How do you know which display is better?

How do you know if one point of sale material (POSM) is better than another? It is a difficult question but with a consistent methodology you can get to a solid answer.

I find myself often critiquing marketing activations whether they are TV, social media, point of sale material, billboards and so on.  I cannot seem to go through a store without taking a picture of a display because something caught my eye.  That is what happened in these two occasions when I saw some displays for wine. 

I recently was at a Drugstore in the US and I found it odd to run into the display of Josh wine where I was not expecting to see a wine display which was on the way to the cash register.  It was interesting to me to see where they put that display. A sales or a merchandiser individual looks for space in the store in a priority order and gets permission to place that display where there is room. It made me realize that they were quite clever to put that display in a key location as most people would walk by it and especially people in a hurry that are going to someone’s house and need to bring something they can stop at a Drugstore that also acts like a Convenience Store to pick up something quick.  They had chocolates, cards, flowers, wine and beer all in the same area.  That is a shopper solution – knowing that shoppers will be in need of some of these things for a special occasion such as visiting a friend. A problem would be that the product was not cold so it could not be for a quick purchase to take to someone’s home immediately. It would have to be more planned so there is time to chill if it is white or prosseco specifically.

In another instance, I was in Porto, Portugal visiting a discounter store and I pleasantly ran into the display for Altano wine.  Most of the displays in that discount store were just stacks of product that primarily only showed boxes with logos or the actual product on cardboard trays.  The Altano display caught my eye because I felt it was talking to me.  I saw the cozy fun experience the group was having enjoying the wine and how the bottle of Altano wine is what gave them that experience.  That emotionally connected with me. 

Seeing these two very different executions of wine displays led me to ask that question in my Linked in post where I got all of the great comments I will place at the end of this blog.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7056800262249668608/

Let me walk you through how I think of evaluating these displays.  In a simple way I go through a quick 5 Cs checklist:  Is it Cut Through, is it Consistent with the Brand, is it Clear, does it Connect emotionally and is there an opportunity to connect digitally in an exciting way and finally, does it have a Call to Action.  That is a simple way to evaluate.  However to do it properly you really need to consider a lot more things such as:

Mission: What is the shopper mission (what they need and within what constraints)

Channel: What channel/retailer can solve their needs

Category: What categories are they considering

Think, see, do? What is the shopper seeing, thinking, doing?

Triggers & Barriers: What would make them buy and what is stopping them from buying

Brand priorities: What was the brand trying to accomplish, what should the brand be saying to the shopper with this marketing material

Placement: Where should the ideal place be to place this element

Retailer: How does this fit the retailer brand positioning and are there limitations the retailer is imposing

Measures: How do you ensure the display is effective and efficient. Does it maximize the amount of product in the footprint of the display, does it hold up to time (white is one you must be careful with as it can get very dirty especially at the base if people mop the floors), are the materials strong enough to hold the weight of wine, what sales uplift metrics will you use, are you measuring the ability to build brand equity? How will you measure success?

Because I was not running a workshop but I was just walking through the store I only evaluated the displays quickly in my head using the 5Cs:

Cut Through:  I thought the white Josh display cut through well because it has good contrast vs the rest of the environment. However, Altano catches your eye because of the positive disruption and faces that are known to catch your eye.  The displays cut through in a different way.

Consistent: I thought Altano was more consistent with the brand as I could better understand the brand vs the very simple Josh display that did not tell me much about the brand.

Clear:  I thought the Josh display was more clear and very simple to understand than the Altano.  The Josh display helped people naviage the category faster, understand what each wine offered with simple descriptions.

Connect: The Altano display was much stronger in establishing an emotional connection with the shopper.  Showing people lifestyle images that they can relate to helps the connection with a setting of an occasion that is relevant to wine was well done.  The QR code was too low and not compelling for anyone to scan.

Call to Action:  Neither displays had a call to action nor a claim to help a shopper choose. Altano visual at least showed people consuming which could indirectly encourage a call to action but still short of it. Some ideas for example could be touting the points rating of the wine as both of the wines houses have wines that score 90+ which would help a shopper choose them as they are high quality wines. Putting a neck hanger with an offer to entice purchase or helping them choose would be helpful.  This is where a QR code could be useful. Even simple words like taste, enjoy, experience would help.

In my opinion after doing a quick 5Cs checklist I feel Altano is stronger (but not by much) as noted in my comments above.  In addition, in my opinion Connect is the most important C as it builds brand equity and doesn’t just strive to sell and the Altano display delivered on Connect much better than the Josh display.

To use the methodology more precisely than just in my head, for this blog, I decided to do the actual analysis and I ran the images through 3M VAS and the Josh display cut through better than Altano as you can see in this picture.  The Josh display showed an 85% probability that the shopper will see somewhere within the marked area in the first 3-5 seconds vs Altano at a 61% probability thus confirming that Josh seems to cut through well due to the contrast vs the environment. They both cut through but one was stronger than the other.

