Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign

Katie Kochelek, Marketing Specialist | Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. Contents

Page 3 ...... Introduction

Page 4...... Getting the Best Design Without Blowing the Budget

Page 8 ...... Planning the Ultimate Path-to-Purchase

Page 12 ...... Securing Buy-In from Box Stores

Page 16 ...... Short Lead Times and Other Special Circumstances

Page 18 ...... Conclusion

About Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc.

Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. is a leader in the development of in-store merchandising displays, interactive kiosks, and store fixtures for brands and retailers nationwide. The company helps retailers and brands utilize the latest display solutions and technologies to create engaging customer experiences. Visit www.frankmayer.com for more information. Introduction

Planning a merchandising campaign isn’t always for the faint of heart. When strategizing a retail display, store fixture, or shop-in-shop program, one must consider design, engineering, branding, promotions, product placement, store buy-in, distribution and so much more. And that’s all before even knowing what kind of return on investment you’ll see. It can be a cumbersome process for even the most seasoned Visual Merchandising Manager and his or her crew.

Because of this, it’s important to work with a retail display company that uses its experience and expertise to not only deliver an exceptional product, but an exceptional experience as well.

Here, we detail four main challenges brands face when planning visual merchandising and retail display campaigns as well as critical solutions to help programs roll out smoothly. You’ll find answers to:

» Getting the best design without blowing the budget

» Planning an effective path-to-purchase for your target customer

» Securing buy-in from the big box stores

» Short lead times on projects and other unique requirements

Read on to glean good information from some of our staff experts in the point-of-purchase industry.

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 3 Getting the Best Design Without Blowing the Budget

We hear it all the time. “Will it fit my budget?”

Whether it’s asked by a client or discussed within our internal concept meetings, that omnipresent number is always top-of-mind when considering designs and materials as visual merchandising projects take shape.

But just because cost parameters might suggest budget and great design are a “one or the other” option, this doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, these two factions can easily go hand-in-hand.

We asked Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. estimator Miguel Ruiz for insight on budget- friendly tips when designing impactful visual merchandising campaigns.

Consider Materials

In a perfect world, you’d achieve your desired mahogany or marble display aesthetic by using just that – mahogany wood or marble slabs. But let’s be realistic. You obviously need to factor

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 4 in the return on investment from the products small details like this can easily add up when a you’re selling against the display costs. brand or retailer rolls out a large order.

Sourcing similar, more reasonably-priced A New Take on Graphics materials can maintain the desired appearance of a display concept without breaking the bank. Graphic elements are particularly important on a merchandising display, as they’re often the And while things like mahogany wood and first thing to grab a shopper’s attention and marble are clearly expensive materials, you’d encourage him or her to explore further. Thus, be surprised by the savings that engineering it’s not uncommon for a brand to be especially less obvious supplies can afford. For instance, concerned with what graphics look like and how digitally printing concrete is much more cost- they’re implemented on a display. effective versus a concrete laminate or even the real thing, but at a fraction of the cost. But creating interest using stand-off graphics or backlighting can be expensive. Instead, “As long as the display gets across the intended Ruiz suggests exploring ways to create visual ‘vibe,’ customers aren’t going to recognize if a interest using shadows in the actual artwork feature was constructed with real bamboo or a design. He emphasizes it’s especially effective bamboo veneer,” Ruiz says. “Often, the look you for headers eight to 10 feet high since it gives the were after can still come across, but for a better appearance of dimension from farther away. price.” The Benefits of Miter Folding

“Often, the look you were after Miter folding is the process of folding material can still come across, but for a along scores to create a seamless corner. better price.” V-groove equipment generates channels in a material like MDF or laminate that act as hinges Miguel Ruiz, Estimator and allows the material to be folded. Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. Imagine you need a small cube display that requires color on all surfaces. Typically, you Evaluate Hardware Options might consider laminating all surfaces after Before entering the design stage, take into fabrication, but the manual labor would make consideration how often a fixture will need to be it far too expensive in addition to exposing the moved. Doing so can determine what hardware dreaded black lines in the corners, characteristic components might be necessary – or, in this of high-pressure laminate use. case, not necessary. You might contemplate painting it after “If a display will only be relocated once a quarter fabrication, instead, but this too would be or once a year, avoid the cost of casters in favor expensive, and the finished product runs the risk of levelers instead,” Ruiz says. of looking different from one piece to another due to manual spray painting. And while savings might be minimal per unit,

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 5 Enter miter folding as a cost-effective option that delivers a nice-looking piece. Using this technique not only saves costs due to less material and more efficient assembly, but miter folding can also improve aesthetics and reduce the weight of finished items.

