Sensing Success

Experience is a powerful thing as far as brand marketing and loyalty goes. Products and services don’t always last forever, but the experience –if strong enough– has the potential to; and it’s the memory of the experience that brings customers back.

So, how does one create a memorable in-store experience? In her white paper titled “The Sensory Potential,” WomenWise’s Dori Molitor provides one answer and, according to her, it all comes down to sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

Turns out, senses are the stuff memories are made of. For a retail environment, it begins with a design that incorporates colors, textures, and materials to create the visual background. Adding music or other audio to listen to, inviting aromas to smell, and samples to touch and taste (if your products are edible) helps people tap into their memory banks and use that information to make a decision about your brand. All of these elements come together to create a sensory experience that can be enjoyed just as much as the products themselves.

Aha! So, that’s why I love bakeries and candy shops so much. Here I thought it was because of my giant sweet tooth. (Ok, I suspect that’s still a reason, but perhaps it was my experiences that created my love for sweets in the first place?)

To see all of Dori Molitor’s insights on the topic, you can view her white paper here.

It's Thanksgiving already?

2-for-1 pumpkin pies and an influx of turkeys being checked out can only mean one thing: Thanksgiving has arrived. What is F.C. Dadson thankful for this year? Here are a few things I think should make the list:

• The M&M dispenser in our lobby area (a gift from our office supply company) and all those who donate to the “Keep It Filled” fund.

• Every day Brillo, our office mascot/the owner’s dog, doesn’t rummage through our garbage.

But seriously, I think what we’re most thankful for -and these are the ones that count- is our dedicated customers who continue to have faith in our abilities and our creative employees and partners who go on making the impossible possible.

So, while we’re eating too much on Thursday and supporting the retail industry Friday, we hope you’ll also be enjoying the indulgences of Turkey Day and the long weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Saving the World on a Budget

When David Schwimmer dresses as an environmentalist superhero for prime time television, you know it has to be a big thing. Greenzo only further proves that the green movement is here and it’s gaining momentum.

We’ve all read about the green initiatives of the retail industry’s larger players, but what about the smaller stores that may not have the budget to take on the initial costs of some of the same environmentally-friendly projects?

Turns out I wasn’t the only one around the office wondering this. Our very own Celia Josh-Sawicki wrote “Save the World on a Budget,” an article full of cost-effective green activities that has been featured on the VM+SD website. The article focuses on smart retail fixture and display design, production, maintenance, and disposal initiatives, and here are a few of my faves:

• Avoid the harsh chemicals of some cleaning products and use mild cleansers instead.

• Reduce the amount of material wasted with careful display and fixture planning.

• Don’t scrap old displays. Give them facelifts instead.

• Earn money and good karma by selling or donating unwanted displays and décor pieces.

• Use recyclable and recycled materials whenever possible. It’s ridiculous what suppliers are creating from our leftovers.

Check out the article for more ways to be green without spending all of your green. And for those of you who missed out on David Schwimmer in a cape, you can catch last week’s episode of 30 Rock on the show’s website.

Did you recently do something green in your store? Have other cost-effective green ideas? We'd love to hear about them.

Why The Boss Is Boss

How would Bruce Springsteen do as a CEO? Actually, he would do quite well. In an entry to his FlowChart blog on the U.S. News and World Report website, author Rick Newman proves to us that crafting a successful 30+ year music career is a lot like running a business and when it comes to being the boss, Springsteen lives up to his nickname. While the post, titled “What Springsteen Can Teach CEOs,” was interesting in its own right, I couldn’t help but think how Bruce’s lessons for CEOs can also apply to the retail design world. Here’s what we learn:

“Never let your customers rest.”
The Boss keeps the music coming. Designers should keep new ideas and products flowing.

“Innovate.”
It may not always be about creating something new. Sometimes you can take a classic idea, rework it, and turn it into something better. This is especially true in the fixture industry where the concept of displaying merchandise doesn’t change, but the means of doing so needs to.

“Give the people what they want.”
Simple enough, but Newman takes it a step further by suggesting that if you want to get client buy-in on new ideas, partner them up with something familiar.

“Share credit.”
Many people come together to create a great retail environment: retailers, designers, engineers, production, installation, and so on. Share the credit and increase team dedication on future projects.

“Set expectations. Then reset them. And reset them. And...”
Never settle. Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself every so often to keep in front of the competition.

“Love what you do.”
Another obvious one. If you love your work, it shows.

For some fun reading, check out Rick Newman's full entry here.