Integrated Design

Mass marketing companies in the consumer sector are continually seeking innovative ways to promote product sales. A strategic part of their advertising campaigns include displays to maximize visibility and floor space at the retail level. These displays must be imaginative, visually appealing and distinctive. Companies with household names like Coca Cola, Pepsi, Budwiser and Heineken are battling for floor space and dominance in stores to gain market share. This highly competitive arena has fostered a $17 billion industry referred to as the POP or point of purchase display industry. It is comprised of thousands of companies specializing in the creation of products which display merchandise with the sole purpose of enticing consumers to buy the promotional item. POP companies range in size from small one or two person companies to very large international corporations. It should be pointed out that POP is gaining importance as a marketing tool in this era of cable TV and internet, during which conventional advertising is loosing effectiveness. POP companies typically include creative individuals with a keen understanding of the product as well as strong, marketing, design and graphics skills. One such firm is Merchandising Specialists Inc. (MSI), located in Dobbs Ferry, NY (Tel 914-693-3332) which specializes in providing its clients with distinctive POP products based on their unique combination of creativity, marketing and design talents. This article will discuss the design and development of one of their more recent developments for Heineken, a rotationally molded beer keg POP.

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