Flood Coating for Small Orders

Sometimes a display might require a plastic element, like a shelf. If hundreds are required, the minimum quantity of pounds of material is typically met and a color match of the required color would be completed.

However, if fewer units are needed, ordering colored plastic material would be cost- prohibitive. "[Miter folding] not only saves costs due to Flood coating the second surface, or the less material and more underside of a clear material, allows the use of a efficient assembly, more readily-available clear plastic. The process but [it] can also involves covering the entire back surface of the improve aesthetics and reduce the weight of clear material with the desired ink color, so the finished items." color seen through the clear plastic fools the eye into thinking it’s a solid material in a custom color.

Ruiz adds, “This also has the additional benefit of preventing rub off from any ink, so in some cases, even brand imagery has been printed on the back surface as well.”

Think Square

Curved surfaces are gorgeous, but unfortunately the price tag isn’t. Using rounded surfaces at retail is synonymous with excessive hand labor and fabrication, generally by highly-skilled craftsmen who can make only a handful of units a week.

Manufacturing en masse has slightly improved,

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 6 but limitations still exist in this area. Sheet metal can “roll” to create a similar effect, but labor is still needed to weld, fill, and grind to make surfaces smooth and visually soft.

“Curved and rounded edges are more typically found in one-off flagship stores where budgets can absorb the extra costs for a particular look,” Ruiz says. “But as seen with techniques like miter folding, square and flat surfaces make more use of high-capacity, high-quantity production methods, improving on price dramatically.”

Can Tooling Be Avoided?

The use of tooling is a broad concept in the retail and point-of-purchase industry where it expands several disciplines including injection molding, vacuum forming, metal stamping, roto molding, and more.

In most instances, quantity is king. If you’re planning a large order with thousands of units, tooling makes sense to keep pricing low and efficiency high.

At times, tooling can be unavoidable in the case of a highly-customized or multi-functional part. For these examples, tooling ensures a consistent, high-quality and dimensionally-accurate part will be produced every time.

But what about the cases when quantities are low? Creating a custom tool in this instance would make little sense as the price would make the total costs unreasonable. What do you do in this instance?

“May companies have taken 3D printing to a competitive level with manufacturing,” Ruiz reveals. “Because 3D printing two to three hundred parts is common now, design houses are able to produce intricate parts without the need to invest in hard, expensive tooling and where hand fabrication is not even an option.”

A World of Possibilities

The options are endless when it comes to saving money in design costs without having to compromise your overall vision. A good merchandising display company will have experienced teams of designers and estimators who recognize solutions to meet your goals – all while staying within your budget guidelines.

that delivers a nice-looking piece. Using this technique not only saves costs due to less material and more efficient assembly, but miter folding can also improve aesthetics and reduce the weight of finished items.

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 7 Planning the Ultimate Path-to-Purchase

We humans are locked in. We’ve got a smart fridge reminding us to pick up milk, we ask our voice assistant to check the weather, and we can access every review online about a product without having to leave the couch.

This means we’ve come to expect information fast and easily accessible. It also means we’ve gotten really good at wearing blinders to messaging when it’s coming from all angles.

So, while marketing to today’s consumer, brands must cater their path-to-purchase campaigns to dial in on how he or she wants to shop. And when it comes to designing a visual merchandising display, the objective to interrupt this busy shopper requires careful planning and thought.

Below, we detail five strategies to capture the in- store customer’s attention and interest with your display merchandisers.

