We’ve all seen them—on the showroom floor, on the retail shelves, at parts counters. Point-of-purchase (POP) and related merchandising displays compete for our attention daily. But do they really work? How are they created? And why should manufacturers consider adding POP/merchandising displays to their marketing mixes?

“They’re the last three feet of closing a sale,” said Jim Redfield, CEO of Griffin Chase Oliver Inc., a specialist in merchandising display production. “That’s the bottom line.”

From tire-pressure monitoring and powertrains to navigation and smartphone integration, nearly every facet of today’s automobile is controlled, managed or affected by some type of mobile electronics. As the field has expanded, an increasing number of products are introduced each year in the SEMA Show’s New Products Showcase, and an ever-growing throng of buyers seeks information about the most innovative systems and components.