Since the first blacksmith opened up shop in a small village, brands had a story to tell and found their unique value proposition (UVP) through what gave them a personality.
Today’s digital commerce and modern brick-and-mortar shopping have come a long way. Things such as visual merchandising and creating a fully immersive experience help businesses compete for customers.
How can you tap into the power of well-designed visual merchandising for your brand’s story? Read on to learn.
7 Tips To Design Fantastic Visual Merchandising For Your Brand
1. Know your brand’s story
According to IBISWorld, there are around 3.13 million retail trade businesses in the United States in 2023. The industry saw a 2.7% annual growth between 2018 and 2023. The number would likely have been higher were it not for the hits most small businesses took during the pandemic.
Whether you have a stand-alone storefront or your product sits on store shelves amidst thousands of others, your merchandise displays can encourage people to make a purchase.
2. Use rich graphics
Grabbing user attention requires a lot of effort in a noisy marketplace. People see thousands of ads and new products constantly. From the minute a consumer opens their eyes, they’re inundated with social media ads, email marketing, text messages, billboards, radio ads, and any number of other promotions.
Your graphic design must be spot-on if you want them to hear you above the cacophony of noise. The graphics you use in your merchandise displays must grab attention and tell a story at the same time.
For example, if you just received a new product and you want to draw visitor attention to the display at the front of your store, you might add a bright neon pink sign that screams “New!” Don’t overlook minor visual merchandising elements, such as adding some floor stickers to direct users to a specific location in your store.
You can create unique stickers using Canva’s Sticker Maker that showcase your brand’s visual elements, such as logos, mascots, symbols, and colors. These stickers can function as visual cues that help customers recognize and associate your brand with your store or display. You can efficiently include narrative aspects into your business’s physical surroundings by using Canva for visual merchandising. This will reinforce your brand identity and messaging while giving customers immersive and memorable experiences.
3. Tap into current trends
Consider media buzz and what people are talking about. For example, if you sell items in a grocery store, understand that a lot of people are trying to eat healthier, more wholesome foods. You might include some green vegetables or fruit in your display images.
Remember what season you’re in. If you want to sell tablecloths to picnic goers, you might add a picnic basket and some images of a family enjoying a day at a local state park. Figure out what the target audience cares about right now and include graphics that speak to their dreams or concerns.
4. Consider all five senses
Visual merchandising screams you need to include photos and graphics. However, creating a display that tells a story is about so much more. You can add some scent, touch, or sound, or offer samples for taste on some products.
What the product is making a difference in the senses you engage. How do you show the user they can take a sample? A card or sign moves them in the right direction. Think about the senses you want to involve and how you can let potential customers know with text, graphics, and photos.
5. Create an emotional connection
Tap into the latest technology to create visual merchandising that seems almost real. For example, you might add some virtual reality (VR) displays to your store. Allow shoppers to strap on a headset and try out the newest product arrivals.
Augmented reality (AR) gives brands an opportunity to create a digital visual merchandising experience. You can tell a story about the user and let them walk through an experience, utilizing your product along the way.
For example, if you sell cookware, you might invite store visitors to try on a virtual reality headset and use digital pans to cook up a gourmet meal. You could even team up with a famous chef and have them cook alongside that person in a VR world.
Stores such as IKEA utilize AR to show people how an item might look in their home. Users can download the app, point their smartphone at a blank wall and plop a bookcase or couch in place to see how it looks.
6. Use props
If you’re creating a window display, you might want to add props to tell the story in full. For example, if you want to create a story about some young people headed to the beach to highlight new beachwear for your clothing store, you’d add props such as a surfboard, beach umbrella, beach towels, and a frisbee. Think about the scene you want to show users and the story behind it.
You’ve likely seen some pretty smart store displays depicting different scenes. The key is to tap into what your target audience relates to. You can create emotional reactions if you use the right props and tell a solid story.
7. Find your focal point
Designers have a chance to enhance merchandise displays and tell a story by choosing a focus for the design. You don’t want so many different elements that the customer has no idea what the main point is.
Instead, think of the main idea you want to showcase and make it the center of your design. You can then add all the other elements to enhance the singular message.
Tell A Story
When you tell a story, you need to consider how it reflects on your brand. Does it match other stories and details you want users to know? Ideally, your business has a strong personality that people recognize whether they see a store display, merchandise in another retail store, or a digital layout online.
Storytelling brings companies to life and sells products. Spend a little time figuring out the message you want to convey and the best way to tell it. With consistent messaging, you’ll gain new fans and start gaining word-of-mouth marketing.
