This month, IVE celebrates its 101st anniversary. Back in 1921, it all started with a newspaper, The Link, in Sydney’s Balmain. Since then, IVE has diversified and grown…and is now Australia’s leading holistic marketing company. To celebrate the milestone, we’re launching the 101 Series, where we deep dive into different parts of our business to break down the basics on what they do and how they do it. Consider it a sneak peak behind the curtain. First up, we chat with Dean Langford, Head of Client Partnerships at IVE’s Retail Display.
Give us the 101, what does Retail Display do?
“Put simply, we create displays, signage and activations for retail environments. If you’re in a shopping centre or in a store, it’s likely you’re seeing our work. From window displays and point of sale signage to store fit-outs and product displays, we create it all.”
So how do you do it?
“We’re fortunate to have full in-house, on shore capabilities which means we produce the bulk of what you see in store at our production facilities in Melbourne and/or Sydney. This is critical in the retail industry which is incredibly fast-paced and deadline driven. Our clients need to create fresh and engaging shopping experiences for their customers, so in-store imagery and campaigns are on high rotation. Speed to market is everything. Our production facilities utilise cutting edge digital technologies and processes so we can produce high volume quickly, consistently and efficiently whilst also supporting our client’s migration to a digital experience. When lead times allow, we have our own offshore based sourcing hub. Although now more than ever, we’re seeing an increased demand for local manufacturing.
We’re only as good as the people we employ and we have a highly talented and expert team at IVE – from a full-service design team through to retail experts who specialize in creating exceptional in-store customer experiences. Our team is passionate about pushing what’s possible and always looking for new innovations to challenge the market.”
Sportsgirl Chadstone – Can You Feel The Colours Campaign
What does a typical project look like?
“Our projects are becoming increasingly varied – so a ‘typical project’ is definitely an evolving concept. That said, many clients would engage us initially to design a 3D point of sale unit or roll-out a campaign across a national store network. From there, the brief often widens and we’ll partner with clients on other projects like permanent store-fit outs, events, activations and more. This can be anything from designing and creating new flagship or conceptual stores to mapping out a customer’s path to purchase journey and creating critical touchpoints along the way. We’ve seen an increase in personalised bespoke pop-up activations, as retailers explore different ways to engage new shoppers.”
Who is a typical client?
“Both retailers with a national store network and FMCG brands looking for an engaging store presence within larger retailers – for example, supermarkets, pharmacies and convenience retailers. We also team up with corporate brands for office fit-outs, company events and activations. If a brand is looking to physically bring its brand to life, then we can help, from concept right through to execution.”
Swisse Pop Up Display
What’s the most common misconception about the Retail Display industry?
“We’re traditionally seen as a wide format, two-dimensional print business – certainly in Victoria. That’s where we came from but we’ve evolved our offering considerably since then, in line with what the industry and our clients need. So it looks pretty different now. Our clients have shifted from a ‘Can you print that?’ brief to a ‘We want to achieve X, what can you do?’ approach. This means we’re getting involved in projects much earlier in the piece and are able to shape the final campaign. Our retail display solutions now incorporate whatever we need to achieve the objective of the client – be it digital, hardware, bespoke structures, fabric, you name it. We’re not limited by medium or substrate.
There’s also a widely held misconception that visual print materials are not sustainable. That’s simply not the case anymore. Not only are we championing sustainable materials and processes at IVE but our clients are demanding it more and more. We all play a part but I also believe that sustainability doesn’t lie with just one organization – the real impact will be felt when we partner with others to change the industry norm. We’ve been part of some pretty incredible partnership projects with clients that have challenged and shifted how we do things. An Aesop festive campaign was a great example of that, where everything we produced had to be sourced within 60km of the production site, with zero waste and totally recyclable and reusable post campaign. It was a challenge that we solved together and something everyone was proud to be part of.”
Aesop’s Festive Campaign – Sustainable Display
What are some challenges your industry is currently facing?
“Covid had a huge impact on the retail industry. From uncertainty and ever-changing environments to the increased cost and lead times of offshore production, not to mention freight. It’s resulted in a preference for local manufacturing, which is only a good thing for Australian companies like IVE. The pandemic also fast tracked the inevitable online shift for retailers. So they now face the challenge of striking a balance between a bricks and mortar store footprint and multichannel marketing efforts. There has to consistency and integration throughout. I believe there will always be a place for the physical experience of a brand at store level but it’s going to have to work harder and continually evolve to stay relevant.”
What’s most exciting about working in the Retail Display industry right now?
“There’s a lot to be excited about. First of all, getting back to face-to-face interactions and
re-establishing close client relationships is something our entire team is valuing. There is no substitute. It also feels like sustainability has never been more important. For many, it went on the back burner during the pandemic but it’s well and truly on the agenda again – it’s a source of daily enquiries.
IVE’s ever expanding offering and internal capabilities just continue to grow, whether that’s through acquisition, investment or innovation – meaning our offering only becomes more compelling. This also attracts industry talent who want to work with market leaders.
Finally, the increased appetite of our clients for new and exciting ideas to enhance their customers’ instore experiences is very real. There’s no room for complacency. We’re constantly striving to be first to market, lead with innovation and help our clients stand out against their competitors…and that’s something very exciting to be a part of.”
To discuss retail display solutions, contact the IVE team here
