Hall of Fame Profile: John Lombardi

How did you get started in P-O-P?In 1980, I opened my first company, which was a design firm. Our work was in multimedia, film, video, advertising, training and also 3-D design for promotional materials. As a result of our promotional work, we were asked to design for display and to create complete merchandising concepts. Our clients included banks, cosmetics companies and computer software firms.I found it interesting at the time how much impact a simple promotional riser or a simple display -- done just right -- could have on the success of a product and campaign. It occurred to me at the time that displays and promotional materials were very much the in-store adjunct to media and print advertising. Their direct impact on a particular consumer at the point-of-purchase is significant!What areas were you involved with prior to your work in merchandising?Some of the things I have worked on during the years -- for various clients -- were advertising campaigns, design and execution of commercial shoots, quite a bit of training, as well as 3-D designs for packaging, displays and promotional material design work. We have done a lot of what they used to call corporate identity and now call image consulting. Quite a few projects revolved around convention design, be it booth design, visuals or AV.We noticed that throughout this interview you used the word "we" in reference to your design. Are you a designer? Do you, yourself, design?Well, in fact, I am a designer -- trained and practicing. I don't get to practice nearly as much as I'd like, but I do occasionally stir the pot a little bit. The fact of the matter is, I say "we" because I don't think that good design ideas come from one single source. I think that a team of people exchanging ideas is more likely to come up with the right answer faster than a single individual.The odds are definitely greater of an idea or suggestion crossing the table when there's more than one designer in the room. I also believe in the team concept. Teams clearly need good leadership, but it's the team that makes things happen.I'd like to recognize the critical people without whom you would not be interviewing me on this topic: Steve Gebb, senior vice president, package and promotional design; Paola Pistello-Jones, vice president, permanent merchandising; and Richard Tassonne, group director, promotional merchandising. These three designers represent teams of creative people who never fail to amaze me with the fresh looks, new points of view and dedication to being the best. Our partners in these efforts -- with equal talent and dedication in their expertise -- are Mike Arecchi, vice president, display purchasing and Clifford Pires, vice president, packaging development.Have you or your team created a display or merchandising system that you are particularly proud of?In the past three years, as a team, we have spent an enormous amount of time devoted to raising the bar on talent and raising the Revlon image to where we think it should be. Clearly black and red are the colors of Revlon. They always will be. They're part of our heritage, our customers recognize them and we're committed to them. Gold has been part of our heritage as well, and is being used with more emphasis now in keeping with our focus on quality, benefit-oriented products, which is the same mindset we apply to our merchandising.Our team, which includes merchandising design and packaging design, is committed to this concept. I have been very proud of the progress we have made in re-establishing Revlon as the number one cosmetics company. I believe the evidence of this focus is very clear in the design engineering of the Colorstay merchandising for one -- which goes on the Revlon mass wall -- as well as our part in the packaging of that product. Between the product benefit to the consumer, the upscale package and the premium merchandising imagery, we are clearly pleased with the performance of the product and the way Revlon now appears to the consumer.Additionally, we have designed a new system for merchandising, primarily for international use, which has been named the "Moonraker" system for various, strange and sundry reasons. We are very proud of this system because of its flexibility, upscale image and its versatility to be used in so many retail configurations throughout the world.What are the greatest challenges involved in creating outstanding P-O-P?Part of the responsibility of the Revlon Creative Group is to elevate and maintain the Revlon image. There are several things we look at when we launch a product and invite the consumer to try something new. In merchandising, the first point of course is how the display functions. Is it easy for the consumer to shop? Does it tell her all she needs to know about the product? Does it do all of the things it has to do to support the image? These are three basic concerns. While those simple, somewhat motherhood-like points would seem self-evident, it is much more difficult to find and assemble individuals or teams of people who can focus on those issues, and address the problems related in a way that is also cost effective and efficient for the corporation.It's all in execution, execution, execution. When we seek out talent, we go all over the world. There are people in my group who were born in Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan and a number of other places around the world. They were hired for their skills and their ability to think outside the box. The challenge for me is to seek out and identify and