Exploring the Floor Frontier

"Stack 'em high, watch 'em fly" is one of the oldest rules of retail. But product marketers accustomed to creating promotions at the customer's eye level are learning that there's untapped potential beneath their feet. Floor graphics, which were virtually unknown two years ago, are gaining more adherents as new processes enter the market and traditional display venues become more crowded.But while the buzz is strong, most graphics suppliers say it will take some time to fully convince brand managers and advertising agencies. "It's similar to where we were with large-format graphics two years ago," says Richard Levine, president of Filmstat Desktop Services, New York, which offers a floor graphic product through its Titan Images division. "We had to educate our customers, but now most of them know what to expect with the large format and how to take advantage of it. That's not the case with floor graphics yet."Dennis Humphries, vice president of sales at Chroma-Tone, Dallas, agrees: "It's something new, and clients have to be talked into it a little bit now. But it's something they need to get used to and learn about, because it's going to become a much larger market."Most say that many doubters are now being converted, however. Awareness began to grow, particularly in the last six months, as more advertising applications appeared in stores. More recently, 3M Media, Bedford Park, Ill., has begun to promote FloorMinders, its new network of retail floor space. "Interest is definitely on the upswing," says Deb Olson, marketing director for Modernistic Inc., St. Paul, Minn. "Our focus now is on creating awareness among agencies and creative directors. For the most part, once they try floor graphics, they see how well they can work."Different Systems ExistA variety of systems exist in the market, with 3M having the dominant market share with its wide distribution network. The most popular system uses a three-piece process: an adhesive layer applied to the back of vinyl film that is covered with a protective overlaminate. But other options exist. One available system is a two-piece process: the image is printed on the underside of the overlaminate and the adhesive layer is applied to the back of that. Another system features a polyester substrate that allows it to be placed over more irregular flooring surfaces or carpeting.Three basic options also exist for "adhesive"systems: one system uses a graphic that is repositionable prior to sealing it in place with pressure; another system cannot be repositioned once it's placed; and another system is immediately permanent.Likewise, there are three basic approaches to printing the graphics, according to suppliers. They can be produced with digital printers as "one-off" prints for prototyping and other types of small runs; they can be screen printed for short runs; or they can be lithographed for high-quality long runs. Costs vary dramatically, with some systems touting their low costs for short-durability promotions.A New MediumFloor graphics have one big advantage, suppliers say, that makes advertisers pay attention: "No one else is using this space," says Charles Barkley, president of The Buhl Press Inc., Berkeley, Ill. "There's clutter everywhere else in the store."Adds Laura Muth Staton, P-O-P marketing manager for Serigraph Inc., West Bend, Wis., "Shoppers block out danglers a lot today, and it's hard to break through. The newness of floor graphics makes them more effective. The advertisers who start using them early benefit from that newness. It'll be a big plus for them."The product works against advertiser's prejudices, suppliers agree. "Clients are conditioned to value eye-level advertising," says Larry Sloop, chief executive officer for Admark Graphic Systems, Charlotte, N.C. "Marketers want to pull the customers' eyes up, or put promotional pieces at eye level. This works against that thinking."But if customers are accustomed to ignoring overhead messages, or keep their heads down to see where they're going, floor graphics come directly into their line of sight, suppliers point out. In addition, the dramatic images and bright colors jump off the drab floor and create more interest.Those two attributes work especially well for advertising children's products, suppliers point out. Instore Solutions of Dallas found that out when it created footprints for Barney, the ubiquitous purple dinosaur of PBS fame, that led back to a department store's toy section. "The toys and videos are always hidden from a child's [shorter] view by racks of clothes and other merchandise," explains Joel Porter, Instore's general manager. "Once the kids saw the Barney footprints on the floor beneath them, the parents were dead in the water."Several Markets EvolveRetailers make as strong a customer for floor graphics as individual brand managers, say many suppliers. "This offers retailers a whole new wave of advertising to boost their overall sales," says Mike Clay, national sales manager for General