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blog http://www.olympicdisplays.com/blog/ PRICED AT A PREMIUM http://www.olympicdisplays.com/priced-at-a-premium/ Kirstie Allsopp - she of "Phil", house-buying common sense and all things knitted - has been Tweeting of late on the supply and demand pricing policy of airlines. Ms Allsopp is, I’m guessing, investigating for a television programme the practice of airlines and their IT systems pricing seats inline with sales patterns.
Quite what the always good-value Kirstie knows about the issue I'm not entirely sure. But hey, when did having in-depth expertise ever get in the way of today's commissioning editors. She does, however, highlight what could become a growing trend in terms of pricing policy and in businesses reacting more aggressively than ever to consumer behaviour.
In New York it is a sales tactic now adopted on Broadway. Walk into a theatre box office and you will see a screen on which the next week's performances are listed and displayed in such a way they can be easily adjusted in response to consumer demand.
So, for instance, if you want to see "The Book of Mormon" - the biggest Broadway money-spinner in years and due here in 2013 (highly recommended, by the way) - on a Saturday evening or over a holiday weekend you could be looking at a ticket price tag of a whopping US$477!
I also noted producers of some Broadway productions are charging premiums for aisle seats.
What next? Food priced according to freshness? Fashion retailers charging more if you leave buying beach wear to the last minute? A pound to use the toilet on a plane? Oh, yes, one obnoxious Irish businessman is already mulling that one over isn't he?
Now, depending on your point of view this is either good commercial practice or a blatant rip-off. In these difficult economic times it makes perfectly good sense for businesses to entice customers to commit early and get revenue in the bank.
Go back just a few years and it was accepted you could pencil holiday dates in advance and nearer the time make the purchase - sometimes having to compromise, occasionally bagging an amazing deal but hardly ever being totally disappointed.
And while there are still late availability offers, if you are at all restricted to dates or have a particular preference in terms of destination or accommodation, you could well end up struggling to find anything acceptable or within budget.
But what does all this mean for marketers and also for consumers?
As customers we will have to be more forward-thinking - difficult when we are all cautious about spending and often prefer to "wait and see", especially when it comes to discretionary spend items.
For businesses? Well, pricing has, of course, always been an integral part of any marketing strategy. But to devise and implement it well requires both a forensic like insight into your sector and an on-going and dedicated investment into understanding your customers/clients, how they spend and the numerous factors that can influence their decisions.
One thing all this does make crystal clear is that, whether marketer, sales director, CEO or consumer, we will all have to be smarter than ever before in our behaviour and in the way we plan, sell and purchase.
David Leck - Guest Blogger Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:42:06 +0100 http://www.olympicdisplays.com/priced-at-a-premium/ Going for quality and professionalism http://www.olympicdisplays.com/going-for-quality-and-professionalism/ Psychologists claim that we make a judgement as to whether we like or dislike someone within seconds of meeting them – supposedly, from the vibe the person exudes as well as outer appearance. A similar situation must be the case with how we assess and interact with companies, products and services. Thus a high level of quality and the professional look become essential factors when it comes to presenting your company and services to the world. It can make all the difference to as whether prospective clients come to you or walk across the street to do business with your competitor. So it goes without saying that ensuring that you have excellent and professional exhibition and display equipment can go a long way in helping your marketing efforts. It's certainly worth the investment in time and resources to get such equipment created for your company. The multiple benefits extend to your brand, customers and clients as well as your own staff. Generating confidence in your brand: It usually takes some time to generate confidence and credibility in the market place. If you have to go to exhibitions and road shows to make presentations, it will help considerably to have a consistent brand look in which your publicity material, leaflets, business cards, display banners and other advertising all present a consistent image and message. Generating confidence in your product or service: Whether you are on a mission to create greater consumer awareness or on an image-building exercise to raise the profile of your company, your exhibition and display materials can be critical in helping to generate confidence in your offerings. High quality presentation and the professional touch will get you off to a good start in how your company or products are perceived. In a sense you score brownie points before you start pitching to prospective clients. Generating confidence in prospective clients: A great set of exhibition and display materials projects a positive image of your company and products, and generates confidence in prospective clients. So you make a positive impression before you even meet or speak to clients and prospects. This is especially important in tough competitive environments, where you want to draw the attention of the optimal number of people you can attract. Generating confidence in your own staff: Your sales persons or staff who have to go out and face the public need to be confident that they are promoting a great product or service. A set of great, professionally designed equipment and publicity material will help immensely in this regard. The help and support you need to be able to acquire quality exhibition equipment, including the provision of quality professional <a href="http://www.olympicdisplays.com/display-graphics-artwork/">design and artwork</a>, is available - a few mouse clicks away. And there are many options available at all budget levels. So get to work and check out examples of display materials available on this <a href="http://www.olympicdisplays.com/">website</a>. You'll be glad you did. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.olympicdisplays.com/going-for-quality-and-professionalism/ Big, bold and beautiful http://www.olympicdisplays.com/big-bold-and-beautiful/ Picture walking into the hall of one of the larger exhibition venues such the Olympia or the O2. What do you notice most? Banners, of course. Banners inviting you to come and spend some time with us! And which exhibitions draw your attention most? Usually it's the big, bold and beautiful displays that stand out most. In certain contexts nothing less than that will do.
