Big Ticket Merchandising

What most of us perceive as typical P-O-P aims right for the gut. It makes us buy things we didn't even know we wanted -- a soda as we're checking out of the drugstore, a bag of chips to go along with that six-pack of beer at the supermarket. Quintessential P-O-P, in other words, turns inexpensive products into impulse purchases.But what if the purchase is a car instead of a can of cola? A sofa, not a snack? Although it may not immediately come to mind when you think of "in-store promotion," P-O-P for big-ticket purchases abounds. And it operates under a different dynamic than small-ticket P-O-P. There's simply a lot more to explain about a washing machine than there is about a bottle of laundry detergent -- and the washing machine is around long after the detergent bottle is empty.The complexity and permanence of expensive durable goods, along with the higher price itself, means the buying decision is as intellectual as it is visceral. And that requires P-O-P to serve as a consultative selling tool -- a partner, if you will, that helps the retail sales staff make a well-rounded and compelling sales pitch. Indeed, rather than creating an impulse, big-ticket P-O-P must assist in overcoming the consumer's innate impulse to keep his wallet closed until he's convinced that the investment is a wise one."I wish impulse was involved in billiard sales," says Jeff Vlasak, director of marketing for Brunswick Billiards, the Bristol, Wis.-based division of Brunswick Corp. With top-selling pool tables ranging from $1,500 to $10,000, Brunswick's products are clearly off the "impulse buy" radar screen. Interestingly, retailers have historically pushed price in their own P-O-P, says Vlasak "A lot of times they'll make table tents listing the price, then they'll cross that out and list the sale price below. So the first thing the consumer sees is the price. Our philosophy is 180 degrees from that We want the consumer to easily see the features and benefits, fall in love with the table, and think price last." So a year and a half ago, Vlasak developed an in-store campaign that played up the company's 155-year heritage while downplaying price."What differentiates us is our heritage," says Vlasak. "Our strongest competition has been around only 25 years." To highlight the brand's premier status, the company created a series of large canvas banners featuring American icons like Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Babe Ruth and Mark Twain who all, at one time, owned Brunswick pool tables. "These people speak to the same ideals that characterize our products: integrity, originality, longevity." After the banners draw consumers to the Brunswick section of the store, large cards that lie flat on the tables list features and benefits. A small hang-tag attached to a pocket of each table lists the price. "So the consumer comes up to the table, reads the feature card, steps back, sees the beautiful styling and then, hopefully, has fallen in love before he bends down to see the price." Vlasak says the American Icon campaign has generated positive feedback from retailers. "It capitalizes on the power of our brand and differentiates us from the competition."Bassett Furniture is another company that appreciates the allure of large colorful banners on crowded store floors. To highlight the recently-released Chris Madden furniture collection, Bassett created a series of banners that feature images from the well-known decorator's recent book as well as images of Madden herself. "The banners convey the emotion that she put into the collection, so that there's more than just a grouping of furniture, there's a connection there," says Peter Morrison, director of marketing services for the Bassett, Va.-based company. Aside from their high impact, he points out that banners are easily shippable and relatively easy to move. Using fabrics like canvas "softens the feel and creates a more homelike atmosphere."In spite of the banners' success, Morrison cautions against signage overkill, especially in his industry. "Part of what you're trying to create in a furniture store is a visualization of how the products will look in the consumer's home. Our retailers have told us they want a cleaner floor, without superfluous P-O-P interfering with the homey environment they've created. The question becomes how 'retail' do you go versus how 'home' do you go? You have to find a balance."What helps him strike that balance are tear packs, 8-inch by 11-inch gummed sheets that provide line listings and color photography for each style of furniture. "When you have a floor full of furniture, it's hard for the salespeople to keep up with all of the products and features. This serves as a reminder for them. It also becomes almost like a gift to the consumer. It develops a bond between the idea coordinator [salesperson] and the consumer and makes the visit more personal and more memorable. And, of course, it helps consumers because they can take it home, show it to their spouse and measure their space to be sure the furniture will fit."Janel Dufek, manager, brand development for Amana Appliances, Amana, Iowa, must also meet the challenge of making the retail environment look homey. "For many people, it's hard to conceptualize what an appliance that's built into cabinetry will look like in their home." Much of her effort centers on creating displays that simulate cabinetry. "We provide a