Merchandising ... Mantra to increase visibility

Just remember the last time you visited a Mall, nearby Grocery outlet and local Convenience shops (Panwaris). Some products catches the eye of consumers - as they are in the vicinity of eye contact and others in the nook which are never observed.

Lets take different situations where merchandizing will increase the visibilty and then the Brand Salience.

1. Brands near billing counter: People who go to Big Bazaar must have noticed that Lays/ Bytes Packets are kept near the billing counter before they have finalized the other brands. Now, its not only display but the schemes on the Brands - 1 Lays Rs. 20 packet with buy of 3 Packs of Lays. It comes out to be Rs. 15 packet. Most of the consumers will put 4 of Lays in their basket.
2. Brands in one product categories: Lets take the example of Biscuits in Big Bazaar again. There is different height for different brands on the rack. Kids prefer Sunfeast Cream biscuits - which make ITC to place their cream variant a little lower (around 3 to 4 feet) and Seet N Salt a little higher (5 to 5.5 feet). But every brand cannot command a position on the shelf or a place in general in a Mall or any outlet per se. It all depends on the Relationship and financial capacity of the respective company. Britannia may have a higher say than PriyaGold biscuits. But once you get the right area for your brand you are all set for higher visibilty and definately higher topline.
3. Frontal Attack: Just think of a situation - A consumer entering a mall and the first thing which he observe is a good looking retail display - a stacking unit to keep cigarettes. Here smokers will get an opportunity to buy ITC cigarettes brands and at the same time it will reinforce the image of ITCs Brands. Other big international player - Malbaro has also set up these displays in different malls.
4. Company Area: Big FMCG companies like P&G, ITC, Nestle who have the financial muscle take the whole area in a strategic location inside a mall to display all the Brands. Just think of a space where Aashirwad Aata & Namak, Sunfeast Biscuits and Mangaldeep Agarbattis are kept. People loyal to ITC products will directly go to that area and buy.

There can be many more creative use of merchandizing to increase the visibility.