In-store media: Nimbler and more versatile than traditional advertising

Advertising is generally used as a type of sales pitch for products or services in the retail and private sectors. These days, retailers are adopting various means of advertising any product through print, broadcast, online, outdoor, etc. The sustainability of any business largely depends on the way you have adopted to lure the customers. In-store signage is one of the easiest and most noticeable ways to distinguish any store from other retail establishments. To state it simply, in-store signage turns any retail outlet into easy-to-read retail space and conveys a powerful message that can turn passers-by into customers. Besides, in-store signage is a good medium to generate revenue for any retailer.

The in-store signage tool has many features and benefits that billboards and TV commercials generally cannot offer. To acquire a feel of the industry view on this comparison, last week IndiaRetailing posted a poll on the statement: “When it comes to retail marketing, is in-store signage more effective than billboards, TV commercials and other advertising.” Over 71.05 per cent of the total respondents endorsed the view that in-store signage boosts retail marketing more effectively than the other tools, whereas 15.79 per cent negated the statement and 13.16 per cent of the respondents preferred to stay neutral.

There is no hard and fast rule what should be highlighted on in-store signage, it depends on the individual retailers marketing strategy. Some retailers try to give more focus on the brand, while some others on products. Some retailers want their brand to be famous while some others want their products. Gagan Gandhi, director, GH Graphics, says, “In-store signage, billboards and TV commercials have their own identity, advantages and disadvantages. If you compare the effectiveness of in-store signages with billboards, the former is more successful because it helps the retailer to disseminate information about various products among shoppers inside the store.”

To state it simply, in-store signage turns any retail outlet into an easy-to-read retail space and conveys a powerful message that can turn passers-by into customers.

Amit Saha, brand manager, Turtle believes that in-store signage has actually gone further and now falls under the ambit of visual merchandising. “So, it has a bigger and wider perspective area and in that case it enhances the theme of the campaign a brand wants to communicate through TV commercials or billboards. It also influences the consumers’ purchase behaviour significantly,” he notes.

“So, besides taking care of visual merchandising, we at Turtle put up campaign posters inside our stores and display information about discount offers regularly to entice customers to our products when they are inside the store,” he adds.

Anup Jain, head-marketing, Pizza Hut thinks that both kinds of advertisements are important, be it is in-store signage or billboards. Advertisements generate demand and recognition for the brand logo. But ultimately, at the retail locations, in-store communications play a critical role in converting awareness of the brand into a purchase decision. On this, he further notes, “The job that TV advertising or out-of-store advertising perform is very different from the in-store advertising but they are complementary. So, both channels are required. You cannot do one without the other or compare one with the other.”

The impact of in-store signage in retail marketing can be summed up thus:

• Promotes sales by pushing specific products within the store
• High likelihood of impulsive purchase of the product with in-store signage
• Displays daily discounts and promotions
• Launches new products
• Creates product awareness and instill brand recall

“Again, a brand that is mature and consumers are aware of, can lay more emphasis on in-store advertising, if the transactions are healthy. But if the transactions are not healthy, then the emphasis should be shifted to out-of-store advertising,” Jain opines.

Without the cost and logistical nightmare of printing, distributing and ensuring the reach of a traditional point of sale campaign; in-store signage is accessible and offers the ability to change promotions on-the-fly, for across multiple products and categories, or to focus on specific target customers. These days 3D signage is always a welcome option among the retailers. Most are looking more dynamism in their in-store communications, often using bright lights on the signage illuminated by neon and LED.