When you walk through retail stores today, you see the same scenes over and over again:
Products on the shelf.
Displays.
Maybe a QR code.
And yet, hardly anything really sticks in your mind.
That's no coincidence.
This is because many POS promotions are still conceived as if visibility were the primary goal.
But visibility alone is not enough.
What's missing is what truly makes brands strong:
Emotional experiences.
What I learned early on about the point of sale
Even during my training as a visual merchandiser, I learned how crucial emotions are at the point of sale.
Back then, I worked at a men’s clothing store. A key part of our training involved regularly walking through the city and analyzing the window displays of other stores.
What stood out time and again was:
The storefronts that made people stop had one thing in common—they sparked something.
I especially remember the Kaufland store windows during the Christmas season.
There, little teddy bears were moving around, acting out scenes. People stopped, watched, and smiled.
Or to Ludwig Beck in Munich.
The store windows were elaborately designed, creative, and rich in detail—and that’s exactly why they were the talk of the town.
It was never the product alone that attracted attention.
It was quite an experience.
And that’s exactly what I learned early on—and I still apply it to my work today.
Most activations at the point of sale remain purely functional.
They want to:
- inform
- be visible
- showcase products
But they aren't really able to reach people.
The reason for this lies in our perception.
Our brain does not process information in isolation, but always through the interaction of our senses. The more senses are engaged, the more intensely an experience is perceived—and the more strongly it remains in our memory.
Research in the field of multisensory marketing shows exactly that.
This is how the marketing researcher describes it Aradhna Krishna In her work, they found that multisensory stimuli significantly influence brand perception, emotions, and memory performance (Krishna, 2012).
Studies by Joann Peck and Terry L. Childers show that simply being able to touch a product increases emotional attachment and the likelihood of purchase (Peck & Childers, 2003).
A neuroscientific study of Canada Post Research conducted in collaboration with TrueImpact also shows that physical advertising materials elicit stronger emotional responses and are more firmly embedded in the memory than digital media (Canada Post, 2015).
The key difference: experiencing rather than just seeing
The biggest mistake in many POS campaigns, then, isn’t in the execution—it’s in the approach.
People ask this too often:
“How do we position our product?”
But the key question should be a different one:
“What is the person experiencing at this moment?”
Because this is exactly where the difference lies between:
Visibility
and
Effect.
People don't remember displays.
They bring back memories.
How POS activation should be approached today
In my view, successful activation at the point of sale requires three levels:
1. Attention
A moment that catches the eye and makes people stop.
2. Interaction
A moment that invites people to actively engage with the brand—through touch, movement, or participation.
3. Emotion
A moment that leaves a lasting impression.
Only when these three elements work together can a genuine brand impact be achieved.
The POS as part of the customer journey
Another important point:
The point of sale is not the end of the customer journey.
It is often the first real point of contact with a brand.
That is precisely why this presents an enormous opportunity:
- Creating experiences
- Building relationships
- and to design the transition to digital touchpoints
Conclusion
The point of sale is often underestimated.
Not because it's irrelevant –
but because it is misunderstood.
It's not a place where products are displayed
It is a place where brands come to life.
And that is precisely where its greatest strength lies.
Sources
- Krishna, A. (2012). An integrative review of sensory marketing. Journal of Consumer Psychology.
- Peck, J. & Childers, T. L. (2003). To Have and to Hold: The Influence of Haptic Information on Product Judgments. Journal of Marketing.
- Canada Post & TrueImpact (2015). The Neuromarketing of Direct Mail.