The sharpness and resolution of the projected image is extremely high even in brightly lit shopping malls. It raises curiosity and grabs attention, supporting conventional POS media Competition is fierce in the consumer goods market and today supermarkets are a battleground for producers. They are increasingly looking for something new or unique in order to beat the competition to attract consumers to their products and achieve the sale.
"It's merchandising mania, and a little bit of 'magic' can go a long way - especially if it's different or innovative," says Desmond Joseph, Tetra Pak's market support manager, who is tasked with devising marketing solutions to assist Tetra Pak's customers in Saudi Arabia.
In cooperation with Instore Media Limited (IML), Tetra Pak will be launching a new merchandising concept in retail outlets, particularly in supermarkets.
Called Magic Box, the unit is a hot zone display unit that incorporates a 3-D imaging unit. It makes use of light and movement by producing a "floating" three-dimensional hologram in front of the unit. The sharpness and resolution of the projected image is extremely high even in brightly lit shopping malls. It raises curiosity and grabs attention, supporting conventional POS media.
"We wanted something that is unique in terms of product presentation - and new to the market," says Joseph. "We have purchased 200 magic box units from IML and appointed the same company to facilitate negotiations with our customers and carry through the full service."
The Riyadh Development Corporation estimates the size of the grocery market to be around SR100 billion ($26.6 billion), and that consumers spend about one third of their income in the grocery purchase. One distinct feature of consumerism in Saudi Arabia is its price-driven characteristic. Tens of brands of certain consumer goods rarely compete on brand image but on price.
In the most recent study done by Merlin Brynlake, one of the few specialists in Saudi consumer research, 96 per cent of the respondents revealed that grocery shopping is done in supermarkets. Moreover, 62 per cent of the 96 per cent visit the supermarket once or more than once a week.
"We are now in the age where grabbing a consumer's attention is becoming a full-blown war in a hotly-contested arena such as the supermarket," Jonathan Twort, managing director of IML, comments.
"Consumer research has shown that light and movement outperforms flat or inanimate signage by a factor of 8:1, and this has prompted us to develop several advertising programmes that makes use of light and movement," he adds.
"The Magic Box is not the only way, of course, to reinforce a brand's value and image but at the moment it is one of the most innovative merchandising tools available in the market. It seems crazy to spend millions in creating brand awareness, and then allow the consumer to wander around the place of purchase without a final reminder of your message," Twort concludes.
The Magic Box is totally versatile and can be used for multiple products. Weighing less than 5 kg, the unit can be wall or counter fixed, suspended from a ceiling, used on a gondola end or part of an overall display.
