It is the most powerful four-letter word in advertising, and perhaps the least widely used in our field: FREE!  The expression “don’t give the store away” has frightened a lot of retailers, and kept them from giving anything away for free — but as a promotional tool, free can be very cost effective. A classic… Read More


I’ve heard that some people actually fish with it (including, I’m sure, my nephew Ben). But for those of us in the retail trade, fish line — or monofilament, as it is properly called — is a an essential tool for doing displays. Crate and Barrel makes extensive use of monofilament in their in-store and… Read More


Monday seems to be the new Sunday, with ‘closed’ signs in the windows of numerous of small shops and restaurants. I empathize with the business owner who feels the need for a day off, and decides to close on Monday since it’s the slowest weekday.  But as a friend recently said to me, “If I… Read More


A picture may be worth a thousand words, but sometimes a few words can really help you tell a display’s story.  The store next door to ours, Art Gecko, has recently added some compelling text to their colorful and engaging window displays. I happened to walk by one evening and watched their graphic artist at… Read More


Are you ready for National Licorice Day tomorrow? It does seem odd to me that it falls during National Egg Salad week, and right in the middle of National Florida Tomato Month.  But I’ll take any excuse for a celebration — especially one that can be turned into a quick and easy Twitter and Facebook… Read More


FOLLOW THE LEADER Unless you are Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber or Mel Gibson (the top Twitter celebrities of 2011), you are going to need to work to get customers to follow your postings on social networking sites such as Twitter.  This sign at a CB2/Crate & Barrel store in Chicago caught my eye, because it… Read More


I love serving on the United Way of Dane County Marketing Committee, because I get to help a great cause and at the same time I always learn something new from the marketing professionals who also volunteer their time.  This week I we were working with Art Barnard of NBS Solutions on what questions to… Read More


Katie Jackson of The Thymes, a Minnesota-based bath and body product line, recently sent out an e-mail suggesting how to promote a fragrance that was recently re-introduced.  “Create an outpost display. Feature Mandarin Coriander away from your other Thymes Bath & Body product and highlight it on its own display fixture. Highlighting a specific collection… Read More


There has been a lot of talk about newspapers being dead, and the Internet taking over advertising. But many shops, like ours, still include print ads in the daily or Sunday newspaper in our advertising mix.  Circulation may not be as robust as it once was, but a significant percentage of our potential customers still… Read More


Ireland instituted a plastic bag fee called the Plastax in 2002, resulting in a 90% drop in the use of  the “carrier bags” so widely used in Europe. The Italians have recently officially said “arrivederci” to plastic bags, and some parts of the US (such as the area included in Los Angeles County) are following… Read More