Point of Purchase Communication  

Point of purchase communications are a powerful marketing tool, because they reach the consumer at the moment when, and the place where, they taking decision. One reason for today's increased focus on consumer sales promotions is the change in TV viewing habits. Advertising audience is more and more fragmented and manufacturers and retailers must turn on to new methods to reach these moving targets. Point of purchase material along with coupons, electronic coupons and convenience cards, cents-off promotions, refunds, rebates, premiums, sampling, combination offers, contests, sweepstakes are the usual consumer sales promotion techniques. A successful integrated marketing campaign may include several of these techniques along with media advertising, public relation, publicity and direct marketing. Thus, point of purchase communications must reflect what consumers have seen on television or on billboards ads and correspond with public relations efforts or direct marketing. It has been shown that when advertising and point of purchase communications are combined, as compare to using advertising only, sales increase by more than 100 percent. Point of purchase communications can be defined as any promotional materials placed at the point of purchase such as interior displays, printed materials at shop counters or windows displays. It also includes in-store broadcasts, video screen demonstrations, shopping-trolley advertising, shelf talkers, coupon dispensers, wastepaper baskets and interactive kiosks (device by means of which the consumer can interactively retrieve information about the shop and the supply). Thus, both retailers and manufacturers make use of in-store media, retailers control the point-of-purchase displays and manufacturers packaging. Recently, static signs have begun to give way to electronic, dynamically updated point-of-purchase displays that present targeted product information, instant coupons, and more. The software used to control this dynamic point of purchase displays typically allows for near-real time content updates, allowing brand managers to run instant marketing experiments, geographically targeted promotions campaigns. Dynamic point of purchase displays can vary greatly in size, from a 6" shelf-mounted LCD to 42" (or larger) plasma and projection displays, helping deliver targeted marketing content to shoppers at the point-of-decision.