In business it is an ongoing challenge to maintain an awareness of your services and products in the market place. It is also challenging to keep finding new and effective ways to maintain customer loyalty. Thus there are times and situations when your marketing and advertising messages must speak to the aspirations of your target audience and also inspire certain lifestyle choices which will ultimately affect sales and your bottom line. This is where big, bold and beautiful comes in! Big: It makes a difference to go big, depending on the product or service, target audience, and the venue and context in which particular display equipment are to be used. Going big, large or supersize is a statement in itself – an expression of confidence in the product being offered and of openess and welcome to the target audience. For example, when it comes to business activities like launching a new car display lot, opening of a supermarket, adverts for designer clothes and accessories, life-style products like perfumes and handbags, even furniture like sofas and beds, carpets and so on – big is most appropriate in terms of equipment as well as advertising statements. Bold: An assertive and confident design is natural to certain lines of products. One can't imagine premier football clubs inviting their fans to matches and events with nothing but bold claims and expressions. Or luxury car advertisement on nothing but big displays and whole page advertising. Or come election time, one can't imagine political parties vying for votes in any ways other than bold. In going for the bold, you use your display material to deliberately engage your target audience – to provoke questions, invite discussions or feel good to be part of the "in" crowd. Beautiful: Shakespeare claimed that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But by beautiful here, we mean excellent design – the selection of colours, typesetting, layout, photos, graphic elements and all the ingredients that go into making an outstanding piece of work. Of course, going for the big, bold and beautiful must ultimately make business sense in terms of working out a cost-benefit analysis. However, in business as in the rest of life, there must be room for playfulness and humour; otherwise, life is a dull plod. Whether you are going for the big, bold and beautiful display equipment and banners or something more modest, there is always <a href="http://www.olympicdisplays.com/">help</a> available to develop your messages and images. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.olympicdisplays.com/big-bold-and-beautiful/ Creating purposeful display equipment http://www.olympicdisplays.com/creating-purposeful-display-equipment/ If you've got it, flaunt it! This is quite a commonplace saying, but it can be wise advice in some situations. In the competitive marketplace of today, products and services don't promote themselves – even excellent products need to be given a little push to get the attention of consumers. Depending on where and when you do your marketing and promotion campaigns, a set of great display equipment can be most beneficial.
Imagine your company sending salespeople to a modern shopping mall or trade fair with handwritten posters and photos sellotaped on display boards! Or worse, imagine trying to promote stylish clothes and apparel to young people with that sort of equipment and presentation. In both instances the staff may be too embarrassed to even stand beside the display, much less invite people to come and look at the offering.
Recent advances in technology and lifestyle choices demand keeping up with higher standards and stiffer competition. Fortunately, the same technology advances have made available great opportunities for creating high quality display equipment – of varying sizes, portability and material – to satisfy a wide range of uses. For instance, you can get the same display made in various sizes that you can use in a shopping mall, at trade exhibitions or on huge billboards.
Here are some themes you could explore when getting your display equipment designed for you:
Educate your audience: the focus of your display material may be to tell people about a product of service that they know little about. With this kind of material, the emphasis is on providing information in text and photos, and highlighting the benefits of the product or service for the consumer. The display material can point out facts, figures and benefits which the consumer doesn't yet know.
Engage your audience: your display material could be purposefully designed to engage clients and provoke questions, to invite discussion or encourage the audience to find out more. This sort of display may be more suitable for services rather than products and may work well if it is targetted to specialists or professionals at trade shows.
Dazzle your audience: for lifestyle products, the emphasis could be colourful and photo-dominant display boards full of smiling faces and satisfied users of a product or service. Such display material can be particularly suitable for introducing new products or services to new segments of the market. It is an opportunity to pitch your product or service as affordable and easy to access, with fashion or design statements that the target audience may identify as reflective of their lifestyle and aspirations.