Formulations, Sparta, Mich. His company has worked with various supermarkets, supplying generic messages such as "Save" and "Value of the Month."Adds Steve Elbing, vice president of Service Litho-Print Inc., Oshkosh, Wis., "We've had both large and small grocery chains talk with us, especially for their private-label products. They also come to us to advise them on how to use these to their best advantage in the store."Retailers offer a key market, agrees 3M's John Shinar, business manager for the company's new floor graphics network. "We believe the major growth will come primarily from product marketers, but retailers will see the benefits, too, for in-store brands." Retailers in 3M's network will also benefit by creating a revenue stream out of their aisle floors, he adds.The best results will come when advertisers learn how to take advantage of the unique venue, suppliers say. "Putting a shelf talker on the floor isn't very effective," notes 3M's Shinar. "But if you put down something creative that's designed to be seen from the floor and used in that position, it can be dramatic. When we talk to agencies right now, we target the creative side rather than the media buyers, and the creative people jump on it. They like the possibilities."One supplier noted that Southland Corp.'s 7-Eleven stores are currently running a promotion using the graphics on their register counters, where durability is just as important as on the floor. Another said that he's receiving particular interest from makers of high-end products that often end up behind counters or in locked cases. The floor graphics help keep the high-end product's name before the shopper's eyes, even if the actual product is somewhere else.Unlimited VenuesThe applications aren't limited to supermarkets and drugstores either, suppliers note. "At first, we thought our chief customers would be the retailers," says Filmstat's Levine. "But we're finding the range is much larger. Right now, we're getting a lot of interest from Olympic sponsors who want to use the graphics in the pavilions during the Summer Games in Atlanta."The possibilities don't end with retail store or brand marketers, either. Vomela Specialty Co., St. Paul, Minn., created 300 individual dinosaur footprints to lead visitors to a museum's special dinosaur exhibit, reports David DeGree, president. The company also installed directional graphics in the entry to the University of Minnesota hockey arena, where slush and salt didn't wear down the material even after a few months of heavy use.Vomela also supplied special graphics for a hospital's charity event. These floor graphics included marble-like flooring and simulated rugs, enhanced by wall graphics of Roman columns and pillars to replicate an Old World environment. "Floor graphics have the capability to take over a space and transform it for a period to make visitors feel different," he says. He sees great potential for special events such as sales meetings or for children's wards at hospitals, where the floor could change from different seasonal sports to a racetrack motif."I think we'll see a lot of that creativity," he says. "But we have to find the right person to make it happen. From the sales point of view right now, that is the real challenge. But we're making headway." A powerful example came from the 60-foot-by-100-foot graphic the company produced and installed in Grand Central Station in New York last year to celebrate the anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment (women's suffrage)."I never would have thought of doing that or even suggesting it as a market," he admits. "But the ad agency worked with Grand Central Station and made it happen. It shows that someone with imagination can do something really different."Adds Kimberly Frias, marketing coordinator for MDI-grafx, Buffalo Grove, Ill., "We see a lot of potential for use by hospitals, airports and other facilities for directional signs or for retail store-related signs. They take away some of the aisle clutter and wall signage. They really represent the last frontier for advertising."As more advertisers consider the possibilities, the types of products advertised and methods will grow exponentially, the suppliers say. Currently, most graphics are targeted to specific short-term promotions, such as the Super Bowl or a monthly sweepstakes. But longer-term uses, running six months or more, are within most products' capabilities. Suppliers are also putting special emphasis on categories that are limited in their advertising media, such as cigarettes and liquor. "The market development right now is so embryonic that it's hard to say where it will break out," says Vomela's DeGree.Some Still SkepticalTo be sure, marketers still have questions about the systems. Cost remains the foremost hurdle, suppliers say. One estimate put the average cost at about $15 per square foot, but prices vary widely based on the system used, type of printing, durability, size, print run and other factors. "Cost can be