There has been a lot written about P.O.P. signage, and how an average sign shop can offer a range of in-store advertising to their customers, both local and national. There are many stock sign holders, stands and hangers available, which can be filled with graphics produced by the signmaker to provide their retail clients with a cohesive in-store image to promote their sales and specials.Symbiosis: An intimate association between two species, which benefits both.

But there are a number of companies whose sole focus is developing custom P.O.P. displays for the manufacturers of products like Adidas, Clif Bar, Kenwood, Nextel, and Yamaha, which will be displayed using the same holders and graphics in every store they appear in worldwide.

These companies are not sign fabricators, though they may produce their own graphics. Nor are they in competition with the sign industry; in fact, they may offer an opportunity for a symbiotic relationship where each can provide the other with materials and expertise that benefit everyone involved.

LEARNING MORE

To learn more about the possibilities, I spoke with Marvin Christie of Santa Cruz Industries, a company that I worked with for several years producing decals for product prototypes when the first Gerber Edge printer came out, making it possible to create short runs of custom shaped stickers at a reasonable cost.

SCI was established in 1954, so they have had 56 years to expand their production, warehousing and shipping facilities around the world. They deliver a unique, custom design for each client, to ensure that their product stands out in the highly competitive retail environment. Yet, the elements required to assemble an innovative display are so varied and specialized, it doesn’t seem possible for one company to manufacture all of the components involved. 

In fact, a typical P.O.P. display requires anywhere from two to six vendors, providing everything from raw materials to hardware to signage. Once the designers have the concept sketches ready, almost all aspects of production are outsourced to a variety of fabricators. 

The prototypes may be developed at their office in Santa Cruz, with some labels being printed on desktop inkjets and spray mounted to test them out. But some decals or signs need to be printed on adhesive-backed vinyl or are too large to be produced in-house, and that is one area where a local sign shop can come to the rescue.

Even when the display reaches full production, the quantities are often well within the capabilities of a well-equipped sign shop. The fabrication of each element is handled by the supplier best suited for the job, and preferably assembled in the factory closest to the final destination of the product.

Santa Cruz Industries maintains control over the design, engineering and development of the displays, often visiting the production facilities during the fabrication process to solve any issues that might arise and make sure everything is proceeding as expected. For this reason, most of the production is still done domestically because of the ease of management. 

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

The most important quality that makes a good relationship with an outside supplier is communication. Especially when there is significant distance between the designers and fabricators, accurate proofs and clearly defined changes and approvals are key to success. Of course, it is important to set realistic deadlines and then meet them, and deliver consistent quality time after time. 

If your shop has the capability to manufacture one or more element of P.O.P. displays or graphics, you might have a very lucrative revenue stream just waiting to be uncorked. On the other hand, if one of your local retail customers makes the leap to nationwide distribution, or requests a display element that you are not equipped to produce, you can utilize the resources of your new design partner to fulfill your customer’s needs as well.

Once the displays are ready, they are either delivered to the client for distribution or drop shipped to each of their locations. SCI also contracts with a fulfillment service that will go out and set up the displays in each store. Especially when there are electronic elements or special hardware involved, this is not something you want to leave up to the minimum wage employees. This is another service that you could offer to a potential custom P.O.P. design firm.

GOING FOR THE GREEN

If you have answered the demand for green products and practices in your sign production, all the better because more and more retail clients are searching for ways to present a sustainable image in the marketplace, and one of the best ways to do that is through the choices of materials used in their in-store displays.

SCI recently completed its first display line made completely out of natural materials, including bamboo and fabric banners printed with biodegradable inks. One client even insisted on eliminating a plastic bag that was being used for shipping their product, even though it would never be seen by retail customers.

In everything we do, we have the ability to choose the environmentally sound option or go with the easy and familiar. Making the right choice does not take that much more effort, it just requires awareness. We have already seen how demand has begun to result in new materials and creative uses of existing materials for sign fabrication, and P.O.P. displays offer another excellent opportunity to push the concept even further.

By lending our technology and expertise to related industries such as custom P.O.P. display development, we can develop new partnerships and produce quality signs and graphics that will continue to be seen by millions of consumers worldwide.

Resources

Santa Cruz Industries

(800) 724-1954

www.santacruzind.com