How To Build Integrity with Merchandising

The Relationship Between Integrity and Merchandising

Your brand has high Integrity when people feel it always does the right thing. You can drive your brand’s Integrity in many ways, one of which is through Merchandising.  

Brands wishing to increase their Integrity through Merchandising can explore opportunities far and wide – from the materials they use to create merchandising, to the types of causes they support through their merchandising and the people they employ to merchandise on the brands’ behalf.  

So, if you’re a brand interested in driving your Integrity through Merchandising, here are a few things you should be considering: 

1. What types of point of sale (POS) materials should you use?  Brands looking to grow their Integrity are likely to use materials which are sustainable.  Using recyclable materials that leave no impact on the environment is a way to demonstrate that the brand does the right thing when it comes to merchandising. Consider how your brand could alter the use of plastic and instead use more eco-friendly papers and inks to create display units. 

2. What Corporate Social Responsible (CSR) activities could your brand support?  If you’re aiming to grow Integrity, supporting a social cause through your Merchandising can lead to success. CSR activities should be baked into the DNA of your brand and should not be run as one-off campaigns. When your brand is being Merchandised, ensure what your brand is doing for people, the planet and/or society is clear, simple and authentic.  

3. How could you use Brand Ambassadors to further your Integrity?  When it comes to merchandising, especially in store, a common tactic brands employ are ambassadors. These are people in aisle sharing the benefits of a product or a sample of the product with shoppers. During Merchandising opportunities, you can increase your Integrity by selecting your Brand Ambassadors carefully.T hey are representatives of your brand so should fit the cause your brand supports. It’s important to train them well to deliver key messages and answer questions about your social cause.   

What should you do next?

• Consider the point of sale materials your brand is currently using to Merchandise with and determine if there are alternatives which are better for the planet. 
• Explore what socially responsible causes your brand could support and bake that into the DNA of your brand. Rather than a one-off campaign, make it a part of your ongoing Merchandising strategy.
• Merchandise your product alongside people who support and can articulate what it is your brand stands for and how it is providing value back to people and the planet.   

How to determine if it’s working.

• By embedding Integrity into your Merchandising strategy, you will start to see your score increase. To determine if it is working, make sure you keep an eye on how your Integrity changes as you have key promotions throughout the year. 

• You’ll know your Integrity is increasing if you start seeing a pick-up in positive reaction on social, associating your brand with either the social cause you’re supporting or the message being delivered in store or online through your Merchandising efforts. 
  
  
  Guidance from:
  Jim Brennan | Managing Director, ProQuo AI
  
  Jim is a master of brand management. With over 10 years at Unilever as a brand leader, he knows how to make a brand grow.