Barry Urquhart, the international Retail and Marketing Consultant believes the key is not being better than your competition, the key is being different to your competition. Theatre displays give you the opportunity to dare to be different.

1.Plan at Least Three Months Ahead

Theatre displays need to be planned at least three months ahead (many would argue with me that it should be six months or more. In the UK Christmas theatre displays are planned 12 months ahead).

In my experience I've found displays work better if the whole team is involved in the planning stage and then encouraged to develop the promotion.

At the initial planning meeting you need to decide on the theme, what props your going to use and on the budget for props. Remember, the key is you need to be different so that the customer takes note and buys from you. Part of your promotional tactics must be 'word of mouth'. This means you are allowed to be outrageous.

If you do something different, people will talk about you.

2.Build Theatre Around Events

Theatre displays should revolve around international, national, regional and local events as well as promotional specific to your industry sector and company.

The following events are an excuse (if you need one) to build a theatre display:

January:New Years Day

Chinese New Year

February:St. Valentines Day

March:St. Patrick's Day

April:April Fool's Day

Easter (If it falls this month)

Secretary's Day (varies around the would)

May:Mother's Day (some country hold in other months)

May Day

June:End of Financial Year (not all countries)

July:Independence Day (USA)

Bastille Day (FRANCE)

August

September:Father's Day (not all countries have Father's Day in September)

October:Harvest Time (Some countries)

Halloween

November:Guy Fawkes (UK)

December:Christmas

Have your own Promotional calender and have it in full view of your team:

3.Sell the Magic not the Merchandise

Customers want to believe in the magic of your displays. They don't want to see theatre displays being built. Therefore you have two options. You either build displays when the store is closed or you place a large black drape around the work area and reveal all when the display is finished.

Some companies I know have signs up saying 'All will be revealed in one hour.' This helps create theatre in the customer's mind and allows your team to build the display while the store continues to trade.

4.Train the Team and Make Them Actors

Theatre is about acting. If you really want to create a memorable visit to your store in your customer's eyes, get the team to dress the part. If it's Christmas, all wear Christmas hats; if it's St. Valentines Day all wear a big red heart.

Also do make sure that the whole team have features and benefits knowledge about the product on display and can advise customers on how to use the products.

5.Take a Picture

Theatre displays normally occur on a yearly basis. When the display is completed take a photograph and place it in a scrapbook so you can refer to it again next year. If you don't I'll guarantee you won't remember all the details in twelve months time. Also, make notes in the scrapbook of what worked, what you need to improve next time you do it and how successful the promotion was in dollars terms.

6.Measure Success

If you don't measure it you can't manage it. Record how much of an investment it was to create the display and how much increase in sales you achieved. Use this as a target to beat next year. Share this information with the whole team, this will maintain some reality in their minds and motivate them to make the promotion beat set targets.

7.Hold Another Meeting After the Event

As soon as the event has finished you must dismantle the display. Nobody wants to see Valentine's Day on February 15th! Also, hold a team meeting to review the success of the promotion. Get ideas, and note them down, on how you can improve the promotion next time around.

Management Memo

Make your side walk (pavement) head and shoulders above other retailers on the block. The theatre starts on the sidewalk. If someone surveyed your store from across the street, you want your entire package to stand out. This includes the shop window, signs and overall store.

You need to ask:

?Can you change the colour of the sidewalk?

?Can you put a large mat at your entrance?

?Plant flowers or place in pots to give your store an attractive image?

?Place benches facing your shop window?

?Clean the sidewalk twice a day? A dirty sidewalk is s turn off.

?If it snows in your part of the world make sure you clean the snow on a regular basis.

?If it is sunny provide shade.

Ref: Edgar Falk. 1001 Ideas to Create Retail Excilement.