POSM (Point of Sale Materials) is an indispensable marketing tool at the point of sale, helping brands attract customers, communicate key messages, and enhance brand experience. This article introduces the five most common types of POSM and highlights notable POSM campaigns in 2025, offering practical insights to help marketers optimize retail marketing strategies.
I. What Is POSM and Why Marketers Need to Understand It
1. POSM Definition in Marketing
POSM (Point of Sale Materials) refers to marketing tools deployed at retail locations to increase brand visibility, capture customer attention, and drive immediate purchase decisions. In today’s highly competitive market, POSM is no longer just a sales support tool but a strategic asset that helps brands stand out, create strong impressions, and remain memorable in consumers’ minds.
Common POSM formats include standees, posters, banners, display booths, wobblers, shelf talkers, leaflets, and brochures. Each serves a specific purpose, yet all aim to enhance the customer experience at the point of sale and generate tangible marketing value. An effective POSM strategy requires not only eye-catching design but also careful consideration of placement, messaging, and customer interaction.
POSM plays a crucial role in modern marketing by connecting brands with customers at the exact moment of purchase decision. While online advertising builds awareness from afar, POSM acts as the “final push” that turns interest into actual sales.
2. The Role of POSM at the Point of Sale
The point of sale is where purchasing decisions are often made within seconds. In such a competitive environment, if a brand fails to stand out, customers may easily switch to another product. This is where POSM becomes critically important.
Key roles of POSM include capturing attention through visually striking standees or posters, delivering concise and memorable messages, supporting purchase decisions by highlighting promotions or product benefits, and enhancing brand experience through interactive displays or product trials. As a result, POSM is not merely a supporting tool but a strategic weapon that directly impacts sales performance and brand perception.
3. POSM in the Overall Marketing Strategy
POSM does not operate in isolation; it is an integral part of an integrated marketing strategy. When aligned with online advertising, social media, PR, and promotions, POSM helps create consistent brand exposure from awareness to conversion.
For example, a brand running TikTok or Facebook Ads to build awareness can significantly increase conversion rates when customers encounter strong POSM at the store. POSM also provides valuable behavioral insights, such as customer reactions to design, placement, and promotional messaging, which marketers can use to optimize overall marketing performance and ROI.
4. How POSM Influences Purchase Behavior
POSM directly influences purchasing behavior through psychological triggers such as color, visuals, slogans, and placement. Well-designed POSM increases brand recall, stimulates desire through compelling messaging and promotions, guides purchase decisions with clear product information, and creates interactive experiences through sampling or in-store activities. These factors make POSM essential for maximizing sales efficiency and building long-term brand engagement at retail locations.
II. Five POSM Types Every Marketer Should Know
1. Standee – The Most Common POSM at Retail Locations
Standees are freestanding advertising displays made from durable materials and designed to attract attention. They are typically placed at store entrances or near checkout counters. Beverage brands, for example, often use standees to introduce new products with bold visuals and concise messaging, encouraging immediate trial and purchase.
2. Poster & Banner – Direct Message POSM
Posters and banners are wall-mounted or hanging POSM formats used to communicate promotions, slogans, or key product benefits. Frequently placed along aisles or near product shelves, they help customers quickly recognize brands and understand offers in supermarkets or retail stores.
3. Display Booths – Enhancing Brand Experience
Display booths create dedicated product experience zones where customers can interact with and try products. Often featuring unique designs, lighting, sound, and brand visuals, booths are commonly used by cosmetic brands to showcase new launches with testers and on-site staff, significantly increasing trust and repeat purchase potential.
4. Wobblers & Shelf Talkers – POSM at the Shelf Level
Wobblers are small POSM elements attached to shelves, designed with motion or bright colors to catch attention. Shelf talkers provide concise product information, pricing, and key benefits. In supermarkets, these tools effectively highlight new products or promotions and support quick purchase decisions.
5. Leaflets & Brochures – Detailed Information POSM
Leaflets and brochures provide in-depth product or service information that customers can take home. Technology and education brands often use brochures to explain features, usage instructions, or promotional programs, helping customers make informed decisions.
III. Notable POSM Campaigns in 2025
1. Tiger Beer – Tiger Remix POSM Campaign
Tiger Remix 2025 stands out as one of Tiger Beer’s most impactful campaigns, combining music, live experiences, and POSM activation at key consumption points. Beyond large-scale music events, Tiger Beer deployed POSM across bars and pubs to extend campaign reach.
The POSM system featured standees, posters, product displays, and check-in zones aligned with the “Remix” concept, some integrated with LED lighting, visual effects, and QR codes linking to music content and event information. This approach transformed POSM from static displays into immersive brand touchpoints, driving social sharing and strengthening engagement with young consumers.
2. GS25 – “Choose the Golden Pick” Retail POSM Identity Campaign
In 2025, GS25 launched the “Choose the Golden Pick” campaign, focusing on a fully integrated POSM system across its convenience store chain. The campaign highlighted key promotions and hero products while enhancing the overall shopping experience.
GS25 utilized booths, posters, shelf talkers, and information boards placed in high-traffic areas, all designed with consistent visuals and messaging. This POSM investment reinforced brand recognition, created a professional retail environment, and demonstrated the importance of POSM in large-scale retail strategies.
3. VUS x Guardian & Circle K – Offline Growth with QR-POSM Activation
The 2025 collaboration between VUS, Guardian, and Circle K exemplifies the integration of traditional POSM with digital technology. The campaign aimed to leverage high foot traffic in retail chains to reach potential customers for education services.
POSM materials such as standees, posters, and leaflets were embedded with QR codes, allowing customers to access learning offers, register for consultations, or explore course information instantly. This activation effectively converted offline engagement into online action, making it a highly efficient POSM model for service brands expanding through retail channels.
IV. Conclusion – POSM Remains a Powerful Weapon at the Point of Sale
POSM is not merely a supporting tool but a decisive factor in shaping customer experience and driving sales at retail locations. From standees and posters to booths, wobblers, and brochures, each POSM type plays a distinct role in increasing brand awareness, influencing purchase behavior, and delivering positive brand experiences.
Successful POSM campaigns in 2025 demonstrate that creativity, interactivity, and alignment with an integrated marketing strategy can significantly enhance brand value and sales performance. For modern marketers, mastering POSM, leveraging data and customer insights, and deploying POSM strategically are key to sustainable growth at the point of sale.
Smartcom is a strategic partner for businesses in POSM execution, backed by over 10 years of cross-industry experience and a long-term growth mindset. Rather than chasing short-term trends or volume, Smartcom focuses on data-driven, business-aligned solutions with transparent performance measurement and no vanity metrics.
Offering end-to-end services—from strategic consulting and creative design to production, deployment, measurement, and optimization—Smartcom operates as an in-house marketing team, proactively supporting clients 24/7. This approach is particularly valuable for businesses without internal marketing teams or those undergoing restructuring or market expansion, helping brands stand out and achieve sustainable ROI in a competitive retail landscape.
