Creative Point of Sale Marketing

Online marketing, search engine optimization, TV spots, radio and billboard advertising – advertisements are effective whatever the channels. However, one often forgets the place where most of the customers make their decisions: the shelf in the store. Most products are still sold in the actual shopping world. It therefore makes sense to take a closer look at marketing ideas for the point of sale.

The store as an ideal point of sale

Where is advertising more effective than directly at the point of sale? Strategic Point of Sale marketing addresses the target group already at the shelf. The advantage of this situation is clear: Once in the store, the customer is already basically inclined to make a purchase; the customer is there to shop. Strategic PoS marketing therefore does not have to convince the customer to make a purchase, it only has to convince the customer to put a particular item in their basket. The potential customer already has a basket that is waiting to be filled.

Creativity in tiny spaces

Even the smallest point of sale offers space for creativity – even though it might only be a tiny amount of space. Limitations often give way to exciting ideas. A well-known brewery once made a virtue out of necessity and turned the space limitations into the content of the message: One case of beer for a square meter of rainforest. The message worked and sales figures soared. The retailers were also pleased. The capacity of a retail store is generally calculated according to the sale of expensive square meter of store area. Strategic marketing at the point of sale therefore convinces the customer as well as the trade partner. These are excellent conditions for the next in-store promotional activity.

Two targets: Customer and retailer

For a start, retailers will have to be convinced that the point of sale is carried out in their store. This means that every activity must be adapted to meet the conditions on-site. The following individual aspects must be taken into account:

• How much space is available?
• In which surroundings can a PoS be set up?
• What resources will the retailer have to provide?
• Is staff available that can look after it?

Another important issue is: Does the activity match the retailer’s needs if the retailer’s company considers itself its own brand? In this case the presentation of the goods must be adapted to fit into the individual concept of the store.

Tip:
What does your point of sale currently look like? What places are suitable for you? What are your competitors doing?
Focus on actual data and examine your options and the current situation at the PoS with the help of the crowd and the „Customer Insights – Point of Sale Marketing“ offered by clickworker.

What attracts the customer?

Brand activation at the PoS addresses the customer’s needs. Professional marketing therefore involves seeing things from the consumer’s perspective. It is especially important with Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) to distance oneself from the competition. Standing in front of the shelf, the consumer is often faced with a huge selection of similar items. This issue is therefore decisive and the customer must be provided with an answer directly at the shelf:

• Why is this product better than the others and why does it offer added value?

And since the unique selling point must be eye-catching if possible, the following guideline applies: Keep it smart and simple. A short and effective message or another eye catcher that calls immediate attention to the product is the basis of AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action – the customary promotional slogan that is also valid for successful marketing in retail stores.

Profits and more

Shopping is more than just fulfillment of demand – for many people it is one of the most popular ways to relax. Traditional advertising methods that include leisure activities, fun and games, such as contests and prize draws are the basis. If you are selling high quality goods and want to strengthen your brand, you will want to make sure that your prizes are more than just high priced. Although expensive iPhones or other status symbols are tempting for customers, it might not be worthwhile for the brand to overshoot its target group. The prizes, the response and the course of the activities must always incorporate the brand to achieve maximum effectiveness.

The first impression is decisive

The optical appeal is paramount to a successful product presentation. The optimization of optical appeal includes everything that supports the sale of the products. The goal is to create and establish images, moods and narratives, which are connected to the brand in question, in the consumer’s mind. Visual merchandising therefore focuses on the surroundings as well as the product. Where is the presentation located? Other rules apply in the so-called impulse zone (for instance at the checkout or waiting area) as compared with zones where planned purchases occur.

Tip:
Are your Point of Sale Marketing activities correctly realized? Is your product correctly and adequately placed everywhere? You do not have to visit every single store. Clickworkers will visit every relevant PoS and will take pictures of your presentation of goods on site – upon request, worldwide..

Summary

Promotional activities directly in stores still remain an effective tool in the era of online marketing. Successful marketing strategies at the point of sale focus on individualism and promotional messages that correspond to the product. Good ideas have a long-term impact. They have a lasting and beneficial effect on the image of the brand. This is why creativity at the store shelf pays off.