picture is worth a thousand.....dollars! How to Save Big Bucks in Purchasing High Quality Stock Photos by Evan D. Owen president of A Smash Hit! Trade Show Displays

Pictures and graphics are one of the most important elements that a company uses to create brand awareness and communicate its message. Ever wonder where those images come from? The general term for these images is “stock photos” and the evolution of digital photography has caused a revolution within the stock photo industry. In our business of selling trade show displays and designing graphics for these displays we are constantly challenged with how to develop a graphical message that is suitable for trade show graphics. Trade show graphics are considered large format printing and it has its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to finding high resolution photos that when printed look presentable.

The tell tale signs of Photoshop work

Call me jaded, but I assume any image seen in advertising these days has had some 'work' done to it. If the Photoshop work is done well, it is almost like reading fiction, you can suspend disbelief long enough to imagine a world where no one has wrinkles and even super models can stand to have thinner thighs. Even at first glance you may not notice some tell tale signs of Photoshop work. Boing Boing in their post shared an article written by Scientific American that points out some ways to spot a Photoshop job. Also check out this page: Photo Tampering Throughout History.

HOWTO spot a photoshop job

Scientific American has a nice article listing the top five mistakes that photo-fakers make when they use photoshop to doctor piccies.

Surrounding lights reflect in eyes to form small white dots called specular highlights. The shape, color and location of these highlights tell us quite a bit about the lighting.

In 2006 a photo editor contacted me about a picture of American Idol stars that was scheduled for publication in his magazine (above). The specular highlights were quite different (insets).

The highlight position indicates where the light source is located (above left). As the direction to the light source (yellow arrow) moves from left to right, so do the specular highlights.

The highlights in the American Idol picture are so inconsistent that visual inspection is enough to infer the photograph has been doctored. Many cases, however, require a mathematical analysis. To determine light position precisely requires taking into account the shape of the eye and the relative orientation between the eye, camera and light. The orientation matters because eyes are not perfect spheres: the clear covering of the iris, or cornea, protrudes, which we model in software as a sphere whose center is offset from the center of the whites of the eye, or sclera (above right).

LightJet is the secret to Macy's marketing success

Macy's has done an excellent job over the years of developing and defining their brand. The word Macy's immediately invokes a higher level of style and class. Part of the reason for that is their focus on quality marketing material. They seek out only the best imagery and equipment to produce their point of purchase and in store displays. That is why in 2007 they acquired a LightJet 500XL as one of the machines they use for their in house graphics department.

Read what Hal Deane from Macy's had to say about the LighJet in the Feb 2008 edition of Wide-Format magazine:

Deane has been very happy with the work they are getting off their LightJet. "By using the LightJet, I can get more work produced on it in one day than utilizing three inkjet printers; and the quality is better."

The Lightjet is used to produce signage for uniframe fixtures that sit on counter tops or on floor displays with the mannequins. "We also use it to produce wall murals and various other point-of-purchase graphics. We run Fujifilm Super Type C Matte media and well as their trans materials. We are getting very good results with Fujifilm media."

Deane is blown away by the quality of the LightJet. "We utilize a lot of photographic images of the merchandise we are featuring in the jobs we produce, so details are important. The photographic quality is excellent, you can't beat the quality…it's a solid machine. If our workload continues to increase like this, I might need to add an additional LightJet in the future," he concluded.

It goes without saying, that not every company has the resources to bring that kind of operation in house. If you are looking to get the same kind of quality for your in store displays and build your brand like Macy's, let Mighty Imaging be your 'in house' LightJet imaging source.

Long lasting Duratrans prints

The technology that runs the LightJet has been repeatedly recognized as having a superior imaging quality over other output devises. This also true when it comes to long lasting Duratrans printing. Backlit advertising is frequently utilized by marketers because of its ability to captivate people's attention. Bright vibrant colors that don't fade in a couple of months of use are vital. Not only to capture the consumer's attention, but also to keep the cost of the advertising down by not having to frequently replace pieces. Duane Fast in the March 2008 addition of Digital Graphics (an industry trade magazine) also touts the advantages of LightJet Duratrans printing.

Digital Sunshine

Technology has given us the power to light previously dark spaces. The digital printing industry is uniquely positioned to take maximum advantage of that technology in a constantly expanding market for backlit prints.

