Promotion & Visual Merchandising

Role of Promotion Promotion is the communication of information about goods, services, images and/or ideas to influence purchase behavior.

Characteristics of Promotional Communication Personal and Non-personal Persuasive Relevant Suited to the product Factual Repetitious

Purposes of Promotion Promotion links buyers and sellers Promotion influences purchase behavior Promotion allows sellers to communicate the benefits of their products to buyers Promotion is used to create demand for a product or service Promotion is a major element of the marketing mix

Promotional Tools (Types of Promotion) Advertising Visual Merchandising Sales Promotion Personal Selling Publicity

Promotional Mix Businesses use a variety of communication techniques to give their promotional messages to consumers. The combination, or blend, of marketing communication channels that a business uses to send its messages to consumers is known as the promotional mix.

Importance of Promotional Mix Key role in obtaining and keeping customers Appropriate blending of promotional elements enables businesses to communicate effectively with consumers. Promoters can inform potential customers about products, services, or ideas and persuade them to buy.

Visual Merchandising (Display)

Visual Merchandising Presentation of merchandise to the customer in a visual way. This gives customers a firsthand view of the product.

Purposes of Display To sell goods To show new uses for products To introduce new goods To build prestige and goodwill To show proper care of merchandise To suggest merchandise combinations

Classification of Displays Promotional Displays – designed to sell the merchandise Institutional Displays – designed to promote community goodwill

Flying In Technique The use of wires or strings to hang the merchandise in a display

Five Basic Areas of Display Window Bow – the most important part because it’s seen the most, put current fashions and main merchandise in this area, designed to catch your eye Center Panel – runs from ceiling to floor Floor – used for tie-in items to help bring attention back to the window Back Wall/Side Wall – can be used to hang accessories, last thing seen in a display Door Wall – last chance for customer before entering the store

Types of Lighting Primary – minimum amount of light necessary to the window without creating dark spots or shadows – lights up the whole display Secondary – lights up specific part of the display Atmosphere – creates an atmosphere

Techniques Used to Create Atmosphere Lighting Play of light against shadow – moonlight (scary or romantic) Special lighting devices – black lights, etc. Colored lights and filters Wash lighting – entire scene flooded with light – creates a happy mood

Types of Props Functional Props – display the merchandise (mannequin, Christmas tree, table, etc.) Decorative Props – establish a mood (snow, wood chips, leaves, etc.) Structural Props – change architectural organization of the window (ladder, pole- vertical, fence – horizontal)

Types of Displays Window – outside selling area Interior – inside selling area

Window Display Designs Closed window design – uses a full background panel; completely separates the store’s interior from the window display Semi-closed window design – uses a half panel background to separate the store interior from the display. Potential customers can see over the displayed merchandise into the store. Open window design – make it possible for customers to look directly into the store. No back panel.

Interior Display Unit Designs Island – Large, open tables stacked high with one or several types of merchandise and separated from surrounding areas End – Located at the end of merchandise aisles. Used for displaying timely & specially priced merchandise Platform – Merchandise displayed on stands raised above surrounding products. Shadow Box – Small closed interior displays built into walls or placed on counters or ledges Ledge – Shelves built on walls or other display units Point of Purchase – Open displays usually tied in with a manufacturer’s advertising program. Located in most cases near checkout counters or store exits.

Elements of Design Line – shortest distance between two points Direction – vertical, horizontal, oblique (diagonal), curvy Shape – circle, square, triangle, rectangle Size – blend sizes or contrast them) Space – every item should have its own space Texture – surface quality of an object (soft, hard, shiny, dull, rough, smooth) Weight – lightweight or heavyweight Color

Every object that you put into a display has all 8 of the design elements!

Eight Color Schemes Triadic – Red, yellow, blue or Green, orange violet Advancing (warm) Red, orange, yellow Receding (cool) Blue, green violet Analogous (next to each other on the color wheel) Monochromatic (tints and shades of one color) Complementary – opposites (red/green, blue/orange, yellow/violet, etc.) Split Complementary – base and the colors around it Double Split Complementary – Base and colors around it and the complement and colors around it

Things every display must have! Principles of Design Things every display must have!

Balance Equal distribution of objects within the display Formal – mentally split the display down the center – both sides identical in space & weight visually Informal – both sides are balanced but not identical if split down the middle

Point of Emphasis First thing you see – the point of eye contact Ways to create a point of emphasis Contrasting Color Contrasting Shapes, sizes, textures Highlighting with spotlight Placement – putting something in the foreground

Harmony Blending and combining of everything in your display to create a pleasing effect

Proportion Arrangement of merchandise within a display

Types of Arrangement Pyramid – cylinder Step – Progression of sizes Zig Zag – background, middle-ground, foreground Repetition – Repeating or alternating items Radiation – (sun) emphasis is center and everything radiates from that. Rhythm – The way your eye moves through the display. (Rhythm will happen automatically if you have properly arranged merchandise.) Rhythm is the direction of your line.