Then I answered 13 questions I have in a methodology, which I continue to evolve, to assess the 5Cs and the scores were:  9 out of 13 possible points for Altano which could improve in Cut Through, Clear and Call to Action.  7 out of 13 possible points for Josh which I would recommend to re-design specifically improving the Emotional Connection.  Both should consider leveraging connecting to digital – to get point ratings, reviews, pairing recommendations, etc. plus when you connect with digital you have data to then use for further improvements and lead to performance marketing.

Based on all of this Altano is the display that to me wins this 5Cs exercise but without knowing all of the other questions I stated above it is difficult to assess which display is better than the other.  I would normally work with a team and make sure to understand all the other considerations and then apply the 5Cs for a true evaluation.

Hope this helps in the quest to improve brand activations that build brand equity and sell.

Any questions reach out to me directly alex@xprtsuite.com.

Here I post all the awesome comments from the Linkedin post:

•Dobromir Cias: I think that Altano POSM will perform better.  It has a slightly better chance of attracting attention from afar (cut-through), it relates to the category in a more consistent way through symbols, it has a clearly visible dominant visual element so it is (counterintuitively) clearer despite the white design having a better visible product (contrast). Above all, Altano's design incorporates elements that have a chance to build a connection with buyers through lifestyle elements, the presence of people and a better promise associated with wine consumption. The white POSM is definitely more oriented towards the exposure of the SKUs. Different strategy, different product positioning :-)

•Thanks for your reply Alex, I was hoping to provoke you a bit because of course what I wrote is derived from our work together and to a large extent "your school" - the approach which I had the pleasure to learn from you. You are right, as in any field - technical analysis must be accompanied by a good knowledge of categories and semiotics of the local market. Interesting are the discrepancies in the comments that show this well - for some white POSM means premium, for others a richer color palette referring to wine is more premium. What is difficult is the technical analysis without a good knowledge of the brand and campaign key visuals. After all, if we understand POSM as simply some element of brand execution, it's hard to draw conclusions at all without knowing the brands and their communication strategies. Thanks for our cooperation and discussions; always very inspiring :-)

•Kathy Finnerty Thomas: The white label seems like a better quality wine. I don't usually find great wine with vivid primary color labels.

•Chiara Mrugalla: Wine is generally a more premium category where people might tend to use more time to read through descriptions if they plan to buy wine. But a display like this is supposed to trigger impulse, so easy decoding is most important. Research shows we humans connect and react on seeing other humans doing what we would like to do/see us self doing in the near future. Therefore I’ll think the Altano display checks more points for an effective execution, it also looks more premium.

•Fran Herrera: definetly the white shows transparency and clients like to see what they are buying also check the type they prefer like merlot ,Cabernet S.but I think for the red you can make a mixture with red and white and name the wine like Syrah or etc y ajudar a los clientes si le gusta un vino suave fuerte encorpado como es el Cabernet Sauvignon etc y poner en el futuro una monitora saludos y salud 🍷🇨🇱wine is a choice in the paladar

•Steve Laino:  I think an objective SellCheck report combined with the opinions of these awesome marketers would give us the best answer, thoughts? :-)

•Duamar Armira: I prefer the white one. A more elegant and traffic disruptive solution. The other one seems a little off it looses major impact due to the color scheme

•Abilash Kaleeka: Based on the visibility, stock capacity and branding I prefer Altano display. In my opinion, based on demand we categorized the products in each shelves.

•Rupert Anderton: I think the white better helps guide consumers in the category. The Altano display whilst showing an occasion seems more confusing for those trying to navigate the category

•Rabih Assy: Altano for sure

•Ana Gabriela Estrella: I rather prefer the Altano exhibition because with the image they show a call to action and also invite to a consume occasion so I think it’s a better option than just show the different categories of the product, maybe this one could work in an especialized store more than in a supermarket.

•Miguel Bautista: Without the benefit of know each brand strategy, one exhibition is trying to create a emotional connection with the consumer and build brand awareness (the picture of lady’s gathering, the big product shot, clear branding on the top of the display, social media channels, and QR code to get more info of the product), the other exhibition is just trying to sell wine (lack of emotion, lack of color, cheapy material on the display) but maybe that’s the strategy, communicate affordability, hard sell.
If those are the strategies, then each brand is executing correctly.

•Doreen DiSalvo: It really depends on the consumer decision tree. Mentally I go to Josh since it is a brand I trust, after that it is color/varietal.

•David Forsyth: Agree, Altano checks many emotional categories, however having to make a buy decision I would purchase the Josh wine

Do you know what is missing in your plans?

