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.”

Every year, more than 1,500 vehicles are displayed at the SEMA Show. Many of them are customized in the months leading up to the Show, and each represents a collaboration between manufacturers that provide parts and support and the owner/design team that brings the vehicle to the Show. The question is, what goes into a successful project build, and how is it possible to generate a tangible payoff for each participant?

If your aftermarket business ranks among the growing list of SEMA-member manufacturers considering overseas exportation, you’re likely weighing shipping logistics as part of the equation. To be sure, the prospect can seem daunting. After all, once you’ve attracted foreign buyers, you have to deliver the goods in the face of numerous hurdles. With the right assistance, however, you can successfully navigate those obstacles and achieve a safe landing for your aftermarket parts.

Paint has long been a necessary product in the automotive world. Customizers and aftermarket manufacturers are among those who require paint products to conduct business. Perhaps the most prolific painters in the automotive sector, other than OEMs, would be shops operating in the repair and refinish segment. These are auto-body shops that make a living on being able to paint fast, match colors perfectly and be economical in the process.

No one can foretell the future, at least not with any degree of certainty. But a prudent look at marketplace indicators can often provide insights that savvy businesspeople might interpret for a strategic advantage. What follows is a look at some of the signposts along the current business roadway.

With the explosion of smartphones and mobile devices, this may be a question you’re asking yourself. After all, apps are fast becoming one of the latest marketing trends, offering significant branding and revenue opportunities for a company. Unfortunately, they can also prove to be a huge boondoggle. So how does a company decide whether and how to jump on the app-development bandwagon?

A company might produce the best product the world has ever seen, but it may as well not exist if people don’t know about it. That’s why retail advertising to end-users is crucial to bringing business into a store or to a sales website. And for manufacturers, advertising to both retail and wholesale customers is vital to moving inventory from the warehouse to store shelves and, ultimately, to installation on a customer’s car or truck. In both instances, a few core principles are key.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much more is a streaming video worth at 30 frames per second?

When it comes to branding, search-engine optimization and, ultimately, sales in this digital age, online videos can make a crucial difference in a small company’s marketing. In the realm of sales alone, studies now show web video to be a top influencer in consumer research and purchasing decisions.

The tire and wheel section is perennially one of the largest display areas at the SEMA Show in the Las Vegas Convention Center. Tires and wheels are also one of the most favored modifications that car and truck owners make to their vehicles, since a single, relatively simple change can entirely alter the appearance and character of a vehicle.