Retail marketing: solutions for in-store brand promotion

BRAND ACTIVITY

Jan 26th, 08:05

Whether launching a new FMCG brand or rejuvenating an existing one, in-store promotion is essential for grabbing a consumer’s interest, ahead of the clutter and many other brands in-store, all competing for the same attention.

“In a typical Hyper-store, which can have as many as 5000 SKUs, any differentiation in-store helps the consumers notice the brand,” says Riaan Labuschagne, MD of Zapop, a specialist in-store marketing company in South Africa.

However, FMCG brands should not rely on one media solution alone to differentiate their products in-store; they should ideally use a complimentary mix of applications, such as media leading up to the shelves (frequency) and in the aisles themselves (more permanent exposure), to fully grab a consumer’s attention and to ensure that shoppers actually place the product being promoted in their baskets and trolleys.

Digital media platforms, print media solutions and promotional stands are applications that marketers can use to compliment their in-store marketing activities and to make their brands stand out against the clutter.

The field of in-store brand promotion is wide and marketers have a broad range of in-store brand promotion solutions available to them, thanks to industry innovation and advances in technology.

Print media solutions

The Z-CARD®, introduced to South Africa by PocketMedia® Solutions, is a pocket-sized in-store promotion tool that can be attached to branded products to distinguish them from other FMCG brands in-store and on-shelf. The Z-CARD®, which can be made up to almost any shape and graphic design, also acts as a communications tool to inform consumers about the product they are going to purchase. The Z-CARD® is but one of the solutions in the PocketMedia® range.

Primedia Instore provides a bouquet of print media solutions that marketers can use to compliment their in-store promotions, including leaflets, posters and boxed banner ads. The company also offers a host of illuminated media solutions, like Captivision. Primedia Instore is a specialist in its field and has provided in-store media solutions to fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) blue-chip corporations in South Africa, for the more than 28 years.

Digital media platforms - on-shelf product screens

On-shelf product screens, such as those supplied by One Digital Media, provide marketers with tools to created targeted campaigns around a product on-shelf. Product screens, like One Digital Media’s popular 7 to 10 inch screens, are strategically placed on a shelf in front of a brand to influence consumers at the point of purchase decision. Content flighted on these screens can be changed by the week, day, or hour and altered according to region, or store type.

Digital media platforms - store entrance displays

Digital media platforms at the entrance to retail stores, like those provided by Zapop, serve to immediately attract shoppers’ attention and inform shoppers about a brand as they set foot in a store. A popular store entrance display is the 46 inch visual, diagonal in size.

Zapop MD, Riaan Labuschagne adds that “by displaying the brands or SKUs frequently on the way to the shelves in a dynamic manner a brand is essentially creating real estate on a much grander scale than the competing brands.”

Promotional tables and stands

Branded promotional stands and displays from Promotional and Display Systems, serve to attract a consumer’s attention and inform them about a product, on their way to the shelves and in the aisles, giving value added exposure to branded products. The company offers a wide range of free standing units, which can also be custom made. Its “wet demo” promotional table, which can accommodate a wide range of accessories, like sinks and cooking tops, is most popular at present.

*Companies and solutions featured in this article offer a host of in-store marketing solutions for FMCG brands, although only a few have been highlighted for the purposes of this article.