"Image displays without sell-through are actually 'embarrassing.'" Recently, I encountered this problem, and it's quite serious. So, let's discuss it. When launching new products, some distributors have formed a habit: first, set up image displays in supermarkets, then start distribution and sell-through. If it could truly generate sell-through, that would be fine, but the key issue is that such image displays not only fail to generate sell-through but also incur significant costs. Even if there's no sell-through, if it could truly display the image, that would be fine, but the key is that such displays might become "embarrassing." Displays without sell-through are actually embarrassing. 1 Displaying the image is not wrong, but thinking that display alone creates an image is wrong. Displaying the image is not wrong, but thinking that display alone can drive sell-through is wrong. Displaying the image is acceptable, but displaying at any cost is not acceptable. In the past, launching new products was relatively simple, typically involving three major tactics: distribution, merchandising, and promotion, which then led to sell-through. Here, merchandising roughly means image display. Such tactics might have been useful in an era of blanket distribution, where merchandising plus promotion alone could drive sell-through. After all, that was a time when the market was relatively hungry. 2 The perception of image display is historically formed. Around the rise of KA (Key Accounts), a perception emerged: KA builds image, while circulation builds sales. Even if KA doesn't generate sales, its presence can serve to display the image, for example, providing a talking point during distribution. Hence, the saying: KA builds image, circulation builds sales. Later, it evolved into: KA builds sales, circulation builds profit. In the early days of KA entering China, KA itself had an image, so it could serve to display the image. Now, KA is declining, and its own image is problematic. Whether KA can still display the image and form the initial driving force for sell-through is questionable. In fact, using image display to drive sell-through has long been unworkable. For new product launches, it has become common for supermarket expenses to exceed sales. When image display cannot generate sell-through, continuing to invest in image display without sell-through becomes embarrassing and actually harms the brand image. 3 Display can also form an image, but it differs from traditional displays, such as end caps. Scenario is a term now widely used. What is a scenario? A scenario is not a display; it creates attention and a sense of immersion. For example, Jiang Xiaobai, although it has displays, also has a sense of immersion, so it's considered a scenario. For example, Xiaoshile, although a new brand, its terminal scenarios are still very attractive. Build the image with scenario thinking, not display thinking—that's the change. First, create immersion, then sell-through, and finally form the image. 4 Examining the logic of image display, we find a key thread in past concepts: using channel (terminal) push to form the initial force for sell-through. This manifests as the three major sell-through tactics: distribution, merchandising, and promotion. When KA's SKU assortment is super abundant, this sell-through logic no longer works, and a new sell-through logic is needed. What is the new sell-through logic? I believe it is the consumer 'pull' sell-through logic. Originally, marketing had the concepts of push and pull. Push relies on channels, while pull relies on media communication. In the past, pull was a concern for top management, as media investment mainly depended on them. For the channel, only push was considered. Therefore, the concept of pull is relatively unfamiliar to the channel. 5 In the internet age, everyone is media, and all 4Ps are communication, making channel-based pull possible. At this time, using internet communication as a tool and relying on channel pull is disrupting traditional sell-through models, forming a new sell-through logic. Product is IP. IP becomes the pull for sell-through. KOL + experience, opinion leaders become the pull for sell-through. Fan communication, consumers become the pull for sell-through. When the "push sell-through" model fails, the era of "pull sell-through" has arrived. "Push sell-through" focuses on channels and terminals. "Pull sell-through" focuses on consumers, KOLs, and fans. Of course, when "pull sell-through" finds its focus, "push sell-through" is still useful, and the money that should be spent still needs to be spent. When products sell through, the display is no longer just a display but truly forms the brand image, which in turn strengthens sell-through. 6 Without information asymmetry, there is no marketing. Marketing aims to eliminate information asymmetry but also to create new information asymmetry. Mass communication in traditional media could form brand images because continuous communication created information asymmetry, such as past advertising. Ten years ago, some companies said that a brand is spending 200 million yuan a year to make consumers remember one sentence. Current internet communication is also creating new information asymmetry. Whether it's Ma Yun and Liu Qiangdong, who control internet discourse, or Jiang Xiaobai, which cleverly uses internet communication, they are all creating new information asymmetry. If traditional media communication required strong and continuous investment from top management, and pull was almost unrelated to channels, then the emergence of community communication has formed new social marketing, making channel-initiated communication possible. Since channel-initiated communication is possible, channel-based "pull" becomes possible, and "pull sell-through" can form a new marketing model. This might be the underlying logic of pull sell-through. Source: Teacher Liu's Forum (ID: liuchunxiong1964) -END-