"Pictures are emotional anchors"
Mr. Krüger, you have just completed three large-format projects with public appeal. What were the keynotes behind this and what made your clients choose megaformats?
Pictures are emotional anchors for authentic brand communication. They have long been an accepted part of print media advertising, of TV advertising, for large outdoor surfaces - wherever brands are communicated. Of course, that also applies to a shop, the place where it happens, where the product is actually sold to the customer. That is truer still of a tradeshow appearance. There was a time when shelves fully stacked with products were all it took to bring in the customers. That's history. Now even stand architecture will no longer give you the appeal and differentiation you need.
Pictures are attention-grabbing association triggers. They ideally sum up both the desired image of a shop and authentic presentation of a company at the fair. The intended objective is to achieve effective identification and make a lasting impression, that is, to ensure memorability, to stimulate the desire to revisit the shop that sent the positive signals, and to associate the pictures from the fair with the company whose image they represented. Those are the keynotes behind the presentations.
Size alone does not guarantee success. What does actually convince the customers?
It is the balanced authentic mixture of presentation, staging, service, specialist personnel, and products offered that attracts the customer. The sum of these five factors should always be equal. For example, if fewer products are offered, the staging should be upgraded to compensate, and vice versa. Of course, size alone is not enough.
The content, quality of portrayal and quality of image presentation should all be sending a consistent message. Prospective customers should feel sure that everything they see and experience is of exclusive quality and originality. Without wishing to blow my own trumpet, may I point out that in the Hinrichs FotoFactory we set great store by this and are constantly working on developing products for presenting pictures that meet high aesthetic standards. Because high-quality presentation highlights the importance of the message. Visitors are receptive to that, as has been confirmed by responses from numerous customers.
How do you see the future in your specialism? Do large-format images stand a chance against audio-visual technology?
The media of visual communication will develop further. Moving pictures will not replace the still image. The attraction will be to mix different techniques intelligently. This will create authentic impressions that generate customer loyalty.
The techniques will complement each other in attempting to make a lasting impression that underlines the special nature of the place. The need to differentiate and stand out will increase. There is a demand for individualization that provides some orientation for the customer. The gulf between image overload and noticeability will grow wider still. The importance of authentic solutions for visual communication is growing.
Given all that, large-format pictures and individual activation methods have a big future. We are going to see that in shops and on trade fair stands because, of all places, this is where information and presentation have to be compact. The time available to absorb messages will become even shorter. Whereas two days used to be commonplace for a trade fair visit, today only one day is set aside. Visitors must take in more and more information in less and less time. With all these factors in play, pictures, including large-format pictures, are the best available medium for quick memorability. Interview: Anja Wagner
m+a report Nr.8 / 2005 vom 08.12.2005
m+a report vom 8. Dezember 2005