Display Technology
Create emotional connections through retail POP displays
When it comes to creating a retail POP display that will truly connect with consumers, it is important to create an emotional connection. Consumers are often more influenced by how a product makes them feel rather than benefits and features.
March 4, 2025 by Jim Hollen — Division President, Agility Retail Group
Many people would be surprised to know that most decisions are based on emotions rather than rational analysis. Many studies have been done on this subject and research from Gallup and Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman shows that the majority of consumer decisions are driven by emotion.
Emotional connection plays a significant role in our decision making. This is especially true when it comes to consumer decisions. Feelings and experiences are the primary drivers of purchasing decisions rather than facts. Product features and attributes play a small role, but emotional connection is key. When it comes to creating a retail POP display that will truly connect with consumers, it is important to create an emotional connection. Consumers are often more influenced by how a product makes them feel rather than benefits and features.
Utilize the power of words
Utilizing the power of words is an incredible way to connect with consumers. Words create an emotional response. When someone tells you they love you - how do you feel? When someone tells you that you did a great job, it makes you feel a certain way. When creating a powerful POP retail display, choose the words carefully. Start by thinking about the emotional response you want to create for the customer that will trigger feelings and experiences that will connect them to your brand. When they feel a connection, they are more likely to purchase your product. It is important to understand what motivates a consumer to make a purchase. Once you have a clear grasp on this, you can then tailor your message to help motivate potential buyers.
Keep it simple
When choosing words for a POP display, it is important to keep the message short and pithy. When communicating using too many words, you may fail to connect with the consumer. Keep your message to a minimum. Too much information can fail to create a connection. Consumers don't connect emotionally with long lists of features and benefits, so try to focus on a single idea that truly represents the essence of the product and the pain point that it will solve for customers. How will this product improve their lives? Text-heavy messaging often misses the mark. Understand the pain points your customers are experiencing and tell them how your product addresses that pain point.
Tell a story
The best way to connect with consumers is to tell them a story. Stories touch the human heart in ways that facts and figures never can. Not only are stories a great way to make your product relatable, but customers tend to remember stories far more easily than product attributes or a list of benefits and features. You generally have less than 5 seconds to capture a shopper's attention, so choose the message carefully. The right words and images can generate a powerful emotional response and share your story in a compelling way. It is also crucial to be authentic when telling a story. Consumers can see through contrived and fake wording, so strive to be authentic. Create real stories that your customers can relate to — show how your products have helped others and, most importantly - how it can help them.
As you begin to craft your next retail POP display project, think about how you can connect with your customer emotionally through the power of words, minimalistic messaging, and the right images to tell your story. It is important to highlight experiences and messages that resonate with your customers values, beliefs and needs. Take a personal approach to craft a message that will ensure that customers feel a human connection with your brand. Brand intimacy is all about how customers feel about your brand. If you can create brand intimacy, then your brand is much more likely to achieve success.
About Jim Hollen
Jim Hollen is Division President of Agility Retail Group (www.agilityretail.com), a leading store décor, POP display/store fixture, and retail services company offering comprehensive solutions in design, fabrication, sourcing, installation, and program management for physical store environments. A former management consultant with McKinsey & Co. and graduate of Stanford Business School, Jim Hollen has served more than 3000 brands and retailers over more than 20 years and has authored nearly 500 blogs and e-Books on a wide range of retail industry topics.
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