Visualizing Competitiveness: The Dynamic Role of Design Practitioners in Shaping Modern Business Strategies

Introduction

The 21st century is characterised by notable business environment changes contributing to increased competitiveness. Although business organisations have appreciated innovative production as the primary strategy for increasing competitiveness, competition remains evident. As a result, business organisations must implement methods for both customer attraction and retention. Considering the complexity of consumer satisfaction, developing strategies that target the creation of a lasting brand enhances customer attraction and retention thus promoting competitive advantage. Therefore, these pages will evaluate the role of the design practitioner in contemporary society. Further, with focus visual merchandising, the paper will examine whether the role has changed significantly, and if so, and the associated reasons with reference to theories and critical discourse on the design discipline, as well as analysing specific examples.

Visual Merchandising

Visual merchandising is described as a retail strategy that is utilized to improve business aesthetics more so that of products to increase sales. Typically, visual merchandising explains procedures that ensure the staging of merchandise relating to client demands in the proper positions ensuring perfect timing with the intent of influence purchasing behaviours and decisions (Park, Jeon, and Sullivan, 2015). The procedures are crucial to displaying, advertising, activities relating to merchandising, promotions, and special organizational events. Organisations tend to utilise the aspect of visual merchandising to create a brand image, culture, and texture for awareness and loyalty purposes. Equally, visual merchandising has been defined as the science and art of product presentation in a highly visual alluring manner with an emphasis on consumer communication through presentations and images (Gudonavičienė, and Alijošienė, 2015).

Experts argue that in the wake of competitive business environments, rigid visual merchandising options promote differentiated organization brand through both cultural associations and symbols (Park, Jeon, and Sullivan, 2015). Specifically, visual merchandising targets seek to increase productivities by ensuring the creation of attractive environments for both sales and shopping, proper arrangement of indoor merchandise for brand differentiation thus increasing sales (Gudonavičienė, and Alijošienė, 2015; Park, Jeon, and Sullivan, 2015). Gudonavičienė and Alijošienė (2015) argue that the environment created by visual marketing plays a significant role in influencing consumer behaviours through emotions. For example, when the visual or product interests or excites the customers, they minimize the need for accessing their rational decisions while improving impulse purchasing possibilities.

Although Gudonavičienė and Alijošienė (2015) argue that everyone is an impulse buyer but the extent of their impulse-buyer behaviour varies, visual merchandising tends to increase the possibility for high and fewer impulse buyers. Visual features responsible for stimulations both functional and sensory aspects that stimulate impulse buying include store windows, layout, colour, fixtures, store façade, and logo. After perceiving the features, clients tend to decode the influence perspective in categorical codes relating to brand quality, image, or the name insight which could include packaging. The use of proper visual merchandising methods that relate to how a brand or product’s image is conveyed to the consumers and the proper decoding of the message impacts the behavioural/ psychological outcomes that influence the purchase. The continuous use of elements of visual designs links the branding in retail to the promotions for on-line and in-stores.

Visual design importance is notable in retail physicality including a retail atmosphere, selection of the display merchandise, retail location and the services cape. Experts argue that the visual design evidenced in the tactics used for display plays a significant role in influencing purchasing behaviours more so in increasing impulse buying. Specifically, effective strategies include store windows, promotional signage, and merchandise display. For example, within the apparel industry, brightness levels are believed to be crucial in influencing the pleasure and arousal which is evident in approach behaviours. According to Park, Jeon, and Sullivan (2015) approach behaviours are easily identified from the way the customers handle and touch products especially when bright colours are used compared to the darker colours. Again, customers have positive purchasing behaviours when the store environments are warm.

The utilization of visual merchandising allows business organizations a chance to create a positive retail image which boosts their competitive abilities. An organization's retail image describes how customers perceive the business and play a significant role in influencing brand loyalty (Hefer, and Nell, 2015). Consumer behaviours tend to be closely similar as they are influenced by common factors. For example, in the current era where globalization has enhanced the possibilities of international marketing, customers have adopted social media to share their experiences. Globally, customers share experiences with certain product qualities and although the qualities mentioned in a product found to say in the United Kingdom and unavailable in the United States, the client’s source for a different brand of probably a similar quality. Experts argue that the retailer’s image is normally inclined to a store’s visual merchandising display that depends on how well the retailer has managed to create conducive business environments (Hefer, and Nell, 2015). Even though the efficiency of visual merchandising to influence business success could be seen as a simple task, industries must focus on understanding the customers’ specifications to ensure that the utilized designs meet their needs.

