Five Ways to Increase Your Brand's Visual Impact

People always ask me how to create fabulous displays...
but the truth is, your visual impact as a business
starts BEFORE you ever put products in your store.

When I work with clients to design their retail environments and displays,

I start with this principle: ‘Tell Your Own Story’ in all visual communications.

Make your brand a consistent expression of your business’ individual mission, purpose, style, and products or services – and then leverage that brand by using it in every visual medium at your disposal. This is the main opportunity for you to show your potential customers why YOU are different than others – be proud of your individuality and build on it.

Let me explain that concept this way: Have you ever tasted a Cabernet wine?

If you were to taste one each from Walla Walla, Yakima, Horse Heaven Hills, Indian Wells – all regions in the Eastern half of Washington state – you’d find that not all Cabernets are created equally. The vineyards each have distinct variations in soil content, rainfall, sun exposure, and other conditions, which cause the vines to grow grapes that have vastly different sugar and acid levels, affecting their taste (‘palate’). When harvested and fermented, those variances result in wine that is unique to that grape varietal in that particular location – a Cabernet from Walla Walla is not like a Cabernet from Yakima, or Italy, or France, or Napa, or anywhere else. Your business is not like any other – no matter what you sell, you’re unique because of all of the distinct variations and characteristics that make up your business.

In the wine industry, this concept is called ’Terrior’ (Tehr WAH) – loosely translated, it means ‘Pride of Place’. Or, ‘I’m a proud product of where I come from’. Wineries utilize this concept in the marketing and positioning of their businesses within the industry and to the consumer, by capitalizing on the uniqueness of their terrior. They combine their location, history, resources, processes, mission, and ultimately their product, to create a brand identity that Tells Their Own Story. It’s much the same concept as selling designer jeans or mineral makeup or floral design services – your competition is selling the same basic thing, and it’s your brand image that talks. Be a proud product of ‘where you come from’!

continue reading for steps you can take to implement this information...

Trade Show Booth Concept Design

here's a look at something you haven't seen much of on my design blog: the design concepts i create for NON-retail spaces.

i've shared a few trade show booth shots before, including the display setups i've created for wholesale gift shows in the USA. i've also shared the redesign i undertook with my daughter in her 'Heeling Sole' barefoot massage studio in Texas several years ago. (i'll link all of those posts at the end of this one)

when you combine those two things, you see Deb designing a trade show booth concept for her daughter to set up at the national convention of her industry...

i'd like to share the project with you with the goal of helping you prepare for any trade show, convention, even pop-up space that your business might have as you promote what you do.

continue reading for my narrative and Jeni's input on our process and how those goals were met...

before & after: retail display solutions

A successful retail display doesn't just happen.

it is the result of a combination of knowing the science of retail principles

and the art of composition and placement. 

Both combine to create a 3D work of art that invites customers in - 

and results in sales of product.

There are some retail display design principles that are oh-so-perfectly illustrated

by the following 'before and after shots',

and to discuss them means that I have to critique the 'befores'.

So while I point out all of the flaws in the design below,

know that I realize someone worked hard putting it together...

they just didn't know the most effective way to do so.

continue reading as i describe what was wrong -
and how easily those challenges were addressed...

Spring Forward!

Is your shop ready for SPRING yet?
[ I promise, it WILL get here! It always does! ]

Even if you are buried in a snow drift, the next season is what's on your customers' minds...

create interesting and inspiring displays of fresh, new product (and re-mixed old products)

to help them prepare for sunnier days!

Find all of my past posts with Spring display ideas HERE

More inspiration is on my Pinterest Retail Display Board