What's in Store

Years ago when I worked on the client side rather than the agency side, I was a merchandising manager for a CE corporation. CE retail chains were many and varied back then. I'm talking about when CompUSA, Circuit City, and independent dealers and lots of VARs were around. The industry was changing rapidly so I took a seminar focusing on retail merchandising and the CE industry. The speaker suggested we take a look at how grocery stores do things. I walked through stores and made casual observations like how they would pair chips with salsa on an end aisle display or place huge pallets of beer and pretzels the week-end before the Super Bowl. Why weren't we using these simple strategies? I went to a CompUSA and noted that the ink and paper was clear across the store from the compatible printers. Why make the customer walk all the way over there to get something the store and the manufacturer made a huge margin on? I also noted that extra memory for computers was found acro...

Packaging can be one of your most important marketing tools. It provides a tangible impression of your brand and acts as a silent sales person in-store. You can have mediocre packaging but what if your packaging fails all together. Here are some ways to avoid the epic failure. 1) Seek input from potential retailers If you don't solicit input from potential partners, you run the risk of producing a package that can't be merchandised in their store. Let's say your box only stacks but in their store it is pegged. Do your leg work and see how your package is merchandised before you start the package design process. Meet with the buyer and see what they suggest regarding package format, wording and content. Show them a rendering or a prototype of your packaging so you don't waste any time or money reprinting. You don't have to take all of their advice, but very often they can help make or break the sales of your product. 2) Don't Stand out in all of the wron...