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 8 Show, Don’t Tell Highly-technical products can benefit from video loops detailing simple instructions or featuring In the current information-verse, people are the merchandise in use. Even something as consuming data drastically different than the pre- straightforward as a knife display can offer digital age. In fact, recent studies have indicated interaction so a customer can test the feel of a that skim reading has become our new norm. blade handle or the weight of the product in his or her hand. So, what does this tell us? People want easily- digestible information in bite-size pieces to keep At the end of the day, creating displays that their interest. This means employing digital deliver product information in palatable ways and or experiential components in a display can engage a person’s senses will highlight a brand’s show what your product does or how it can advantages much better than asking customers benefit a consumer in a way that feels easy to to take their word for it. comprehend. Let’s Be Clear Sometimes these display elements seem clear for specific verticals. If you’re selling speakers, More than 65% of people are visual learners, you want customers to hear the clarity of your which means your product merchandising needs product by building audio capabilities into to be organized in a way that feels clear and your display. It also makes sense for lighting aims to educate. Pretty straightforward, right? companies to help shoppers discover the best option for their needs by utilizing working But organization can go even deeper. Yes, clean displays that showcase the look of various lines, coordinated colors and lack of clutter is product selections. important when making a positive impact, but proper categorization can really benefit your But this can extend past the obvious, too. sales.

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 9 Let’s take most paint displays as an example. Often, the bulk of paint chips are shown together by color family, but sometimes these same displays will have special sections on the unit devoted to various collections, too.

These areas aim to inform shoppers about complementary colors or trending hues for various rooms in the house. Sometimes the section might highlight colors to invoke a specific mood or they might leverage a celebrity’s clout by pinpointing colors from his or her exclusive line.

And while each paint brand will decide what sections to highlight based on their target customer’s demographics, the companies recognize their patrons are looking for additional guidance when choosing wall colors and provide a solution to help them feel in control of the process while making knowledgeable decisions.

As brands look to best display their merchandise, they’ll want to investigate beyond the apparent methods to organize in search of ways to answer additional questions from their Not only do updatable graphics speak to a potential buyers. variety of audiences depending on holidays or seasons, but they’re also perfect for displays that Staying Relevant will be in multiple locations that target different I identify as many things – a marketer, a mom, a audiences. For instance, a merchandising Packer football enthusiast – which means brands display for an activity tracker might be found have countless avenues to pique my interest in sporting goods stores as well as department at different times of the year. If I missed your stores, both of which might use different product display during the summer, you might graphics to appeal to the audience that frequents easily hook me with back-to-school messaging those settings. come fall. Changing up imagery on a display can also An easy way to make sure your marketing save on costs as a brand’s marketing initiatives stays current and seasonally appropriate is to change throughout the year. It keeps messaging incorporate changeable visuals into your display fresh without the large expense of a brand-new with magnetic graphics. display.

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 10 Endless Aisles

Brick-and-mortar is currently going through a rebirth with retailers pressed to implement strategies that provide customers with a well-rounded experience of a brand – both in-store and online. The same can be said for visual merchandising.

Successful displays not only showcase product and educate consumers, but many incorporate digital elements. A popular feature is the endless aisle, accessible through an interactive kiosk on the display or within a shop-in-shop.

Imagine: your visual merchandising display just did the hard work. Your customer is standing in front of your product and has decided to purchase. However, the retailer doesn’t carry your full line of colors or they’re out of the specific size the customer needs.

Enter an endless aisle opportunity to keep the momentum going on your customer’s impulse decision. If she were to leave with the intent of later buying online, you run the risk of her talking herself out of the decision. Even worse, she could decide a competitor has a similar enough product with better color options available in-store.

Allowing for special orders with endless aisle options provides another avenue to sell product when and where your customer is actively going through the buying process.

Back to the Basics

Sometimes the art of grabbing a shopper’s attention can really be credited to delivering the basics. Good, effective signage. Proper lighting. Impactful messaging.

Sounds straightforward, but focusing your efforts on these foundational elements will lay the right groundwork for your merchandising display.

Consider what works best for your merchandiser. Do you have a shop-in-shop program? A circular halo sign can lure customers to your area from across a store. Looking to stand out on an otherwise dull shelf? Lighting adds life (and the perfect spotlight) to your product.

