A Guide to Creating Catchy Point of Purchase Displays

OCTOBER 21, 2021| SpeedPro

Store shelves often become a blur with hundreds of products to choose from. Fortunately, if you’re trying to highlight a specific product or range, you can use point of purchase (POP) displays to catch the eye of customers passing by. With POP displays, your products will never fade into the background.

What Are Point of Purchase Displays?

POP displays refer to a wide range of action-oriented marketing displays stores utilize. They are always near the products they’re promoting. The term “point of purchase” refers to the point at which a customer decides to purchase the item. Often, that’s at the shelf or display itself, but it can happen in various locations. A POP displays’ objective is to generate conversions — that is, convince people to purchase the product.

Since a point of purchase display always goes where the product is, there is usually a direct relationship between the design and the product. For example, if a company sells a wide range of bath products, a POP display might only advertise one particular scent for one product to promote more sales. Companies may use POP displays for new products or items that aren’t selling as quickly as others to encourage more sales.

Creating Effective Point of Purchase Displays

Building powerful point of purchase displays is essential for the customer experience in stores. Walking around a store, customers notice POP displays if they are effective and engaging. To create one that makes an impact and gets noticed, take the following approaches:

1. Target the Appropriate Audience

POP displays work best when they target a specific audience. Since store demographics differ between brands and locations, designing a POP display to work for the typical customer at that store generates better results. According to research, consumers trust print advertising a great deal — more so than digital. While targeted ads in the digital sphere get much of a company’s attention, you shouldn’t ignore how print advertising, including POP displays, can forward your marketing goals.

Advertising the same product in different ways isn’t new in the marketing world. It’s an effective method of generating conversions since the more targeted an ad campaign, the better results it yields. For example, a POP display that appeals to those who enjoy being outside would do better in a sporting goods store than a beauty store.

2. Maintain Consistency

Because most purchasing decisions happen subconsciously, designing a point of purchase display is strategic. Ensuring the brand name appears prominently on the display so a customer notices it, even if they don’t consciously register it, can improve brand awareness and increase brand recall. One of the most critical aspects of brand recall is maintaining a consistent design scheme, such as using similar colors, fonts and layouts across all your marketing materials.

Though you might take different approaches to POP displays based on your target audience, it’s essential to maintain some critical elements of your brand’s identity in the design. Even if you’re changing up the traditional colors, such as with holiday displays, using the same logo and font will ensure your products are recognizable and that customers associate them with your brand.

3. Use Descriptive Language

While it’s important to use distinctive colors and designs in your POP displays, you should also use descriptive language to catch customers’ eyes. Since POP displays often exist alongside other similar products, getting noticed is the primary objective. If customers stop to look at the items, you can easily catch their attention using evocative language in the product’s description. While the phrase “the greatest thing since sliced bread” might be cliche in some contexts, if you’re advertising a new gluten-free bread product, this wording might catch a customer’s notice — and perhaps their dollars.

Creatively answer questions customers might ask, such as what the product does and why they should buy it. Another great approach might be to include snippets of great customer reviews.

4. Construct for Versatility

Since the definition of a point of purchase display is broad, you’ll see a huge variety of styles and designs. One of the most important things to keep in mind is the function of the design. If your POP display will be on the sales floor, ensure it fits in the spaces it’s designed for, whether that’s in the shelves, on the ends of aisles or as stand-alone displays. Additionally, it’s crucial to construct the display to fit enough product while not taking up too much room.

Using a versatile design can also mean stores can use and reuse the display. Instead of sending a new display every time the store needs to restock, a more sustainable option is to construct a durable, universal display that will be useful for most restocks.

Examples of POP display constructions include:

• Sectioned wall fabric panels
• Wall displays
• Printed fabric panels
• Shelving attachments
• Tablet stands or kiosks
• Window clings
• Vinyl cutouts
• Easel-back standups

Point of Purchase Display Examples

Point of purchase displays take various forms, but their defining feature is that they are always near the products they promote. Generally, these exist on the actual sales floor, but they can also go up high, such as wall panels and hanging signs. Examples of different point of purchase displays include:

Endcap Displays

Endcap displays go on the ends of aisles, and they’re some of the most competitive real estate in stores. Since customers often pause at these areas to check their list and look at what they need down the aisle, endcaps get a lot of attention. Using effective POP displays in these areas of the store will increase the likelihood that customers look at and buy your product.

Shelf Displays

POP displays are also located on the shelves themselves. Since most stores group similar products together, it’s crucial to differentiate your items and highlight their benefits over other brands. Drawing a customer’s attention is essential within the store aisles as they’re often full of items.

Hanging Signs

POP displays aren’t always at eye level — sometimes, having a hanging sign to advertise special products can be particularly effective. Stores often place their directional signage on the upper walls and on strings hanging from the ceiling, so customers are accustomed to looking up while they’re shopping. Using this to your advantage to advertise your products is an effective strategy that might mean customers choose your products over another.

Get Noticed with SpeedPro’s Professional Point of Purchase Displays

A catchy point of purchase display can help generate conversions and increase brand awareness. When you’re competing with other products in stores, you want to take advantage of every opportunity to differentiate your product from other brands. Using SpeedPro to create powerful point of purchase displays is guaranteed to increase your product and brand visibility.

To learn more about how SpeedPro can help you reach your marketing goals, check out our store locator to find a studio near you.