Amplify your guarantees: your display material could emphasis the promises your company wants to make to users. Especially if your service requires users to switch from an existing provider to your company, your display materials may focus on spelling out the main benefits they will receive if they make the switch.
 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.olympicdisplays.com/creating-purposeful-display-equipment/ How to make your first exhibition a success http://www.olympicdisplays.com/how-to-make-your-first-exhibition-a-success/ Hosting an exhibition is a great way to get people interested in your business. It is a unique opportunity for people to meet you, ask questions they would not otherwise approach you with and learn new things about your services on a face-to-face basis.
 
Exhibitions pull many business prospects together in one place, and also provide ideal conditions for meeting existing clients and potential customers. Visitors will have gone to the effort and expense to be there so you’ll have a volume of prospects all in one place. From a market research perspective, exhibitions also give you the unique opportunity to get information about your clients, the potential to generate new ideas and gain feedback from your target audience. Organisation and preparation of your first exhibition can make it an effective marketing tool and is the best way to get the most out of an audience who has come to visit your stand and explore your services. Take note of some industry tips if you are preparing for an event this year. Establish and stick to your budget As with organising anything, it is best to work within the budget you have established, having considered the cost of your exhibition space, any electrical or water costs, the design of your stand, promotional stationery (leaflets, badges, pencils), and staffing expenses, such as accommodation, lunches and travel. By making sure the event you’re exhibiting at attracts companies that lead the market, you’ll have the best possible chance to get yourself out there as well as take note of your competition. To ensure you are exhibiting at the right event for your company see how many years the event has been running for and how well established it is. Good events are the ones that are well advertised so keep an eye open for them on trade magazines and leading websites. Choose the right props Your stand is probably the most important prop you’ll have as it is a bit like a shop window for your company. A good one will reflect your objectives so visitors know what you’re about from a glance and can be encouraged to find out more. The first tip is to determine where your stand is placed. One that has open sides tend to be much more inviting to attendees, so a corner stand for instance is a good spot. Consider height restrictions and pillars when determining your stand by visiting the venue in advance or at least enquiring with event organisers if they haven’t already provided you with literature. If it is a product you’re promoting, having a prototype or sample at the exhibition is a good way to gain interest, especially if visitors are able to play around with the product with the assistance of a representative. This is where you can also get creative with the visual merchandising of your stand. The design of your stand is important – from colour scheme to the shape and size, but something that isn’t too overwhelming. You want to get the right balance: to convey your business message, but also have room for intrigue so visitors take an interest and ask questions. Conveying your business message Eye catching banners will make your exhibition distinctive from the rest and make it more inviting for attendees. If you extend your designs to features such as representatives’ uniforms, stationery and literature, it will show consistency and help to project your business’s identity. Pamphlets and even goodie bags provide something potential clients can take away with them and remember. Your exhibition will be an extension of your business and the service it provides and you want your image to be smooth and polished. Organisation and preparation will not go unnoticed, as it will convey your professionalism and attention to detail. A well prepared exhibition will give your business the extra boost which cannot be achieved with an exhibition that has been thrown together at the last minute. 
 Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:49:52 +0000 http://www.olympicdisplays.com/how-to-make-your-first-exhibition-a-success/ Stop exhibition visitors in their tracks with an eye-catching banner http://www.olympicdisplays.com/stop-exhibition-visitors-in-their-tracks-with-an-eye-catching-banner/ Banners are used for all sorts of occasions, from birthdays to anniversaries to welcome home parties. And it is the bigger, brighter and the more extravagant that make the best ones. 
But the banners that need a lot more thought are the non-novelty variety - the banners that are used in the work environment, for stands at conventions, business fairs, exhibitions or recruitment events. Here’s how you can make yours stand out.
A simple font is an eye catching one: Keep your font nice and simple. It is something which people often forget and with hundreds of new fonts available on new software and the internet, it is hard to resist the temptation of playing around with fonts. 
There is no reason you can’t be quirky if it fits in well with the theme of your stand, but it is no use if people can’t read what’s written. In a crowded room or at a distance, an ornate italic font will not read as well as a solid and simple one. If you are going to use a serif font, make it a simple one.
Picking suitable colours: Keeping in with the colours of your company is a good idea for consistency and identity. Don’t ambush visitors with a multicoloured background in an attempt to dazzle, because it can be confusing and unpleasant to the eye. 
For the best visibility, ensure the colour of the font contrasts with that of the background for ease of reading - for instance, do not have a dark font on a dark background, or light on light. If you want to make one particular word in your banner stand out, then you can highlight it with a different colour to the rest, so long as it doesn’t clash with the background.