realistic-looking faux cabinet that allows dealers to display a 30-inch wall oven with a down-draft cooktop, plus another cooktop of their choosing."When designing the displays, Dufek chooses neutral colors that complement today's most popular appliance colors and finishes: white, black, stainless steel and bisque. Other top considerations include minimizing floor space, display durability and ease of assembly. Headers atop each display include a large Amana logo and the tagline, 'Built Better Than It Has To Be.' "We want everything we do to resonate with that tagline, including our displays," says Dufek.Of course, there's more to selling appliances than making them look good. So Amana produces what Dufek calls a "second level" of P-O-P, which covers features and benefits. "With so many product lines, it's hard for the retail salesperson to remember everything. We create a kind of mini billboard that provides talking points for the salesperson. They're also a quick and easy way to get across the key features and benefits on an undirected sales floor or a floor that is very busy."The third component of Amana's P-O-P is what Dufek calls the "funny women" campaign, which introduces the human element into the in-store promotional mix. "We've integrated the personality of our core target -- females between the ages of 30 and 44 -- into our P-O-S by depicting humorous interactions people have with their appliances in everyday life." On an Amana washer, for example, a billboard headline asks why you can put two socks in the washer but only get one out of the dryer. "We call these 'head nodders.' They appeal to the emotional side of our female buyers and create empathy. We've integrated those throughout our marketing campaign -- on TV, on our Web site, in consumer literature and on the sales floor. It's all part of our brand revitalization process, and it brings our branding effort to a higher level."At Kawasaki in Irvine, Calif., Manager of Customer and Dealer Level Marketing Kathy Matyniak agrees that "you need to enhance that brand awareness." She faces a logistical challenge not found with appliances: mobility. She promotes Kawasaki's all-terrain vehicles, which can be parked in a showroom one day, then moved to the sales lot the next, so she helped develop an on-product pole system that resides in the ATVs' flag holes. At the top of the poles is a two-sided panel that lists features and benefits on the front. The back of the panel can be modified for dealer-specific promotions. "We're not asking the dealer for floor space or wall space. We're not asking him to go to the trouble of hanging something from the ceiling. This is completely self-contained and it follows the product everywhere." Made of heavy-duty Sintra material, the piece holds up to all kinds of weather.This isn't Matyniak's first experience with on-product promotion. "We used to do small hang-tags that hung from the handlebars, but there wasn't really room for product features and benefits. The panels are large [20 inches by 24 inches] and positioned at eye level, so shoppers don't have to say 'Where are my glasses?' or break their backs trying to read them."Before he became sales and marketing manager for Alumacraft Boat Co., St. Peter, Minn., Dean Heimerman worked at a boat dealership for nine years. So he knows what he's talking about when he says, "Most P-O-P kits are inundated with garbage. So much of that stuff sits in a back room and you trip over the darned things." His advice: Figure out what sets your product apart, then bring that to life in unique, informative P-O-P. "Boats are too expensive to go for impulse. You need to have a message and you need to make it easy to understand. Consumers want to know what makes you unique, and they want the nitty gritty, the detail end of it." For Alumacraft, that has meant reproducing three unique boat components (the hull, the spray rail and the keel) in miniature and riveting them to an 11-inch by 17-inch aluminum easel. Crack-and-peel decals applied by the dealers explain each component.If the easel serves as an icebreaker for dealer salespeople trying to connect with shoppers, it's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to specs and special features on the entire Alumacraft line. "We produce more than 80 models of boats, so it's not possible for the salesperson to know every aspect of every boat." Heimerman produces what he affectionately calls a "PIG," or product information guide to assist salespeople. The booklet includes line drawings of each boat's floor plans, standard and optional features, and dimensional specifications. The guide is thick but pocket-size so it's always accessible. "It's a major undertaking to produce, but it's such a handy tool," he says.Sally Barton, advertising services administrator for Riverside, Calif.