then hire the best talent.The overriding challenge in P-O-P now, tomorrow and probably forever will be how best to communicate the product to the consumer. And then deliver that product to the consumer -- simply, again, just a little bit of "motherhood."Do you expect to see more or less emphasis on P-O-P materials in your particular category? And why?More. Cosmetics, which is the only category for which we create merchandising, is still very much an impulse purchase category. As a result, you need to get the consumer's attention. You need to draw her to your display -- if you will -- and then entice her to buy. As competition increases, this becomes more and more important. It is the foundation, I think, on which we build our merchandising and point-of-purchase efforts.This is not to say that in other categories -- toiletries, department store cosmetics, mass or professional products -- these principles are not the same. They are very much the same. They change by degrees, but the principle is still the same. She must be attracted to it. She must be enticed by it. And she must want to buy the product.What have you found to be the most important elements of a successful product display?I don't believe there is a single element that is most important. I think you have to look at the merchandising and display, whether it's a self-select wall or a single promotion, in the big picture and ask "What's the message?" Once the message is clear, then what is the environment? What will it take to draw her in? Will it be a visual? Will it be a construction? Will it be some kind of glorifier? It's very difficult to pinpoint one target item in a particular class of trade. There are, in fact, many variables. A fresh analysis needs to be made each and every time.Seeing it in the big picture is what has separated Revlon from some of its competitors. We look at the big picture and say these are the things that are most important to the consumer and these are the things we will emphasize. On each project, the team we put together consists of many disciplines. They are not just designers. Clearly, our display purchasing organization, headed by Mike Arecchi, is key and their knowledge of supplier capabilities, what a supplier brings to the party, as well as new materials, is critical. We rely on them very heavily.Our designers spend quite a lot of time analyzing what we think the competition is doing, what the consumer expects of our competition and what our consumer expects of us. Once the team has what it believes is a definitive answer to what the consumer requires, the execution becomes somewhat easier, because everyone involved in the development of this particular campaign is in the loop.What have been the most significant changes affecting the use of in-store displays or other merchandising in the past five years?There has been a shift over the past five years from individual promotions with an individual point of view to what is now a total image and a consistent image throughout all of the merchandising into the packaging and promotional materials. Everyone is looking for a clear point of difference between competing companies, while still selling a particular product and all of its benefits. In a sense, it's a shift from sort of taking "pot shots" at the consumer, to an umbrella concept with many facets.How are new materials and processes changing the design, engineering and longevity of P-O-P materials?Over the past five years, technology has changed the face of merchandising by virtue of the materials available, the process by which not only the design is executed, but also the manufacturing. I think [display] manufacturers have also done an outstanding job of raising the bar on their own with a goal of better quality, lower costs and faster turnaround.The quality we get from vendors has really made a big difference in this time. Technology has allowed for a direct link between Revlon from the initial design through CAD and Mac design desks directly to the suppliers. This saves us time and money, and it affords clearer communications and fewer revisions over the course of a project.What major changes do you see for the use of P-O-P materials for your products in the future?I see communication technology playing an ever-expanding role in selling product. The World Wide Web, still in its infancy, will continue to grow and expand its offerings. Innovative companies will find new ways to utilize the medium.What do you like best about your job?You know, it's funny, I began working at a small agency doing layouts and typography while still in high school. There I learned the value of working with professionals and that has held true to this day. I simply can't imagine a more professional organization than I am now a part of. In fact, I can't imagine a more fulfilling designer's life. What better job for a designer than to help set policy, establish image, help shape strategy and tactics and then be able to execute that concept while working with the most talented designers, marketing and support people in the industry.While I know many people in our industry, and I have a tremendous respect for them all, I can honestly say that this is clearly the best group of people to work with. I am fortunate to be working with -- in my estimation -- the best design team ever assembled.It is simply why I think designers do what they do. I am extremely happy to be at Revlon at this time in its development.

P2PI MEMBERS

JOIN P2PI

You May Also Like

AD Retail Media’s Transition In-House

Hall of Fame Profile: Pamela Velarde