The Prepaid Press - February 15, 2008 - (Page 23)

RETAIL FOCUS February 15 · 2008 - 23 PREPAID IOI by Ron Maier Branding Your Retail Store Creating your identity can be a real challenge. Your brand image is what people feel and think when your store comes to mind. You’ll need to conform your services and products to the image that you choose, so choose wisely. Consider what types of items you want to sell. Consider your demographic. Consider your location. Research your competitors. Figure out what they’ve done that helped them become who they are. The most important part of branding your retail store is to be original; completely and utterly original. Your originality is going to be what people identify with your name. Merchandise, store displays, counter displays, color, lighting, space, window displays, the hangers and racks you choose, all will go into branding your image. Be consistent with your theme. Create promotions that revolve around the brand that you want to project. Use your brand and advertise the idea in everything that goes into and out of your store. All advertising should clearly show the image that you want to project. Brand image has been proven to influence purchasers to spend more money. If your image fits the image that they want to project then you’re in good shape. Your company logo also needs to be unique and trademarked. Your logo should appear in as many places as possible throughout the store. Print it on receipts, tags, walls, doors, outdoor advertising, print ads, on your website, and on every flyer and bag that leaves your store. Keep the image that you want to portray in mind when designing your logo. You may start with a drawing and craft the logo yourself. You can also hire an agency to design your logo for you. They will make sure that your logo will look good in small print, black and white or color, large print and even on billboards. Your logo should be in all the correct formats for printing, broadcasting and to use on your web site. Use your logo and promote your brand by researching when and where to advertise. If you’re branding a high-end store, you probably shouldn’t advertise in a poor area of town or in a cheap sales paper. Stick to the areas that contain customers in the demographic you are targeting and flood that area. People can have an idea, impression and preconception about your store before they ever set foot in it. Don’t disappoint. Let your prospective customers know why you are unique. Be enticing in your advertisements. Use product placement to get your name out there. Having a celebrity or person of interest endorse your brand can be priceless. Your brand is like your personality out there for the world to see and recognize. It will affect people in ways that you want if you convey it carefully. Brand image has been proven to influence purchasers to spend more money. If your image fits the image that they want to project then you’re in good shape. People associate the brands that they buy with their own identities. They project what they want others to think of them by the brands that they choose. Getting your brand into their hands can help it spread and have a powerful effect on your business. Ron Maier is the VP of S&L Store Fixtures, a provider of retail store displays and store fixtures, including slatwall accessories, and mannequins. For more information, visit www.slstoredisplays.com. http://www.slstoredisplays.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Prepaid Press - February 15, 2008

The Prepaid Press - February 2008 Beachfront Property for Sale Cardholder Facing Systems Contents The Retske Report: Getting the Word Out 5 Minutes With Mark Flanagan, CEO of PrepaidWireless.com Regulatory Rundown: Mid-Winter Update 2008 Prepaid Wireless Handsets Consumer’s Union Raps Wireless Industry Prepaid Reviews Launches Canadian Website Maginpins and TúYo Mobile Form Alliance Prepaid Wireless in Brief Boost Mobile Introduces New $1/Day Chat Plan Mobile Voice to Overtake Fixed in Europe Prepaid Wireless Roundup Another Kind of Prepaid Calling Spot Rates VSNL Wins ATLANTIC-ACM Award The Legal Line Calling Cards in Brief Sapotek Partners with DigiLinea Pactolus Goes Live at Cable MSO Low-Income Market Initiatives to Drive Mobile Banking Payments in Brief Monitise Americas Expands Payments Network Charge Anywhere Mobile POS Wins Award Hypercom Introduces System for Small Merchants TIO Networks Announces TIO Prepaid MasterCard NPBCA Makes Leadership Change A Walk Down the Aisle Branding Your Retail Store Retailers Welcome Senate Approval of Stimulus Bill NRF Forecasts 3.5 Percent Growth in Retail Sales Cyphermint Teams With DHL Retail Focus in Brief Our Advertisers Contact Us

The Prepaid Press - February 15, 2008

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