Visual Merchandising/Advertising

Visual Merchandising

-Coordinating all the physical elements in a place of business to project an image to customers

Display

-Visual/artistic aspects of presenting a product or service to a target group of customers to encourage a purchase

Role of Visual Merchandising

• Build the overall business/brand image

• Design, create, and maintain design elements of the building/displays

• Promote the business’s image and sales of its products/services

• Attract customers to a business and keep them coming back

• Create an inviting space

Elements of Visual Merchandising

-Storefront

-Store layout

-Store interior

-Interior Displays

Storefront

• Signs- exterior including the sign, marquee, and overall exterior design

• Marquee- a canopy that extends over a store’s entrance

• Entrances

• Window displays

Store Layout

• Selling space

• Storage space

• Personnel space

• Customer space

-Ways that stores use floor space to facilitate and promote sales and serve customers

Store Interior

• Graphics, signage, color, sound

• Lighting

• Fixtures- permanent or movable store furnishings that hold and display merchandise

Interior Displays

• Architectural diaplsys- model rooms

• Closed displays- touching merchandise is not permitted

• Open displays- touching merchandise is permitted

• Point of purchase displays- temporary or permanent, informational, interactive kiosks

• Store decorations- seasonal

Steps to Create a Display

1. Select merchandise for display

2. Select type of display

3. Choose a setting

4. Manipulate the artistic elements

5. Evaluate the completed display

Selecting Merchandise

-Should be visually appealing

-Should attract customers

-Merchandise must be seasonally appropriate

Selecting the Type of Display

-One-item display

-Similar-item display

-Related-product display

-Assortment/cross-mix display

-Props

• Decorative or functional

Props

Properties that are items or physical objects that hold the merchandise on display

Choosing a Setting

-Can be realistic, semi-realistic, or abstract

Manipulating Artistic Elements

-Lines

-Color

• Color wheel

• Complementary colors

• Adjacent colors

• Triadic colors

-Shape

-Direction

• Focal point

-Texture

-Proportion

-Balance

• Formal balance

• Informal balance

-Motion

-Lighting

Evaluating the Completed Display

-Is the store’s image enhanced

-Does it appeal to customers

-Does it promote the product in the best way possible

-is the theme creatively applied

-Is the signage appropriate

-Was the result pleasing

Advertising

-Nonpersonal promotion which promotes ideas, goods, or services by using a variety of media

-Average city dwellers are exposed to more than 4,000 advertising messages everyday

-Mass advertising enables companies to reach large numbers of people with messages

Promotional Advertising

-Advertising designed to increase sales. Encourages potential customers to ask for information, call for appointments, participate on the internet, or enter a retail store.

Institutional Advertising

-Advertising designed to create a favorable image for a company and foster goodwill in the marketplace.

Media

-The agencies, means, or instruments used to convey advertising messages to the public.

Print Media

-Advertising in;

• Newspapers

• Magazines

• Direct mail

• Directory advertising

• Outdoor advertising

• Transit

Transit Advertising

-Advertisement seen on public transportation.

Broadcast Media

-Encompasses radio and television

Television: Can advertise nationally on network TV or local stations

Radio: Advertisers can carefully target their audiences when they select the station on which to broadcast their ads

Internet Advertising

-Form of advertising that uses either e-mail or the World Wide Web

-Includes:

• Opt-in e-mail ads

• Banner and search engine ads

• Rich-media and video ads

• Social media advertising

• Podcasts

• Blogs

Podcast

-Any brief digital broadcast that includes audio, images, and video delivered separately or in combination

Blogs

-Personal websites where individuals share thoughts, pictures, and comments with visitors

Specialty Media

-Also known as giveaways or advertising specialties. Relatively inexpensive useful products that are imprinted with the company’s name, message, or logo

-Includes

• Books

• Calendars

• Magnets

• Pens

• Pencils

• Shirts

• Caps

• Bags

Media Planning

-Process of selecting the appropriate advertising media and deciding the time or space in which ads should appear to accomplish a marketing objective

Audience

-The number of homes or people exposed to an ad

Frequency

-Number of times an audience sees or hears an advertisement

Impression

-A single exposure to an advertising message

Cost per Thousand (CPM)

-The media measurement cost of exposing 1,000 readers or viewers to an advertising impression

Newspaper Advertising Advantages

-Distribution is known

-Targets people living in certain areas

-Responses to ads and coupons are easily tracked

-Cost is relatively low

Newspaper Advertising Disadvantages

-Some sold to subscribers outside the target market zone

-Limited shelf life

-Limited color availability

-Ads are less appealing than those in magazines or direct mail

-Circulation and readership is declining

Other Advertising Media

May include:

• Digital billboards

• On-screen movie theater ads

• Bathroom stalls

• iPods

• Cell phones

• Laptops

• Video games

• Vlogs

• Web logs

• RSS news feeds

• Twitter

• Facebook

Magazine Advertising

Advantages

• Longer life span than newspapers

Disadvantages

• Cost

• Deadline limits flexibility to make changes based on the market

Direct Mail Advertising

Advantages

• Can send to a select population

• Can purchase mailing lists

• Wide choice of printed ad formats

• Flexibility

Disadvantages

• Yields low level of responses

• Image problems (junk mail)

• Cost

Directory Advertising

Advantages

• Relatively inexpensive

• Can target all demographic groups

• Longer life span

Disadvantages

• Printed version can only be changed when reprinted

Outdoor Advertising

Advantages

• Highly visible

• Relatively inexpensive

• Provides 24/7 messages

• Specific geographic area

Disadvantages

• Limited viewing time

• Increasing regulations

• Restricted to highways, and other certain roads/zones

Transit Advertising

Advantages

• Reaches wide/captive audience

• Economical

• Defined market of travellers

Disadvantages

• Difficult to target specific markets

Media Planning and Selection Tips

-Accomplish marketing objective

-Use media planning software

-Use-media cost data

-Use audience information

Newspaper Rates

-Determined by:

• Classified or display ad

• Amount of space

• Timing

• Location of ad

Internet Rates

-Determined by:

• Display format

• CPM rate based on views

• Paid listing at portal sites

• Per-click rates

• Pay-for-sale advertising

Magazine Rates

-Determined by:

• Circulation

• Type of readership

• Production technique

Radio/television Rates

-Determined by:

• Network radio, national spot-radio, or local radio

• Time of day

Budget Methods

-Percent of sales

-All you can afford

-Following the competition

-Objective and task

Percent of Sales

-Budget based on a percentage of past or anticipated sales

-Budget could be tied to figures that are too high or too low for current market conditions

All you can afford

—Company pays all their expenses and then applies the remainder of funds to promotional activities

-Often used for a short time and is popular with small businesses

-Builds sales and reputation quickly

Following the Competition

-Company matches its competitors promotional expenses or prepares a budget based on the competitors market share

-Drawback: based on competitors objective

Objective and Task

-Company determines goals, identifies the steps to meet those goals, and determines the cost for activities to meet those goals

-MOST effective method because of how its designed