...Sometimes the prints need to last a long time. And if these prints are indoors, they also need the highest print quality. Permanent retail graphics and museum exhibits are a good example of this need. Photo printing still wins out in this area.

In my opinion, backlit prints from photo imagers, such as the LighJet from Oce and the Durst Lambda, give the most beautiful, dense colors of any printing source.

Visual art in advertising

As we talked about in our previous post Shop with your eyes, consumers are very visual when it comes to advertising and what motivates them to buy that product. A new study released by the University of Georgia expands this point further. They found that when art is used in conjunction with the product you are trying to sell it is subconsciously perceived by the consumer as being more 'luxurious'. Use this psychology to your advantage when designing the graphics for your campaign.

Visual Art Can Boost Advertising, Study Says: by ARTINFO

ATHENS, Ga.—A new University of Georgia study has found that exposure to visual art in advertising, even if the exposure is fleeting, makes consumers evaluate products more positively, ScienceDaily.com reports. Researchers conducted three studies, including posing at a restaurant as waiters, showing 100 patrons sets of silverware in black velvet boxes with either a print of Vincent van Gogh's Cafe Terrace at Night or a photograph of a similar scene. Diners rated the silverware in the van Gogh boxes as more luxurious. The two other studies showed that "a relatively unfamiliar artwork can successfully compete with a famous celebrity in conveying a luxury appeal," and "the content of the specific artwork is not necessarily important, but that general connotations of art matter," according to ScienceDaily. Researchers said all of this points to art as a powerful marketing tool.

Always leave them laughing

It looks like more of our “Mighty” Big Prints have made it to Chi-Town.

Comedy Sportz brings its interactive improv experience to a new location at 929 W. Belmont in the heart of Chicago. Managing Director, Greg Werstler, was in the final stages of an incredible build out that began nearly two years ago, when Mighty Imaging got the call. As you can see the new digs are insanely beautiful with Greg focused on the slightest detail, however at the end of the day the walls of his stairs and halls needed more than just a coat of paint.

Greg described his place as moderately priced, wheelchair accessible with a full bar that is great for groups that want to enjoy a unique brand of fast, fun and smart improv comedy. Since audience participation is so much a part of the fun, most of the attention of the build out was on the theatre. With the Grand Opening right around the corner, Greg needed the finest visual solutions for his stairs and halls as quickly as possible. This, of course, is no problem for us here at MI since our normal turnaround is only 24 hours for most orders.

After receiving a couple of the 4 foot by 5 foot prints that we produced, Greg was astounded by the clarity and vibrancy of our LightJet prints. Wait until he gets some of our U/V Curable custom wallpaper up on his stair walls. Talk about taking improv to a new level!

Thanks Greg for letting our company play a small part in your Theatre's success, and break a leg!

Shop with your eyes

You may not think that large graphics can help you sell clothes, but they can. Jeff Grant from Trio Display illustrates how to create an effective clothing display. Adding visual interest to your display can help you tell the story of your product, and in turn sell more of those items you want to promote.

The ABCs of Clothing Displays: by Jeff Grant

If variety is the spice of life, it’s the cayenne pepper of clothing display. Monotonous, uninspired presentation leads to flat sales and flatter profits.

We encourage our clients to mix the displays to once again create wall texture that is more compelling then a long slatwall covered with faced out t-shirts. You have to mix things up. Try creating merchandising areas in 4′W x 8′H story sections. Use selected fixtures to tell a story that may include:

Clothing displayed face out
Clothing side hung
Folded clothing
Accessories on a shelf
A life style photo or brand graphic.

The story might be about T’s, travel, men’s women’s, trunks, dresses, suits, etc. The message will vary as will the product but the type of fixtures chosen and the presentation will be what captures the attention of your customer.

Large graphics should be incorporated into the layout, especially if yours is a lifestyle store. Use vendor graphics or go with a royalty free site such as Shutterstock.com to acquire relevant images that can make your clothing presentation sing.

The importance of a portfolio

Tom Miles of Photosmudger has a great post on the importance of always having a good portfolio of your work ready and on hand. Printing some of your images on Kodak Metallic or FujiFlex could make a lasting impression as well. Thanks to Don for the find!