Messaging should be succinct, on-brand and helpful. Remember, you’re appealing to a new culture of skim readers who want information quickly.

Land Your Loyalists

At the end of the day, you know your target customer intimately, so your relevant merchandise is already set to succeed. With extra consideration paid to your path-to-purchase strategy, you’ll help your future brand loyalists discover that product easily.

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 11 Securing Buy-In from Box Stores

Big box stores provide brands with significant visibility thanks to large crowds and convenient locations, making them key channels for companies to promote product awareness and elicit sales with visual merchandising.

However, because of the sheer size of the corporations, securing display space often equates to challenges when navigating each box store’s requirements, capabilities and, most importantly, willingness to commit.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) must not only concept visual merchandising displays to meet their own objectives, but they need to consider the appeal of a program to box stores who often have final word on if a display will be placed in their locations.

Partnering with an experienced point-of-purchase (POP) company that has done extensive work helping brands secure buy-in from box stores can be the difference in rolling out a successful program. Here we detail solutions to help OEMs feel equipped when proposing in-store merchandising programs to these bigger stores.

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 12 Arm Yourself With Info Navigating brand designs with box store stipulations is a delicate balance, often Every box store is going to have different requiring even more consideration when special specifications regarding their store fixtures, circumstances arise. gondola types and warehouse racking systems, along with material requirements, power “Sometimes you are working on a project that’s availability, UL prerequisites, and more. Before being installed across different retailers, so if beginning a project, make sure you’re clear on these stores have different fixtures, you need the conditions unique to each store. to be mindful about incorporating that into your engineering and pricing,” King states. Dave King, Senior Vice President of Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc., recommends partnering Regardless of particulars, starting a program off with a point-of-purchase company that has on the right foot by knowing a retailer’s crucial experience working with big chains. details will ensure OEMs don’t fight delays and will show they’ve done their due diligence when “Knowing the details of what structures exist in- planning a merchandising display campaign for store can help get the program off to a smooth that specific retailer. start. It’s why good merchandising display companies stay current with store configurations Set the Scene with Foam Core and fixtures,” he says. “Racking systems in The Home Depot are different from Lowe’s, which are As impressive as design renderings can be on different from those in Menards.” paper, there’s nothing like turning a proposed

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 13 concept into a physical reality to help retailers The Appeal of Versatility truly visualize a display. Enter foam core, a sturdy material used to construct a true-to-scale Building changeability into a visual display based on design dimensions. merchandising display is an advantage OEMs can speak to when selling box stores, since The size of a display can often be hard to versatility can expand the life span of a fixture. envision when it’s only numbers on paper, so foam core mock-ups are excellent tools to Different ways to build in flexibility include the showcase a display’s scale, shape, and graphics. ability to swap out products, change graphics, or even replace accent pieces, like color or type of Additionally, foam core displays can be material, to adapt to multiple store formats. constructed quickly and are relatively inexpensive to fabricate and ship. It’s even Make it simple for retailers to see the extended possible to marry materials like plexiglass with lifecycle of a display and provide easy ways they foam core to create a better representation of the can keep the merchandisers stocked with new final design. products and current with changing seasons and trends.

“Knowing the details of what Keep Informed of ADA Guidelines structures exist in-store can Recently, some brands and retailers have been help get the program off in hot water over failing to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines when it to a smooth start. It’s why comes to their kiosks and websites. While good merchandising display the conversation is sometimes less prevalent when it comes to merchandisers, King argues it companies stay current with shouldn’t be. store configurations and fixtures.” “It’s refreshing to work with OEMs and retailers Dave King, Senior Vice President that appreciate ADA conditions,” he says. Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. “Things like braille requirements have become a more frequent conversation, and I think we’ll likely see more discussion surrounding ADA Not only does investing in a foam core requirements as more lawsuits make headlines.” presentation help sell the visuals to a prospective retailer, but it can serve as an early chance to get Designing a display equipped for people critical feedback before going to final designs with disabilities positions the OEM as being and prototypes. conscientious of a retailer’s entire audience and can help protect both the brand and retailer from “Getting good information earlier in the process any potential legal problems. can help to make the final prototype presentation much more successful,” King emphasizes.

