About 15 years ago our Director of Operations asked if she could bring in her younger brother Tim to help in the warehouse during the summer. Fresh out of high school, Tim earned minimum wage and assisted in packing and doing a variety of odd jobs. One afternoon our head designer Will needed a break, so he started a makeshift game of baseball in the warehouse. He wadded up a ball of tape and grabbed a wood dowel for a bat. Tim jumped in as pitcher, and the game began. After striking out several times, Will noticed that Tim had a strong arm, so he asked Tim to join his men’s league baseball team. With Tim as pitcher, they made it to the finals that summer. Will encouraged Tim to go out for the baseball team at a local community college. After making the team, he transferred to Bacone College where he was subsequently drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 32nd round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft. After several seasons with the Royals, he was traded to the San Diego Padres, not far from the RICH LTD. warehouse where he was first “discovered.” Like Tim Hill, everyone has a story. I told the story of how I met Muhamad Ali, one of the most famous people of all time, in a related blog entitled, “Muhammed Ali and the Value of Incorporating Storytelling in Your POP Display.” In today’s post, we’ll provide some practical examples of how to use POP displays to tell a story.
With continued product proliferation, intense competition within product categories, and a myriad of shopper distractions, storytelling at retail is becoming increasingly important. Storytelling is a proven way to establish an emotional connection with shoppers. Storytelling can help your brand stand out from other brands. It’s a way to help consumers understand and remember your brand. There are lots of ways to tell stories.
Sharing an Inspirational Brand Message– Sharing an inspirational message is a great way to connect emotionally with shoppers. Performance apparel brand Vuori does this masterfully by posting its brand message in all of its stores. This type of positive messaging is likely to resonate with a lot of people, and its underlying tone goes a long way in converting shoppers into customers.
Storytelling by Demonstration– Demonstrating your product in a clever and compelling way is another approach to telling your brand’s story. There is truth in the old adage “See is believing.” Eyewear company OVVO Optics created an ingenious floor display that demonstrates the singular most important attribute of its eyewear: strength. The lower half of the display features a single pair of glasses holding a heavy weight while the upper half of the display is devoted to showcasing its glasses. OVVO’s patented feather-weight glasses are constructed of a military-grade surgical steel and titanium composite and screwless hinges that can withstand 90 lbs. of pulling force. There’s more to their product story, but the display shown below is an awesome way of communicating the essence of their brand’s story.
Storytelling through Materials– The materials you select to construct your display can tell a story about your brand. For example, we made the floor shelf display below for Guayaki whose legal name is Guayaki Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc. The company’s story is deeply rooted in its mission which is closely tied to conservation, sustainability, and environmental regeneration. Material selection for the display played a critical role in reinforcing the values of the Guayaki Yerba Mate brand. We chose Beetle-Kill pine with a water-based eco-friendly dark walnut stained finish. We made the shelves out of post-harvest rice straw waste panels and used recycled acrylic for the signs. Everything about the display, including the packaging, was intended to communicate the company’s commitment to the environment.
Storytelling Through Graphics– One of the most common ways to use point-of-purchase displays to tell stories is through graphics. Graphics enable brands to combine images and text in a way that can tell the brand’s story. Sometimes brands focus on using graphics to articulate a list of product features and benefits or facts and figures about the brand. Unfortunately, consumers rarely retain a list of features and benefits and often forget the facts and figures that some brands feel is so important to communicate. But what they do remember are well-told stories about the brand.
We designed the floor display below not only to merchandise the company’s unique line of silk scarfs, but also to tell the story of how Darn Good Yarn is improving the lives of marginalized women in India and around the world by utilizing recycled silk yarn to create year-round, safe, fair, and sustainable economic opportunities for local artisans.
Thematic Story Telling– Sometimes brands will create a high-level theme around which they will build their story. For example, we worked with Fahlo to create the floor display shown below around the simple theme of “Track an Animal.” By itself, the idea of tracking an animal is intriguing and immediately creates shopper interest. The display’s graphics tell the story of how the company’s bracelets can track real sea turtles and other wild animals while also reinforcing the company’s worldwide commitment to conservation.
Like many stories, Tim Hill’s story is a one of twists and turns. After overcoming longshot odds to make it to the big leagues, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer at age 25, the same disease that killed his father. He had half his colon removed and underwent 8 months of radiation and chemotherapy. He lost 70 lbs. and missed the 2015 season. He came back strong in 2016 and has remained part of major league baseball ever since. His is a story of overcoming the odds. It’s a story of resilience. When you are ready to embark on your next POP display project, think about the best way to tell your brand’s story.