Portfolios - What and Why

Even in this high-tech, information superhighway, digitised, sci-fi, skinny latte, post-modern, post-impressionist, post-everything world there's still a very important place within photography for the distinctly old-school portfolio. There's very little here that will be news to experienced photographers, as without making good use of their portfolio they're unlikely to have lasted long in the commercial world. However for people just starting out, or those whose only real experience of showing their work off is is via flickr and other websites, read on.

Why?

The most important aspect of a physical portfolio lies not so much in the pictures themselves as in the fact that to view it an Art Director will pretty much always have to meet you in person, and this can have as much influence as the work itself. I will go into this aspect in greater depth in a later post, but for now it's sufficient to say that in many areas of commercial photography (advertising/editorial/fashion and so on) your personality can be as important as your work, and you should never miss an opportunity to meet clients face to face and have a good natter.

Deck the halls

Now that Halloween has past, the holiday retail push is on. Any store you walk past or frequent has their own display to promote their holiday merchandise. Trio Display has some great ideas on how to keep your seasonal display creative, fresh, and (most importantly) drive sales. Large graphics of winter scenes or abstracts of holiday themes (like this close up image of a Christmas ornament) can add some visual interest to the shopping experience. It is also another chance for you to promote your company's brand.

The Retailer's Guide to Holiday Themes:

How can you carve a niche for yourself this holiday season? You don’t have to spend big bucks to draw people into your store. But don’t be a Scrooge, either. You should be on the lookout year-round for holiday-season design elements.

Changing out your windows displays regularly conveys to shoppers that yours is a store that keeps up with the times.

If you don’t feel artistic enough to tackle such projects, consider students or recent grads of local design schools. They’re usually eager to add to their portfolio, so have them come up with a holiday concept for your store. If you like it, reward them with merchandise, cash or an internship.

Remember to check out the windows and interiors of stores that are know for great holiday themes. Eddie Bauer, Target and Restoration Hardware are chains that come to mind. But each city and town has its own cadre of retail stores that are known for their imaginative themes. Pay them a visit to get some free lessons.

Maximize your in-store marketing efforts

Getting the customer to your store is one thing. Keeping their interest once they are there is another challenge. Using large graphics to express your marketing goal, whether it is to promote a sale or a new product you are introducing, can utilize your space to maximize your selling potential as well as help build your business brand. I found this article on Allbusiness.com, a site that offers a multitude of articles and videos that inform and inspire you to build a more successful business.

Maximize Your In-Store Marketing Efforts

While advertising can bring customers to a store, it can also work from within your store. Today many retailers realize how important in-store advertising can be to their bottom line.

Despite the drop among television viewers between 18-34, television advertising is still a 50+ billion dollar industry. Meanwhile, in-store advertising accounts for just over 15 billion dollars. This does not mean that retailers prefer advertising on television by a 3 to 1 ratio: It means that you can spend a lot less money advertising in your store. Moreover, you'll find that it can be highly effective.

...Of course, in-store advertising is most effective with a strategy. This means to first determine where to place racks, cubes, platforms, mannequins, and especially your well-designed signage in order to best display your merchandise. High-traffic areas -- doorways, cash registers, fitting rooms, for example -- should be your first consideration.

Other considerations when planning your in-store advertising include:

• Creativity. Position your products in an interesting manner or on an original backdrop. Remember: You want to catch the eye of your customers as they pass your displays.
  
• Lighting. Make sure all areas where advertising is present -- whether it's as a display or as signage -- are well lit and attractive.
  
• Hands-on activities. Toy stores have displays where kids can play. Supermarkets have in-store samples. Tech stores let you test much of the merchandise. What can you do to tempt your customers?
  
• Themes. Is it back-to-school time? Mothers' day? Thematic in-store advertising can focus around a specific season, holiday, or even a new trend or fashion.
  
• Store layout. If your toys are in the back of the store, batteries should be as well. If women's clothing is located on the lower level, fashion accessories should be advertised and displayed en route to and from those escalators. Consider the layout of your location and how your customers get to the goodies that they seek. Then, advertise along the routes that they have to take, just as you see ads for hotels and restaurants along interstate highways.