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 14 Employ Your POP Representative’s Help

Nobody knows the ins and outs of merchandising displays quite like a point-of-purchase display company. Who better, then, to accompany an OEM company on an initial visit with the box store client?

“If we have a relationship with our client, accompanying the kick-off meeting could be beneficial,” King says. “Attending the first discussion and then subsequent design review meetings would assist the process as we can be there to support the client as well as answer very specific questions for the end user.”

Having all resources at an OEM’s disposal during conversations with a retailer means the store can get immediate answers about the display that would have otherwise needed to be relayed back to the POP company through the client. A representative’s presence can keep projects moving and eliminate miscommunications.

Brands can make the process of committing to a merchandising display easy for a box store by recognizing their friction points, minding their restrictions, and helping them visualize the look and benefits of a display in their store.

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 15 Short Lead Times and Other Special Circumstances

In-store display programs and their requirements are far from cookie-cutter. Brands come to the table with unique budgets, specific timeframes, and different warehousing needs for their visual merchandising.

Because of this, retail display companies must have a variety of assets at their disposal to ensure they’re meeting each client’s objectives. Following is a list of common solutions a well- versed retail display company can offer when their clients have distinct requirements.

The Gang’s All Here

New product introductions always have timelines, so a company that offers fully integrated solutions will be well-equipped to tackle any special requests for short lead times.

Dave Loyda, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc., explains, “Having all your resources including designers, engineers, estimators, and production art to a full-scale model shop under one roof can offer

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 16 streamlined communication and the ability to and creative solutions that maximize cost compress lead times.” efficiencies for our clients.”

Clients reap the advantages of this arrangement Pack Them Up and Send Them Out when planning their in-store display programs. A team approach to a project means designers and Sometimes warehousing and distribution details engineers are on the same page when dictating can be overlooked in retail display programs, the look and feel of a program. It also means but these specifics are important to keeping a estimators can add expertise to ensure design project on time and organized. concepts and material suggestions fit within the budgetary guidelines. “Companies need to plan how they want to store displays that have staggered launch dates “This combination of services out of one and distribution schedules,” Loyda confirms. company can reduce program lead times” Loyda “These details are crucial, and your retail display says. “It also provides flexibility to make program company should be able to help facilitate these changes and the ability to make those changes arrangements.” immediately per client direction.” There are many factors to consider when Product Variety Equals Success utilizing assembly, warehousing, and distribution services. What is the capacity? Is the When a display company only works in facility temperature-controlled? Does it offer corrugated material or has engineers who are surveillance and locked storage? Is it set up for less familiar with a variety of substrates, clients efficient shipping and receiving and inventory lose out on valuable options that could reduce management? costs or shave off production time for their in- store display campaigns. These questions and more are critical factors in determining how smoothly a program rolls out. A A larger retail display company that works with a good assembly and distribution facility will make variety of materials and vendors will have options the logistics of any project easier. to meet specific needs, whether that entails using materials that will hold up better long- Retail display campaigns can have many term, offering shorter production requirements, variables that disrupt timelines or add or meeting special requests for environmentally- challenges. However, working with a fully friendly materials. integrated retail display company can turn headaches into relief when it “Because pricing and availability can fluctuate comes to addressing short in specific industries, it’s always helpful when lead times and other you are able to work with a display company unique situations. who can offer solutions that incorporate multiple materials and possess a vast network of vendors who can produce varied raw materials and products,” Loyda states. “Understanding and working with multiple materials offers innovative

Solutions to Common Challenges When Planning a Visual Merchandising Campaign 17 Conclusion

Planning a merchandising display campaign can be a seamless process if you’re armed with insider information and team up with the right retail display company.

Looking for more assistance with your next visual merchandising program? With nearly 90 years of experience in point-of-purchase, we’ve set the bar as industry leaders. Visit www.frankmayer.com to learn about our merchandising display, interactive kiosk, and store fixture work.

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