Display & Design Ideas - June 2009 - (Page 14)

14 | Quick Tips ways to build a positive in-store customer experience The ImageXchange System from Graphics Gallery exemplifies the power of signage and graphics in-store. S hifts in consumer behavior studies suggest shopping is an event that is increasingly becoming experiential. Studies also suggest 70 percent of consumer purchasing decisions are made in-store. To respond to their customers, retailers must create a positive in-store experience to ensure their customers feel connected to their store brand and feel compelled to purchase while they shop. As retailers, your store’s visual image is a key vehicle for delivering the messages about your brand. There is no better time to utilize in-store designs and signage than when you have customers as a captive audience inside your store. Here are some tips to help you use signage to plan an effective strategy to relay your brand messages clearly to customers. of items quickly and efficiently. To ensure their needs and expectations are met, create signage that is easy to read, free of clutter, utilizes consistent color and design, and most importantly, articulates the message clearly. goal of keeping the consumer in the store longer. Today’s print technology offers the flexibility needed to create an atmosphere that enhances the customer experience and directs messages toward the audience in a way that forges an ongoing bond between the customer and brand. Analyze your target market. Uncover who the customer is. Through the store, you target a specific market and work toward satisfying them. Understand who is actually shopping at your store by analyzing all the available data collected through purchases, loyalty programs, etc. Once you have analyzed the data, you can better plan store layout and signage needs, as well as merchandising opportunities. Direct the messaging. Tailor messages toward your specific demographic audience. Using effective signage that speaks to who your customers are will strengthen their experiences, as they will feel that their attitudes, values and desires are being acknowledged. In a suburban grocery store, customers are often time-focused, with families to feed and a household budget in mind, hence, they tend to visit with a goal in mind—locating their list Position the signage. The understanding of traffic flow in your store will determine focal points for customers. Consider how the three visual zones within the retail environment are applicable and customize signage in all three applications, paying attention to eye level down, eye level up and signage 10 ft. above to the ceiling. Effective location of signage improves customer knowledge about the store, eradicates frustration in locating merchandise and guides customers to sales representatives and cash desks. Focus and re-focus. Although you have a target market, understand that customers are part of cultures that are constantly changing. The store remains the most important marketing tool, as it is the only place the actual product, the decision-maker and the money come together at one time. Ensure your marketing strategies consistently address shifts in consumer behavior patterns and be ready to change signage and décor to respond to ongoing shifts in customer attitudes and values. Digital graphic designs and signage are cost-effective and efficient ways of fine tuning your message. —Bill Holte is the sales manager of Transcontinental Spot Graphics, which provides a complete in-store marketing solution to retailers. Contact him at holteb@ transcontinental.ca. www.ddimagazine.com Create custom designs. Make use of digitally customized graphic designs and signage that are available to further direct the key messages to your audience. For example, in making use of wide-format graphics, natural architectural structures can be created to enhance your customers’ in-store experiences. By enhancing their experiences, you should be able to realize your | June 2009 http://www.ddimagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Display & Design Ideas - June 2009

Display & Design Ideas - June 2009
Contents
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Consumer Insights
Quick Tips
Greentailing
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Marketing & Branding Super Section
Channel Focus: Cosmetics/Beauty
Liz Claiborne
Shopper Insights
Logos: Then & Now
Starbucks
POP Products
T&T
Right Light
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Think Tank

Display & Design Ideas - June 2009