What does it say about your company or business?: If you want to use an adventurous font because that is the nature of your business, then feel free to do so, as it is a great way to draw attention to your stand. Remember not to get carried away with something that is going to look silly. It is recommended you use the font that is used for your company branding or logo, as it shows a professional quality and consistency. 
Keeping images down to a minimum will ensure your banner does not look overly crowded. However, feel free to use your company logo to make it more memorable and give people more of an idea about what your stand is offering. Also consider who you will get to print your banner. If the print quality is not up to scratch, a perfectly designed banner can look like faded or pixelated, which reflects badly on your stand.
Make your banner visible: There is no point in putting all that effort into your banner or display if it is going to be obstructed by another stand. Make sure you give yourself enough height or prominence so that people can see you. Don’t have your banner made out of a reflective material, because it tends to catch the light and all people will be able to see is a distracting glare. 
Matt materials are better for visibility and you can use light to your advantage. Fixing some spotlights above your banner can make it stand out even more. Check to see if your venue can assist with this before you make your own arrangements. Use your venue to your advantage so you know that people will be queuing up to visit your stand on the day.
 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:23:58 +0000 http://www.olympicdisplays.com/stop-exhibition-visitors-in-their-tracks-with-an-eye-catching-banner/ Using your display equipment to maximum advantage http://www.olympicdisplays.com/using-your-display-equipment-to-maximum-advantage-2/ Are you using the display equipment for your business to maximum effect? Do you review and update your display equipment from time to time to keep pace with developments in your industry? These are important questions to consider. Your display equipment can be a great marketing tool if used appropriately. They can be used to advertise or promote your goods and services to potential buyers in settings where there is a lot of competition. They can also be used to expose your offerings to prospects in situations where your products or services may not otherwise reach. Here are five important factors to consider to give you an edge when designing and using display mate equipment: Projecting your unique character and identity: your display equipment can help establish your brand identity in the competitive market place. Even if the primary intention is to pitch your products or services to the customer, your display equipment can also be used to establish a credible image and presence in the minds of customers for medium to long term success. Unique benefits, or spelling out what's in it for the customer: Great advertising is not necessarily a beauty contest for its own sake; the purpose is to spell out the benefits or advantages of choosing your product or service over all the others or similar products in the marketplace. It is essential to incorporate your unique benefits into your display material, whether the strength of your offering is based on quality of a product or service, pricing, ease of use, availability or some other reason. Great design: with so much advertising messages out there, it is often challenging to come up with completely innovative designs that are also visually appealing. But through an appropriate combination of text, graphics and colours, your display equipment can be used effectively to capture and hold the attention of customers and clients – while you get your message across. The KISS principle: keep it simple and straight-forward is an old but tried and tested formula, and it is still a good mantra. An effective set of display material will have clear messages and a clear call to action, such that customers and clients know what to do next if they want to take up an offer or follow through to a purchase. Commitment to continuous improvement: it is to the advantage of your company to continually collect feedback from your customers and clients, and to use the information for continuous improvement. More often than not, the changes to be made are small adjustments and refinements, but these can make all the difference to next season's marketing campaign. Progressive firms have policies in place to ensure constant and never-ending improvement. So at the end of every season or cycle of campaigning, it is advisable to check out the effectiveness of your display and promotional material. Where can they be improved? What elements do you need to highlight for the next round of campaigning? Which elements to drop or de-emphasise? What is the feedback you've received from customers and staff and what can be incorporated for the next set of display materials? The challenge of continuous improvement can be a fun and exciting journey. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:43:19 +0000 http://www.olympicdisplays.com/using-your-display-equipment-to-maximum-advantage-2/ Simple rules for an eye-catching exhibition banner http://www.olympicdisplays.com/simple-rules-for-an-eye-catching-exhibition-banner/ If you have a great product its quality will speak for itself when you are at an exhibition. Your first job is drawing people’s attention to it, and to do this you need a stand that makes people stop in their tracks. An essential element of this is an eye-catching banner. But if you’re not a designer it can be difficult to know where to start in making it look attractive and professional. The following tips should help, whether you’re a novice or just need to freshen up your approach to your exhibition stand. Get the font right The font of your banner will speak volumes. Aim to choose something bold yet simple. It’s tempting to go for a mix of fonts or for something fancy, however, remember that in a crowded room or at a distance an ornate italic font will not be easy to read. Serif fonts are the ones you find with lines on the ends of letters, like Times New Roman for example. It is argued that they work better in a long body of text, which is why they are commonly used in newspapers, whereas headlines are usually in sans (without) serif fonts. If you are going to use a serif font make