Successful Promos Need VIP Style

In order to create promotions that succeed, said a marketing executive with the Buena Vista Home Video division of Walt Disney Co., companies must give their displays the VIP treatment. While that could stand for Very Important Promotion, it really means making the displays Visible, Impactful and Profitable."All three are necessary for a successful promotion," said Andy Siditsky, director of marketing services at Buena Vista. Siditsky made his comments as a speaker at the Display, Sign & Fixture Design Show, sponsored by P-O-P Times, earlier this year.Visibility requires using all the space available, not just the floor, he stressed. Ceiling danglers and signs attached to light fixtures can exploit the total cube. "More and more often, we try to take advantage of the ceiling," he said. Buena Vista aims low to ensure kids don't overlook the products because signs are too high. "Good eye contact is critical for a promotion, so we have to direct a lot of our pieces to the kids' level." He pointed to a three-dimensional "Beauty & the Beast" standee as an example. It featured Belle and the Beast holding hands as the primary adult focus across the top of the piece, while lower down, on a three-dimensional staircase, the animated candelabrum, tea cup and clock attracted the kids' eyes.Other visibility options include offering flexibility via modular concepts, packing the available space full of products and using eye-catching graphics on top, providing interaction through spinners and other elements, and creating packaging that attracts attention on its own, such as with glitter.Impact can be achieved with sheer size alone, as occurs with the Barbie Shop at Toys 'R' Us, he said, admitting his envy. But it also can be achieved with other strategies. These include the use of dimensional images and vivid colors to impact the overall presentation. "Solid colors pop," he said, and this strategy works particularly well for products aimed at children. Lights also add great impact, he said, but their expense keeps them from being used more often.Profitability usually comes about as a result of using the first two elements in the proper balance. It's also necessary to work hand in hand with the retailer to ensure all three receive their maximum effort. "You have to work closely with retailers, especially if you are asking for a premium position, such as the ceiling dangler," he said. "If you can show that it will supply incremental business, it's an easy sell, especially if it's for a seasonal product. But if it's supplementing existing promotion and will be long-term, you're going to have a tough sell."

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