-based Fleetwood Enterprises, used to produce similar spec-related materials for her company's RV and truck trailer dealers, including collateral for the salesforce and display posters for consumers. But she found that by the time the pieces were printed and shipped, much of the information was obsolete. "We sell seven brands of truck trailers, with more than 200 different floor plans among them. With our motor homes, it's nine brands and 75 floor plans. Midway through the year, some of the floor plans change -- it just seemed like such a waste of paper."So this year, all specifications will be available on the company's Web site for dealers to download. "Moving to the Web is a bold move for us; we're a conservative outfit with a lot of mom-and-pop dealers. There's always a learning curve, and we're sure to get phone calls," says Barton. However, she points out that when she started sending out CD-ROMS loaded with specs, images and logos a few years ago, some of the dealers had a terrible time at first. "Then it got to the point where they were calling and saying, 'When's the CD going to be ready?' The Web is a logical next step," she says.A Complete P-O-P ProcessAppliance maker Maytag's approach to P-O-P is three-pronged. First, connect with its mostly-female audience with poignant lifestyle images -- boys getting dirty playing soccer, a mother holding her baby. Once you've connected emotionally, present a solution to the consumer's everyday needs. Finally, back that up with an explanation of the technology that provides that solution. Says LaShelle Woods, staff associate brand manager for the Newton, Iowa-based company, "When you walk into a store, you see a sea of white boxes. The consumer might not be aware of major product innovations. With the help of the salesperson on the floor and the stopping power of well-designed appliances, P-O-P can assist in changing someone from a browser into a buying consumer."Case in point: the floor graphics for Maytag's new Neptune washer and dryer. "This one stops you in your tracks," says Woods. A lighted sign box reads, 'The washer that can pay for itself.' Next to that is a display of seven cases of bottled water, which represents the 23 gallons of water saved with every load of wash. "This doesn't just pique interest, it zaps you between the eyes," she says. Almost as arresting is the push-button display on the front of the new ClimateZone Technology Refrigerator. This refrigerator keeps foods fresher days longer, a unique feature that's explained by the interactive display. "It's hard to pass by because everyone likes to push buttons," Woods says. "This makes consumers spend a little more time with the product. Anything that catches a consumer's eye and, of course, has a compelling message."And therein lies the strength of Maytag P-O-P, according to Woods. More than just attention-grabbers, the displays speak to very real consumer needs, which Maytag gleans through extensive consumer research. "We're doing a lot of research to find out what consumers want, then developing products based on that," says Woods. "Our P-O-P communicates those insights to the salesforce and helps them understand why that product is appropriate for that consumer. Our P-O-P enables insight selling, something that's new to the appliance industry."At the heart of Maytag's promotional efforts is the value of the brand, and at the heart of the brand is a new dual-blue logo, which is interwoven throughout its marketing campaigns. "It's important to maintain a consistent look, so when a consumer sees Maytag on TV or in print, she goes into a store and sees that same look in P-O-P and store literature," Woods says. "That integration helps drive home our brand essence, which is life enrichment, making the work of life a little easier so you have more time for living."Setting the MoodPerhaps Edward Eng, Volkswagen brand manager, best explains the benefits of such a consistent and well-integrated brand message. "It provides a level of comfort, a level of familiarity for the consumer. It's like going out with a good friend and knowing what to expect." He's speaking about Marketplace, a revolutionary car showroom concept that the Auburn, Mich.-based company has begun installing around the country.A far cry from the stereotypical stark sales floor, Marketplace is a warm, inviting showroom-in-the-round that harkens back to the central meeting places in European villages where neighbors gathered to socialize and buy and sell goods. In the background, a one- to two-story-high mural displays the current vision of contemporary Volkswagen -- the Jetta. To the left and right are framed reproductions of classic VW advertising, including those showing the old Beetle and VW Bus. In the foreground, a representative cross-section of car models are parked on the showroom floor, each with a dedicated trylon that offers detailed information for shoppers.A mirror image of the Volkswagen brand itself, the showroom juxtaposes a high-tech, contemporary feel with Old World values and sentiments. "Consumers can compare and contrast what they remember fondly from years ago to what the brand represents today: a contemporary European high-tech automobile for very active, educated individuals with a passion for driving. Brands need continual reinforcement; this is a natural extension of our brand philosophy," Eng explains.Eng says he's seen the spirit of Marketplace manifest itself in the demeanor of the sales staff. "They're selling in a completely different environment. That enhances their whole attitude about the brand and their sales presentation." He says the staff relies on the showroom to draw in perspective buyers, so "visitors aren't burdened with personnel who might be viewed as unnecessary" in the initial stages of car shopping."People have less time to shop. For those brief moments when they will subject themselves to exposure to our brand, we want to make the best, most powerful impact statement."

Big Ticket Merchandising

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