it a simple one. What does a font say about your company or business? If you do use a quirky or whimsical font because that is the nature of your business then feel free to do so as it is a great way to draw attention to your stand. It might be people of a younger age that you’re trying to attract. Remember that some whimsical fonts are not taken as seriously as others - Comic Sans is especially guilty of dividing opinion. Designers <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/jun/20/in-defence-comic-sans-font">hate</a> it and there have even been Facebook campaigns to ban the font. Who knew typefaces could be so controversial! You might want to use the font that is used for your company branding or logo as people find that it shows a professional quality and consistency. Keeping images down to a minimum avoids crowding the banner, but adding something like your company logo can make it more memorable and give people more of an idea about what your stand is offering. Good use of colour It’s a good idea to use colours which match your company branding; this will give a consistent feel and promote your brand identity. Avoid lots of clashing colours in your background, which can be confusing and unpleasant to the eye. You must also make sure the colour of the font contrasts with that of the background for ease of reading. If you have a dark font on a dark background, or light on light, the message on your banner will get lost. If you want to make one particular word in your banner stand out then you can make it stand out with a different colour to the rest, so long as it doesn’t clash with the background. Stay visible There is no point in putting all that effort into your banner or display if it is going to be obstructed by another stand. Make sure you give yourself enough height or prominence so people can see you. Using a reflective material for the banner will catch the light and all people will be able to see is a huge glare. Matt materials are better for visibility and you can use light to your advantage. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:41:18 +0000 http://www.olympicdisplays.com/simple-rules-for-an-eye-catching-exhibition-banner/ Achieving a high impact with your display equipment http://www.olympicdisplays.com/achieving-a-high-impact-with-your-display-equipment/ The quality and wow-factor of your display equipment can play a significant part in achieving successful promotions of your service or products. Whether at road shows or exhibitions, or even in exclusive presentations to clients and prospects, you don't want to give the impression of being the poor cousins when it comes to show-casing your services or products. The competitive market place demands excellence on all fronts, including how your services and products are advertised and promoted. Fortunately, it's fairly straightforward to get the full range of display equipment - including banners, display stands, exhibition equipment - designed and produced for you to high specification and quality at competitive prices. There are many strategies you could use to enhance the effectiveness of your display equipment. These include: Clear design elements The artistic use of colours, photographs, illustrations and captivating fonts are the stock in trade of designers. Working with a contracted designer as a team, you can come up with well-designed display equipment that can put across your messages in effective ways. The messages can be tailored to different target audiences, taking account of age, cultural trends and so on. For example, messages to a younger audience may be in bright and playful colours compared to messages aimed at corporate executives. Clear and bold messages If you've got a brilliant product or service, you might as well state bold claims about it. With a bit of creativity, you could come up with catchy slogans and messages that captures the imagination of your target market. It is also useful to obtain testimonials from satisfied customers and users. Such testimonials can be worth their weight in gold, as they can be especially effective in impacting sceptical customers or clients who want to see social proof. Clear invitation to action Sometimes advert messages are too clever by half: they may be amusing and entertaining but lead to no sales or greater awareness of the product being promoted. Big corporate entities with huge advertising budgets may be able to afford such campaigns; but smaller and more pragmatic companies are best advised to go for messages with a clear invitation to action on the part of the target audience. Clear ongoing promotion Your company or service may be one of those providers who need to be in the public eye almost continuously - to sign up new subscribers, or persuade prospects to switch over from one supplier to another. For ongoing promotional work, make sure you have sturdy and strong display equipment that can withstand the pressures and bumps of being carried from exhibition to exhibition, from road show to road show. Clear guarantees out there Customers like to be assured that not only would their consumer rights be respected, but that their complaints and feedback are taken seriously. It is good practice to spell out your guarantees clearly and flag them up in your campaign brochures, and on display material where appropriate. It is an expression of confidence in your products that will positively impact the customer. Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:01:01 +0000 http://www.olympicdisplays.com/achieving-a-high-impact-with-your-display-equipment/ Marketing Week Live 2011 http://www.olympicdisplays.com/marketing-week-live-2011/ The destination for modern marketers Marketing Week Live is a truly inspirational experience for the UK’s modern marketer. Being the only event supported by Marketing Week, it challenges marketers to take their campaigns to the next level and be integral to improved business performance. 
Marketing Week Live is an invaluable opportunity for the whole marketing team to learn, network, source new solutions and products. You’ll find inspiration and ideas across the event, from global brands speaking at Centre Stage through to innovative products you didn’t know existed.
Marketing Week live runs from the 29th - 30th June 2011 at Olympia, London. Entry is free.
 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:49:04 +0100 http://www.olympicdisplays.com/marketing-week-live-2011/