The Role of Retail POP Displays in Developing an Integrated Approach to Product Marketing-Part I

 We’ve been in the business of designing and manufacturing retail POP displays for nearly 30 years so our natural starting point for generating product sales is creating effective retail point-of-purchase displays and compelling in-store merchandising programs. Since the majority of purchase decisions continue to be made in-store, we believe a central focus of product marketing should continue to be captivating and capturing the customer at the point of sale. We recognize, however, that the retail landscape has changed dramatically over the last 5 years so, despite the fact that brick-and-mortar stores continue to account for the majority of retail sales, we believe it is increasingly important for brands to take a holistic approach to product marketing that includes both Point of Sale and online components. In the first of this 2-part series, we will address the Point of Sale part of product marketing, and then we’ll cover the online component in our next blog.

Securing and then supporting retail distribution for your product is the most critical aspect of Point of Sale marketing. Having a well-formulated merchandising strategy and program can often make the difference in getting a retailer to give your product a try. It’s not enough just to have a new, innovative product. The retailer needs to be convinced that your product will stand out in the retail environment, turn quickly, and perform well against target sales per square foot performance metrics. 

Our only point here is that effective in-store merchandising programs can help a brand or product company by：

(1) securing retail distribution.

(2) maximizing product sales once you have secured distribution.

(3) providing brand awareness and product exposure that can help drive online sales.

So a thoughtful merchandising program is a necessary component of a holistic approach to product marketing, but in and of itself, it is not sufficient. In our next blog, we’ll discuss the online marketing component and how it works synergistically with Point of Sale marketing.