Typographics

This video put together by Ryan Uhrich and Marcos Ceravolo at the Vancouver Film School is a entertaining illustration on how typography is used in design. The placement of text is a key part of what makes an effective visual graphic. If done wrong, the impact and your emphasis are lost. It is a well done piece and good review whether you are a graphic designer, in advertising & marketing, or just watching for fun.

What's in a brand?

I came across this blog today authored by C.B. Whittemore: Flooring the Consumer. Although her business is floor finishing, she has many great posts on all aspects of marketing and consumer satisfaction in the shopping experience. In her own words: As Director, In-Store Innovation for Solutia's Wear-Dated carpet fiber, I track consumer trends and am fascinated with digital and brick/mortar retailers who are passionate about meeting the needs of their consumers. I know I will be back to read more on her blog today this particular post caught my eye.

Michael Cape on the Brand Promise:

"The Brand Promise: Connecting With Your Customer Through Marketing, Store Environment and Online" was the subject of Michael Cape's keynote presentation at the December 2006 TREX show in NYC.

At the time of the presentation, Cape was VP of Brand Marketing for JC Penney. He has since accepted the position of EVP for Old Navy [see 2/26/2007 DDI Magazine article Michael Cape Names Old Navy's EVP Marketing].

Exciting changes have taken place at JC Penney during Cape's tenure: the introduction of Sephora as a store within a store, a pop-up store in Times Square, a successful turnaround and expansion. No wonder he has decided to join Old Navy. Things were probably starting to get boring!

Cape started with the following questions. Notice that each one relates to the CONSUMER, not to the store or products.

1. What does the brand stand for in the heart/mind of the consumer?
2. Is your brand relevant to your customer's life?
3. Does your brand make an emotional connection with your customer? [Get away from brand arrogance and build an emotional connection.]
4. Is your brand an inspiration to you customer?

...Cape repeatedly emphasized the criticality of delivering on the brand promise within the store environment. The store entrance should display ceremony and tie into the rest of the brand experience; all brand elements within the store [e.g., light fixtures, the red cube, and 3 different ways to shop] should tie into the campaign. And, don't forget that in-store displays absolutely influence consumers!

How better to convey these points to the customer than through large visual graphics? An image of a bride on her wedding day, a child holding a grown up's hand, or a family having a picnic on a sunny day can catch the viewer's attention and communicate the point right away. It can instantly make an emotional connection with your customer. Adding your brand to the graphics makes the retention of your company name even stronger.

Light in the tunnel

What an amazing use for large graphics! These advertisements are starting to pop up in subway tunnels around the world. Two companies Submedia and SideTrack are leading the way in this new utilization of, what used to be, dark empty stretches of tunnel thousands of people pass each day. They are created by placing either illuminated prints or LED monitors in succession in the tunnel that when viewed at the right speed from the train look like a movie.

Subway tunnels the latest ad billboards; by Daniel Terdiman, Staff Writer, CNET News.com

If you've been in a subway car in San Francisco, London, Boston, Rio or one of several other cities recently and thought you saw a short film playing along the dark walls of the tunnels, you're not going crazy.

In face, what you saw was one of the latest forms of advertising technology, which is slowly taking over one of transit riders' last refuges from commercial messages....

...And to those in charge of some of the rail systems using the ads, they're working.

"It's everything and more that I wanted it to be," said Graeme Hay, the commercial manager for London's Heathrow Express, which connects the British capital to its main airport. "I've had customers who said to me, 'Wow, that's fantastic. What is it?'"

To see it in action on London's Heathrow Express check out this video.

How to create a great window display

Your window to the world is people's first exposure to your business. It is your chance to make a bold statement that will draw in customers. If done wrong, you can go unnoticed. This article by Eric Fairbanks of TRIO Display has some great points about using that space to maximize your sales potential.

The window display is often your best chance to make a good first impression. The window display gives walk-by traffic a chance to see what you sell and how you sell it. It is often your first chance to brand—to create emotional association with your retail store in the mind of your potential customer.

If your retail store is in a strip mall or your main drive-by traffic is that literally—motorists—you need to go big with a graphic display in your window. A large poster-size or bigger image will draw attention and attract customers from far away. You can’t get subtle in this type of window display—say it loud and say it proud.