Merchandising & PR

Course 10&11
Mechandising

 Merchandising techniques apply to a broad spectrum of

markets, from consumer to industrial
 The consumer’s final decision to buy is often made inside
 Tools

 Leaflets and dispensers (“take on” boxes)

 Stickers
 Posters
 Show cards and cardboard cutouts
 Branded racks or display units
 Three-dimensional
- injection moulded characters
- holograms
- free-standing floor displays
 Electronic gadgetry
- spotlighting systems
- video walls
- plasma screens
- illuminated display systems with fibre optics
- magic mirrors
- interactive POS systems
 Shelf space
 Shelf positioning
 In-store sampling
 Window displays
 Digital imaging and Web-based merchandising analysis tools
The most common low-tech
merchandising tools

 Store image (external and internal)

 Store layout (customer traffic flows)
 Merchandise ranges
 Colour blocking
 Point-of-sale displays
 Miscellaneous
Store image

 “cue patterns”
 Concept of “retail theatre”
Store layout

 Flow-modelling time-lapse photos

 High-density areas
 Primary and secondary visual points
Merchandise ranges

 “full shelves sell best” – valid for FMCG retailers

 Eye level is buy level
 Product life cycle
 Merchandising display software
Colour blocking

 To attract attention by placing similarly coloured items

close to each other to create a stronger shelf presence
by means of a block of colour
POS displays

 Designed to boost sales without creating any conflict

with overall store image
Miscellaneous

 Sound effects
 Scents
PR - Sponsorship

 More than patronage, altruism or benefaction

 It can indeed help others while simultaneously achieving
specifically defined communication objectives
 Enlightened self-interest
 Sport, arts, education, community, broadcast
 Advantages & disadvantages
Sponsorship programme

 Define objectives
 Define and analyse target audience/s
 Sponsorship policy and programme selection
 Fix budgets
 Sponsorship strategy
 Detailed plan of tactics
 Test or run a pilot scheme
 Implement the (modified) programme
 Monitor and measure
Objectives

 Increase awareness
 Build an image
 Improve or maintain relations
 Increase sales and open closed markets
 Increase sales
 Attract distributors/ agents
 Create promotional material
 Circumventing advertising bans
Ambush marketing

 Ambush marketers attack official event sponsors by

running competing promotions, events and
advertisements close to the official sponsors’.
Exhibitions

 Prioritize exhibition objectives

 Develop an exhibition strategy
 Select the right shows
 Agree a design strategy
 Determine pre-show promotional tactics
 Train exhibition staff
 Finalize exhibition operational (daily action) plan
 Ensure follow-up
 Evaluate – post-show
Objectives

 Generate sales and enquiries from new and existing

customers, agents and distributors
 Launch new products
 Maintain a presence in the market
 Press coverage and external PR opportunity
 Reinforce relationships with customers, distributors and
agents through hospitality and introductions to senior
managers and directors
 Support local distributors / agents by exhibiting
 Market research – customers, non-customers and
distributors
 Test new ideas – product testing and informal creative
discussions
 Competitor analysis and intelligence gathering
 Staff motivation
 Meet new staff or potential recruits
Strategy

 Summarizes the frequency and types of show selected

Pre-show promotional activity

 Direct mail invitations

 E-marketing
 Press activities
 Sales force briefing (to invite their customers)
 Perimeter advertising (around the venue)
 Press advertising
 Joint promotions