Christmas really is the most wonderful time of year when it comes to the world of retail and shopping. As we prepare for the festive season, and physical shopping experiences coming back, we have looked back on past projects and pulled together our top tips for brands activating over the Christmas period.
Number 1. Be experiential
Physical retail and brand presence is more important than ever. In fact, millennials have said that around 52% of their holiday spending would be on in-person experience-related purchases (KPMG, 2019).
Experiential retail displays are all about creating meaningful connections that result in long-standing relationships with customers. If your business is looking to launch a new product this Christmas, increase brand awareness or change an already established consumer perception, then delivering an immersive brand experience is the way to go. It’s called ‘retailtainment’. And as we come out of another long lockdown, it couldn’t be more necessary!
Number 2. Everyone wants to try before they buy
Product sampling is one of the most engaging ways to get your brands’ name out in the open and to have potential consumers try your products. Now more than ever before, customers want to see, touch and feel products prior, after so many months of online shopping during recent lockdowns. Giving away free products can help consumers build a love for your brand as they see first-hand the benefits it can provide.
Product sampling is an engaging way to activate your retail space this holiday season as it gets consumers involved with the brand hands-on, literally. Customers can instantly become interested and further converse about different aspects of the product, ultimately increasing their chances of purchasing.
It’s an underrated marketing tactic!
Number 3. Know your audience
Knowing who your customers are is an essential part of planning how to activate your brand in a retail environment. What do they already know about your brand and products, what is their path-to-purchase and how do you expect they will interact with your retail space?
Consider these questions as you prepare a design brief for your display. “Demographically speaking, we see the majority of millennials interacting with our more technologically-savvy retail displays with immersive point of sale. On the other hand, the more mature customers take the time to stop by for product sampling, and they’re usually interested in talking about the product or brand then and there” says DisplayWise Business Development Manager, Cameron Ferguson.
Number 4. Consider how to best use your space
Christmas this year is looking very different to the ones we remember a few years back, and we know many businesses in the retail industry have had a challenging run this year… again. Our team can work within your current retail space or explore pop-up and trade-out opportunities to extend your retail footprint. Whether you want to introduce a new product, encourage sampling or boost your holiday sales, we can help you create an engaging and memorable campaign space that will stop Christmas shoppers.
Ready to talk Christmas retail displays? So are we. To find out more about our retail capability, click here.
