Window displays are one of the most effective marketing tools a business can use. In fact, research suggests that window displays have a direct influence on the number of customers that enter your shop. This is because an effective display communicates brand identity, sets companies above their competitors and showcases their latest product range. This article will explore how you can design eye-catching displays using window display props to increase your footfall, and in turn, enhance your profit margins.
Understand Your Target Audience
Window display props come in a myriad of colours, shapes and sizes. But before you can envisage the right prop design, you must first understand your target audience. A great place to start is thinking about what your perfect customer looks like:
- What is their age?
- What is their gender?
- What type of lifestyle do they have?
- What are their needs?
- What are their desires?
Once you have answered these questions and settled on your target audience, you can begin designing a display that resonates with this demographic.
Harrods’ 2021 Christmas window display connected with its target audience perfectly. Located in its Brompton Road store, they caught customers’ attention using large-scale, jewelled window display props. These props helped create the feeling of luxury and refinement to suit their upmarket audience.
Brand Identity
One of the most important aspects to consider when designing a window display is whether it successfully communicates your brand identity. M&S achieved this perfectly after installing a gigantic Percy Pig on the roof of its new store in Stevenage. Percy Pig is an iconic and recognisable character of the M&S brand, therefore installing a large-scale model of the pig was bound to attract lots of attention.
Build a Narrative
To increase the memorability of a window display, it should tell your audience a story. To help create this narrative, try brainstorming ideas with colleagues and create mood boards to understand the look and feel you’re aiming to achieve. Most importantly, invest time in the planning phase to ensure your narrative is unique.
Bergdorf Goodman’s spectacular window display effectively conveyed a narrative of mystery and pure indulgence by featuring window display props, including a genuine crystal ball and life-size, fortune-teller mannequin.
Be Bold
Nowadays, we are bombarded with advertisements both in-person and online. So, to stand out from the crowd, we must be bold with our designs. If any brand knows how to be bold, it’s Hermès. Their 2017 display featured oversized window display props, including a cup and straw containing orange ‘liquid’ to match their signature colour. Draped over the cup were delicate silk scarves. The striking contrast between product and display, as well as their on-brand colour palette, named them Best Orange Window of 2017 by WindowsWear.
The Focal Point
Once you have the foundations in place, you must then establish a focal point for your window display. A focal point is a statement piece, usually large-scale window display props, that attracts the attention of passers-by. For instance, Leaves of Trees in Toronto designed a beautiful window display featuring large-scale tubes of skincare products ascending from the ceiling to attract its customers.
Whether you need an oversized skull to make your Halloween display stand out from the crowd or a giant chocolate bar to help sell your new range of vegan candies, we recommend contacting professional prop makers to ensure your focal point has that wow factor.
