Beacon branding is the use of magazines to signpost a section of your magazine department. It is the use of magazine as the sign.
Beacon branding draws customers to specialist sections. You can use less signs and visually de-clutter.
This photo shows how we have been using beacon branding in one of my newsagencies to draw attention to the comic section. 100 ALL-TIME GREATEST COMICS was a perfect title for this. I placed it with two full facings not so much for this title but for nearby titles people will notice.
It is small engagements like this that newsagents can use to demonstrate specialisation in the magazine department and to separate us from supermarkets and others selling magazines. A small about of time invested can build your reputation and increase sales.
The alternative is to offer an average magazine layout that is not much different to elsewhere. This will result in average sales. Average magazine sales are declining – who wants that?