A client recently told me that they were hoping to persuade the trade to group all their products in one place, in order to act as a beacon for consumers. The advantages to the brand are obvious, but this can work equally well for the retailer if the category is young and your brand has some sort of authority status among regular shoppers. Think of Red Bull and energy drinks, or Dolmio and pasta sauces.
But perhaps the most familiar example of this type of brand blocking comes from the world of herbs and spices. Packs are small and a complete range requires 50-100 different products, so this fixture is one of the few that’s almost guaranteed to have its own distinctive POS. When it’s done well it feels a bit like a giant spice rack.
Here in a French urban mini-market we still got a full 2m x 1.5m merchandising unit and a beautiful, alphabetically-ordered array of culinary delights. Of course they all sound so much tastier in French, but this packaging also makes you want to buy the complete set and then go home and cook something herby and spicy. Bon Appetit!