The atmosphere of a store is explained as the physical features that store utilizes to create a retail image for attracting customers to the store. Hefer and Nell (2015) argue that the store atmosphere of a retailer has a strong ability to impact the shopping behaviours of customers, the possibility of the customer to return to the store for more products, as well as the amount of tie that the customer is likely to spend in the store. Retailers who focus on visual merchandising and display tend to invest in a practical cohesive atmospherics approach targeting to build a positive brand image while enhancing the proper displaying of products in a manner that encourages customers to purchase more has improved business environments. Businesses operating under the current competitive environments have understood the need for promoting competitiveness through visual merchandising as it promotes positive retail image.

Strong visual merchandising is an effective way of promoting a competitive advantage as the utilized options enable organizations to differentiate their brand from that of competitors. Organizations utilizing visual merchandising tend to focus on ensuring that the employed designs attract customers, increases their desire for the specific commodity, and influence their return possibilities (Niazi, Hayat, and Waqar-ul-Hassan, 2015). Business organizations must realize consumer loyalty for success due to high competition. Today, different businesses are offering similar and quality services at the same cost increasing the pressure for businesses to focus on differentiation. Understanding that customers like exploring different brands and must therefore focus on ensuring they remain loyal to the brand which increases continued positive sales. Business organisations can only manage to influence positive consumer perceptions through visual merchandising that can motivate and trigger interest for more instore exploration of the merchandise (Park, Jeon, and Sullivan, 2015).

Visual Merchandising and Retail Brand Strategy

Promoting business competitiveness is a primary goal for most leading organizations. Although many businesses can realize business success within a short period, the ability to sustain a competitive advantage is only achieved by few. Sustaining a competitive advantage requires business organisations to develop strategies that seek to promote the continuity of the success against the competitors. A retail brand strategy is one key aspect for promoting competitiveness and must be seen in an organisations visual design (Park, Jeon, and Sullivan, 2015). The selected brand communications and design including the in-store environment and signage enable organisations to create differentiation from the competitors. Branding strategies utilise visual incentives in moulding strong brands through product differentiation, protection against competition, enhancing premium pricing, loyalty creation, and cutting through the clutter (Park, Jeon, and Sullivan, 2015). Smart retailers ensure that they properly select the target market, establishing stores, and focus on the most efficient marketing strategies to meet the customer needs by integrating their values and images.

Crucial organisational factors more so those relating to the physical environment ranging from the lease line all the way to the back wall should create an environment that communicates the image of the brand. Signs, displays, and fixtures must relate to the brand culture. Furthermore, Park, Jeon, and Sullivan (2015) argue that the wall coverings, lighting fixtures, cash wrap, floor covers, as well as the restrooms must be able to communicate the values of the brand to customers. Business organisations acknowledge that clients tend to create certain expectations relating to visual display and in case of organisations are unable to meet them, they evaluate their satisfaction and could easily consider moving to other brands. Normally, certain factors tend to influence business changes in areas that include visual designs. The occurrence of business changes demanding organizations to change the visual designs of products tends to push customers to embrace brands that show agility in meeting the new designs. Organizations that fail to meet the expectations are normally affected since customers could lose patience and focus on other brands. Visual merchandising influences both the sentimental and behavioural responses among customers which creates the need for organizations to focus on consumer needs as well.

Changes in Visual Merchandising

In the past, visual merchandising was only implemented as a strategy for consumer attraction was never evaluated in detail to include consumer needs. However, competition increase has revolutionized visual merchandising as a tool for communication and promoting the brand’s commitment to meeting the needs of consumers. Today, the art behind visual merchandising seeks to influence the purchase intentions positively for the current moments and the future as well (Maharani et al., 2020). Manufacturing organizations including selling their products in general stores such as supermarkets are now appreciating the need for utilizing visual display to ensure that the quality of their products appears bulbous compared to that of competitors. As a result, the use of visual merchandising has started to appreciate the idea of visual stimuli which largely focuses on the needs of consumers (Maharani et al., 2020).