According to a McKinsey 2022 article, companies are taking short-term measures to manage costs such as pricing adjustments, managing input costs, and reducing operating expenses. While these tactics can be effective, they are temporary solutions. Successful executives have shown to prioritize driving growth vs cost cutting which shapes the behavior, mindset, risk appetite, and investment decisions of the entire organization. These growth-oriented leaders react positively to short-term disruptions that can be turned into opportunities and use them to build organizational resilience and agility. Finding growth in new areas is the key.

So how and where do you find new growth?  Insights into consumers, shoppers, channels, customers and looking at the changes and trends can uncover untapped growth opportunities and help you prioritize the areas of focus.  It all starts with good insights but a big mistake that companies make is that they primarily look at consumer insights and forget that shopper/channel/customer insights are critical to uncover untapped growth opportunities.  Evidence of this is answering this question:  What % of the insights budget is invested in consumer insights and what % in shopper and channel/customer insights? This most likely is what is missing from your plans.  Most companies invest most of their insights budget on consumer insights.  If you want to find growth look at shopper/channel/customer insights as those are mostly untapped.  By the way, investing in Nielsen data and saying that is shopper insights is not what I am talking about. In this blog we will look at shoppers more deeply. In another blog we will look at channels and customers. What insights am I talking about to really understand shoppers? Is is insights that answer who are they, what do they buy, how do they buy, when, where, why, why don’t they buy, what else do they buy?  Getting insights on the shopper behaviors by sub-channel (grocery, convenience, drug, discount, wholesale, hyper, food service, etc) is critical to find opportunities for growth.  In the end you want consumption but to get consumption you need a shopper to buy at a retailer/customer.  The shopper is the one that makes the decision.  Even when the shopper is also the consumer, their mindset is very different when shopping vs when consuming so it is important to understand their mindset.  What are the triggers that would make them buy, what are the barriers preventing them from buying, what behavior change do we need to encourage as well as when and where in order for them to become a new buyer or for those that already buy to buy more often, buy more or what would make them willing to pay more?  Looking at it this way allows you to develop programs that are more specific and measurable to drive growth vs focusing on revenue, margin, profit that are too high level and less actionable.  It is important that as you develop shopper programs the brand communications ensure to build brand equity by being true to the brand positioning in every single communication touchpoint. This is a big pain point for me.  Do not hurt the brand but instead use all comms to build the brand and do it justice!

As we look at shoppers today, they are facing challenging economic times.  Shoppers are becoming more price-sensitive and are more likely to switch to lower-priced brands or private label products but they may save in some areas to treat themselves with innovations that add value and be willing to pay more for those.  Many of us have seen and lived these shopper behaviors in past recessionary environments which many hold true today.  Offering good value to shoppers by emphasizing the quality and benefits of their products and brands while also being mindful of pricing will help retain shoppers. Brands can also offer promotions or bundles that provide shoppers with additional value for their money. Also, with the rise of e-commerce and the pandemic accelerating the adoption of online shopping, CPG brands should have an omnichannel strategy that includes both online and offline touchpoints in order for brands to reach a wider audience and provide shoppers with a seamless shopping experience. Unfortunately, I need to be very generic because it is only when you roll up your sleeves working closely with the team and understanding the brands, where they are, their objectives, the consumer, shopper, customer, channel insights can you devise proper integrated plans that will lead you to great programs to grow your business. 

One final thought I want to leave you with is the following.  One of the biggest sins in our space is to be out of stock whether online or offline.  Once you are out of stock a shopper may try another brand and you have opened the door to a competitor taking your loyal shopper away.  This just happened to me the other day.  I always buy naked Stacy’s chips and Sabra Garlic Hummus.  I buy them together all the time and this time the Sabra Garlic Hummus was out of stock at my nearby supermarket.  Maybe Sabra thought if they ran out of stock I would switch and try one of their many other varieties but sorry I love the Garlic one and I have tried other Sabra varieties and not liked them as much so I decided to try Boar’s Head Garlic Hummus and OMG I loved it.  Sorry Sabra but you had a totally loyal shopper and consumer but you have likely lost me to Boar’s Head.  Being out of stock is the ultimate sin. I brought it home and I was the shopper and others in my family are now consuming Boar’s Head when I only had Sabra in my house in the past.  How do you solve for this so you don’t end up out of stock? 

Integrated planning with monthly commercial reviews will lead you to much better forecasting, stronger Sales & Operation meetings so that you have the right quantity produced and shipped to the right customers on the right dates, etc. 

If your plans start in Brand Marketing you are missing out in a huge way by not developing Brand AND Channel integrated plans that take into account not just the consumer but also the shopper, channel, customer so in the end you can build amazing brand and portfolio experiences in all your target channels and customers.

Reach out to alex@xprtsuite.com so we can help you find growth opportunities in untapped areas.