Mountain, Bike Promote Swiss Brand

At a time when one of the most universal battle cries in retail marketing claims "less is more," one company at least, is disregarding that credo with a display that far outsizes its products.Rather than squeezing maximum product into a minimum amount of space, Victorinox's new display does just the opposite. Swiss Army Brands Inc., Shelton, Conn., manufactures and markets the "original Swiss army knife" under the Victorinox brand.One of the more original promotions to hit sporting goods stores last month employs a corrugated mountain and a folding mountain bike to call attention to the brand and its products -- none of which is a bicycle.The goal is to "increase consumer and trade awareness of the Victorinox brand and all the products -- the knives, watches and Swiss card," says Cathy Alpert, brand manager for Victorinox. It doesn't matter that SAB doesn't make a bicycle, the connection was enough to capture marketers' attention, and they hope, consumers' as well."The primary product for Victorinox is the original Swiss army knife, which is not a generic product," notes Marcella George, SAB manager for advertising and public relations. The display, she says, will create enthusiasm on the selling floor and help separate Victorinox from the competition [which bills itself as the "authentic" Swiss army knife.]Made by Ultimate Display, Jamaica, N.Y., the display measures 72 inches wide by 72 inches high by 24 inches deep at the base.The unusual idea stems from a call out of the blue from bike maker Montague USA. "They called us and said, 'Don't you think our bike folds like your knife?' " says Alpert. The bike does fold compactly, into roughly a square. Intrigued, Swiss Army Brands General Manager Gerry Rinder ordered 300 bikes painted in Swiss Army red with the Victorinox logo.A corrugated mountain laminated with a realistic photo provides the backdrop, to which attaches a clear, acrylic display case, a brochure holder and a poster holder. The locking display case ships stocked with a specific amount of product primarily for advertising purposes, although retailers will be able to sell out of it if they so desire. "It's secondary placement for the most part," says Alpert.The bike's wheels nestle in place between 18-inch-high "stones" in a thermoformed tray base over a corrugated platform. The bike and display ship as a unit on a single pallet, leaving retailers only to uncrate the unit and slide it onto the floor.The poster holder attached to the base illustrates how the bike folds, cementing the connection between the bike and knife.The unit is in retailers such as Galyans Sporting Goods and REI, with the anticipated addition of Eastern Mountain Sports stores, among others. Victorinox's Canadian division is also running the promotion "on a smaller scale with 10 bikes," says Alpert."The retailer has to buy incremental product above and beyond what he would normally buy this time of year and he receives the display and the bike free," she says. "All we're asking for is incremental volume with some specific products [such as] our new Swiss card, our Swiss Champ knife and our new Victorinox watch line." Rinder estimates that means $2,500 to $3,000 worth of product. He describes the display as a self-liquidating promotional vehicle, designed to last 6 weeks. (The Swiss Card is a new product resembling a credit card containing many of the elements of a knife, assembled in a flat configuration.)"The trade is very excited about it. It's something different; they've never had anyone do anything quite like this before," says Alpert.

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