Again, the use of visual merchandising in the clothing/ fashion industry and that of daily necessities has been expanded by the need for business to meet the values of customers in the designs of products they offer (Maharani et al., 2020). As a result, businesses selling in supermarkets, convenience stores, and online have equally adopted the strategy. Currently, the ideas of customer satisfaction go beyond the need for offering quality products and services. Businesses seeking to promote the satisfaction of its customers must equally consider their overall experience and thus the need for promoting customer value through visual merchandising. Customer values are achieved through visual merchandising if the layout of the store enhances the customers ease to go back and forth while interacting with other customers, neat and reachable arrangements, together with the availability of informative clear symbols that ease the customers’ ability to get products and minimize the shopping duration (Maharani et al., 2020). The attractiveness created through visual merchandising promotes the confidence of consumers as they shop in stores.

Recently, the idea of visual merchandising has taken a new route following the increasing need for both individuals and organizations to minimize environmental pollution. As countries focus on business organizations meet the standardized emission requirements, customers appear to have equally appreciated the idea of environmental protection in a sentimental manner (Dangelico, and Vocalelli, 2017). Increasingly, consumers are targeting to purchase and use products and services from organizations that practice and implement environmental conservation initiatives. These have seen the appreciation of green marketing which is now a promotional strategy for most organizations who resort in integrating the idea to visual merchandising (Madeira, 2019). As a result, organizations are appreciating visual merchandising features such as the green colour and recycling logos. The use of environmental visual designs for visual merchandising plays the role of not only promoting the products but informing the customers about their commitment to environmental conservation.

Typically, business environments are currently competitive and faced by multifarious challenges that demand the need for implementing competitiveness initiatives. Although some initiatives such as the implementation of visual merchandising have worked efficiently for decades, the idea is taking a new twist due to the need for adjusting to emerging issues. Business organizations including retails must focus on not only utilizing visual merchandising for attracting and retaining customers but must focus the purpose of informing consumers on their corporate responsibility as well (Thakur, 2016). Today, visual merchandising has absolved to become a whole crucial aspect of competitiveness in different organizations. Its use has now expanded from the common fashion and basic necessity industries to other complex organizations that include the automobile industry. Considering that some of the innovative ideas aligned to green marketing more so those on the organisational level can never be displayed on the product design, visual merchandising becomes a crucial aspect.

For example, organisations manufacturing food products that are sourced from organic farmers might never manage to tell their story through the food products but the packaging they utilize plays a crucial role in visual merchandising. As such, visual merchandising is significantly evident in packaging and online advertising. For example, automotive industries use the idea of visual merchandising to market their products through options that include the use of bright green logos showing the energy saving abilities of the specific equipment. More so, businesses that utilize energy-saving together with strategies of minimizing carbon emissions tend to utilize visual merchandising in packaging equipment. Visual merchandising for retail producers is significantly seen in the packaging methods utilized. When the packaging of a product has bright and attractive visual designs that speak the values of the culture of organisations, customers tend to gain attachment with the products. Further, given that customers are equally focused on minimizing the global greenhouse gas emissions, the brand attachment due to the visual design employed influences positive purchasing behaviours that influence shoppers’ decisions and loyalty. Mostly, organizations with strong visual merchandising strategies tend to gain competitiveness since the sales increase for prolonged periods. In a nutshell, visual merchandising is crucial to influencing the behaviours of customers, promoting competitiveness, and creating a positive brand image. Emerging trends in production such as the need for prompting environmental conservation through reducing emissions has seen organizations utilize visual merchandising strategies to inform the public about corporate responsibility. Common visual designs utilized in businesses relate to logos, shapes, and colours as well as the store arrangements in stores.

Conclusion

In conclusion, business organizations face notable competition that is largely contributed by changes in business environments. The competitive environments require the business to employ different strategies to gain both success and competitive advantage. Although business success appears to be easy to gain, businesses face challenges in maintaining the success thus the need for using options that attract customers and increase their loyalty to the brand. Visual merchandising is among the options that organizations utilize to promote competitiveness. The efficiency of visual merchandising is largely linked to attractive designs that attract customers and creation of a positive brand image. Recent changes in manufacturing have seen visual merchandising become an important tool for organizations to show their corporate responsibility more so in meeting the emission standards. The use of logos like the recycling symbol and bright colours trigger the cognitive and behavioural aspects that influence shoppers to buy more including impulse buying.

References

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