Display does pay

There's plenty of point-of-sale (PoS) material available to help licensees boast about their offer. But does any of it actually work — and what's the best way of using it for maximum impact?

Sarah Lewis, Diageo GB

Seventy percent of customers approach the bar not knowing what they want. This provides pubs with a great opportunity to influence the purchasing decision through impactful PoS. Of those influenced by PoS in a pub or bar, 42% say PoS at the bar helps them choose what to drink. Thirty-one percent said the same for PoS on the table and 27% claim both help.

These areas are the places where you should be using effective PoS in order to make the most of the sales opportunity, particularly in the currently tough trading environment.

"Key considerations for licensees to think about is what type of outlet you have in terms of look and feel, who your target customers are and what their reasons are for being in your outlet. Answering these questions should help you establish how much and where to use PoS effectively.

Some new types of customers have been attracted to the

on-trade since the smoking ban: females and older drinkers now come in for "lower-tempo" occasions or to catch up with friends and family.

These people like stimulus materials that can help them understand the offer in better detail. This is where PoS such as table menus can be effective. Make sure you have concise materials outlining your drinks, especially cocktails and long mixed spirits, as this is where you can be more descriptive and generate appeal for higher profit-margin drinks.

Many types of PoS are available for different locations, so consider which works best for your outlet — for example, if customers go straight to the bar, back-bar solutions and Optic plaques are recommended. Outlets that stay open later may benefit more from washing lines, posters in toilets or external PoS, to prompt drink consideration and purchase behaviour. For food outlets, table menus are key; car-park or pathway signage also works well.

Imogen Pudduck, Red Bull

Many suppliers will offer you PoS — and it can be confusing to work out which bits are effective or will just clutter up your pub.

PoS can be one of the most effective ways to talk to your customers, as they will be open to taking in information (much more readily than in a supermarket or corner shop). They have much more dwell time and use key visuals and information around the bar to make decisions. In fact, PoS can affect decision-making by as much as 60%.

Use PoS in two ways:

1. To communicate new products or promotions

2. To signpost popular brands and drive sales by reminding your customers that you have their favourite drinks without them trying to guess you have.

Focus on these products. They are your core business with high margins. You don't want to miss out by customers not being prompted to order one and opting for a less profitable option instead.

Visibility is key to making the most of brands that drive footfall and put more money through your till. Use your space cleverly by placing PoS in the right places around your outlet to trigger a purchase, for example via back-bar displays and away from the bar.

Be strict with your suppliers — make sure they supply tools that really fit into your bar and are innovative and/or functional.

Pick two or three brands and use three opportunities for each, to avoid cluttering your bar and confusing your customers with over-messaging.

However, the him! on-trade study commissioned by Red Bull from March 2008 shows 10% of people decide to buy because they see someone else drinking a product, while 15% buy when they see a product in the fridge.

Remember — product visibility is just as important. Pick what is right for your bar and fits your venue's style but don't shy away from using that opportunity to tell customers something that could make a difference.

David Scott, Carlsberg UK

There's always a temptation to use as much PoS as possible in an attempt to get consumers to notice what you're doing in your pub. In reality consumers are more likely to understand two or three messages at the most — so less is definitely more.

If you're single-minded about what you're trying to communicate, PoS can be very effective. Usually the functional items are most successful at communicating your messages.

When communicating a message I recommend focusing your attention on key hotspots within your pub, for example:

1. Use items of PoS to create an impactful back-bar display — a consumer's dwell time is longer in this area and they are more likely to notice your message.

2. For PoS items that consumers have to read — for example your food or wine menu — consider placing a newsletter on the table or creating a special communication area on your menu that you can change as necessary on a regular basis.

3. Create a noticeboard within your pub to enable you to advertise up-and-coming events and give customers a familiar place where they can find out what's going on.

4. Use external PoS such as banners and A-boards to communicate your message — and make sure it is simple and easy to read for the best impact.

Geoff Brown, Punch Taverns

PoS does work — but only when it is used carefully and correctly.

Too often it is used as decoration or to cover up marks on the wallpaper! No-impact PoS means it is either inappropriate or in the wrong place.

Effective use of PoS is when it causes customers to act right away, in response to a promotion or to simple brand awareness. PoS for a newly-stocked product is essential — this may seem an obvious point, but it is one that is often overlooked.

"We have a brilliant new ice- cold lager from Venezuela" is often the only selling message you need!

History and experience shows lots of PoS is wasted in spots customers don't notice, so focus on key places that do work:

1. Bar staff: customers have to look at staff to get served, so bold statements on T-shirts or staff uniforms work well.

2. Till sites: customers stand near bar tills because they think they're more likely to be served.

3. Eye level is buy level: items below three feet or above eight feet high are rarely noticed.

4. Hotspots: certain areas will always get seen:

n Main entrance to the pub

n Toilet doors

n Back of ladies' toilet cubicles

n Above men's urinals

n Near your TV screen, if you're showing live sport.

Paul Grace, Coca-Cola Enterprises

Let's start at the beginning. Many of the pubs in the UK have been around for more 150 years, when men would guzzle from pewter tankards and discuss their moustaches as they waited for the cock fight to kick off.

These pubs were not designed as vast retailing emporiums or to sell the range available today. So some help is needed to let people know what is on offer.

If your customers make it to the bar — many in groups don't — it's a good idea to tell them what is available. A punter who has made it to the bar has two feet of mahogany in front of him plus another three feet, beyond which there is a products range, many of which are behind glass and hardly visible at floor level.

However good the packaging, he won't see any information apart from maybe a brand name.

Table PoS is a great way to speak to people who never make it to the bar and can help move their choice from an educated guess to trying something new.

Back-bar displays are crucial — change them every fortnight. If price is important to customers, use professionally-designed PoS.

Graham Donald, Matthew Clark

Throughout my career I must have spent quite a considerable fortune on PoS for use in pubs across the UK. Did it all work and can I prove exactly what it did for the brands it was promoting? Well, despite what I may have told my bosses at the time, I confess the answer is no!

But if PoS is used effectively in the right context, it can make a positive difference to