Johnson Worldwide Associates Puts Fishing Rod Displays in Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart shoppers who find fishing alluring converged upon the Johnson Family Fishing Center earlier this summer like trout to cheese bait. In a special promotion with the retailer, Sturtevant, Wis.-based Johnson Worldwide Associates chose a corrugated floorstand to merchandise a variety of Johnson fishing rods and reels.Described by the company as a major success, the displays sold through in some stores before representatives had even checked on their setup. Wal-Mart has a policy of removing a display from the salesfloor when it reaches 60 percent sell through, according to Jeff Davison, project engineer at JWA. At one location, the stock was decimated in about a week's time. Other units lasted through the summer.Designed to promote fishing as fun family entertainment and to help build the category, the unit made it easy for novice fishermen to choose gear. The 28-inch-wide by 66-inch-high by 30-inch-deep shipper stocked 20 individual reels and 40 rod/reel combos. Designers at Neenah, Wis.-based Promo Edge worked with Wal-Mart department managers to ensure the display met with store requirements for size and design specifications.Resting on a custom pallet, the in-aisle display required minimal assembly. After removing the outer box, store personnel flipped the bottom of the box down over the pallet and attached the header. The header was open in the center, allowing the store's light to shine down through the top of the unit and illuminate the reels."Wal-Mart was looking for something in a freestanding floor unit, and the Johnson brand has been trying to leverage the family aspects of fishing for some time now," says Davison. The display included Johnson equipment suiting a range of ages, abilities and price points.In this program, JWA also cross-branded with SC Johnson, the makers of Off Skintastic, to offer "instant, on-pack gratification," says Davison. Some combo packs included Off samples, while others were packaged with a free hook sharpener. The combo packs also contained coupons for accessory items. Promo Edge produced the labels and the coupons as well as the display.Two different packouts were geared to different regions of the United States. One version stocked spinning reels for distribution on the West Coast, the other held spincast rods for the type of fishing most common in the rest of the country."This was a first for Johnson and based on the success of it, it's probably something we'll do again in the future," Davison says. The display was not intended to be replenished. Instead, it was designed with the goal of being recreated for use in future promotions. "We'll be able to pair additional SKUs and come in with a different promotion by simply changing out the header," says Davison. According to Julie Hendricks, a JWA project coordinator for Wal-Mart, a similar display is planned for Spring 1998.

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