The First Bite – Utilising Visual Merchandising in Hospitality

Making an establishment attractive to the average consumer already bombarded by numerous advertising ploys is very difficult. Technology and access to information, though, has levelled the playing field for businesses trying to attract a particular demographic.

In hospitality, an industry that in many cases thrives on making consumers feel comfortable, visual merchandising can play an integral role in securing customer confidence.

Sparfacts say visual merchandising involves making products look attractive to consumers, and in the hospitality industry, dining establishments and hotels look to this particular type of merchandising to woo clients’ business.

Let’s take a look at just a few reasons that you should use visual merchandising in your hospitality business.

Visual Elements

When trying to attract consumers to a product, it’s important to be aware that consumers tend to pay attention to the visual elements that make the product appealing. Colour, texture, fabric, style, shape and size all go into making a product attractive to the public. And, in the hospitality industry, mood also often plays a role in getting the consumer to believe that the company can actually deliver a fantasy or a dream to the consumer.

Think about all of those Sandals Resorts commercials that play so frequently. Then, think about the numerous chain restaurant commercials that feature fast-paced action accompanied by upbeat music through the commercial. These visual elements create an environment that makes the food being advertised very attractive to the purchasing public.

Developing A Brand Identity

One of the factors central to creating a brand identity is what happens when products appeal to consumers visually. Visual merchandising allows businesses to create an identity for their product, in this case, it would be the hospitality industry. This identity makes it easy for businesses to get the public familiar with the product so that the hotel or eating establishment is easily recognisable.

This branding that takes place as a part of visual merchandising focuses on several factors. In addition to the normal demographic factors, the branding might seek out a particular group of people to entice. Upscale boutiques do it, retirement communities do it, and so do food and retail establishments. These companies have learned that to get a particular demographic attracted to a specific product a campaign using visuals to market to them is crucially important.

Developing A Voice

Virtual merchandising can also give your hospitality business a voice. The tone of your voice is conveyed through the use of colour and music. Bright, upbeat messages will include fast-paced music and environments that employ a lot of light. More subdued messages reflect a softer mood, music that might also be softer in tempo and sound, and dimmed lighting, and for an establishment trying to convey their place is for romance and fantasy, this would be one way to do it.

Thematic Elements

Every merchandising campaign has thematic elements that serve as visual cues to remind the consumer of the product. These cues can be anything related to the scenery to particular props in placed in the foreground of the commercial or ad. Visual merchandising plays a great role in establishing these themes that are easily recognisable by the public.

The Importance Of Visual Merchandising

Visual merchandising is a very important element in selling a fantasy or dream to the public. The campaign relies on many tools to attract the consumer to the product, and when done in the right way, your consumer knows they are attracted to the product but they might not know why. Music, colour, and scenery all play a role in telling the consumer why your establishment is perfect for their business.