prohibitive," says Instore Solution's Porter. "We see floor graphics as one possible solution to a specific marketer's problems but not one that all of them should be using."Most suppliers say costs probably won't decline, as sometimes happens when new ideas gain acceptance and volume, due to the quality of materials needed to retain durability and safety, as well as the sharp images needed. Instead, they suggest it will be a matter of proving that users are getting their money's worth. "The key drawback comes from marketers not knowing how to evaluate the pricing versus the return they can expect," says Bill Nahikian, president and chief executive officer at Color Arts Inc., Racine, Wis. "There has been interest in these products for some time, but the interest always seemed to stop short of an order."Vomela's DeGree agrees, "Most marketers have the money if they want to allocate it this way. We have to focus them on the creativity and impact the graphics produce rather than the cost per square foot." Adds Modernistic's Olson, "It's hard to work an unknown into a budget when it's costly and up against media with known track records. But the track record for floor graphics is beginning to build, and it will reach the point where marketers realize it's an effective P-O-P approach."Studies Coming OutIn fact, 3M's Shinar reports that the company has a variety of studies under way to gauge the product's effectiveness including work with Colgate Palmolive, Warner Lambert, Buena Vista Home Video, General Mills, Nabisco, The Procter & Gamble Co. and Kellogg's. Initial studies with other firms, he adds, have already produced significant results.A recently released report for Trident flavored gum and Nestle Crunch bars, for instance, showed that sales in test stores using floor graphics were more than 2-1/2 times higher than sales in control stores without the graphics. Sales also maintained their higher levels into a second month, indicating the graphics continued to draw attention, says Shinar. In addition, "We were surprised to learn that, in the case of Trident gum, [the floor graphics] produced major sales lifts not just for the single flavor that was featured and introduced as a new product, but for the entire brand group. This has some important implications for promoting brand groups."Retailer's safety concerns about putting a graphic on the floor haven't been as big of an obstacle as they anticipated. Helping that have been warranties that guarantee the safety, and the product's ability to meet impartial safety standards set by outside agencies. "We expect retailers will be cautious until they're certain they aren't opening themselves to a lawsuit, which is only prudent," says Chroma-Tone's Humphries. "Once they see there are no apparent problems, we expect more to become interested."Adds Color Art's Nahikian, "Safety concerns are a convenient reason for them not to buy, but it's not really an issue. Testing and warranty programs have alleviated that for the most part. Effectiveness and cost are the key stumbling blocks."Clutter and image also concern retailers. Although floor-graphic clutter won't be a problem for some time, adding new messages to the customer's eye could be one. Images that scuff or become dirty will also detract from the store's cleanliness. Suppliers are working to reassure retailers that the products can be cleaned as often as needed without wearing away, although some suggest marketers refrain from using pure-white backgrounds that show any bit of dirt or stand out against a worn floor.Suppliers often overcome retailers and marketers' objections by handing out samples. "We encourage customers to try out samples in their own offices," says Humphries. "They can see how the graphics make people stop and look. They can see the impact and judge the durability for themselves."Most suppliers agree that he market is poised for dramatic growth, even if it doesn't gain the popularity of such common types of P-O-P as danglers and aisle displays. "The next year will see a lot of movement, because marketers will be aware of the possibilities and the research will be there to support the impact," says Modernistic's Olson. Buhl Press's Barkley agrees. "The next year will be critical," he says. "We've exceeded my expectations for an introduction, but can we ramp it up to the next level?"Many think they will, if only because suppliers now have sophisticated printing equipment and other technological resources available to them. They want to make full use of them, and floor graphics can help achieve that. "The graphics industry is undergoing a hell of a revolution, brought on by digital graphics and large formats," says Vomela's DeGree. "Floor graphics may not have a broad appeal across all market niches, but where they can add value, they will have a tremendous impact in the coming years. We just have to focus now on priming the pump of marketers' imaginations."

Exploring the Floor Frontier

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