Shopping in an outdoor store and I encountered a display for travel luggage. Talking with a team member, the cutout portion from an actual commercial aircraft was delivered to the store, complete with cigarette butts in the ashtrays and oxygen masks still stored in their overhead panels. In my experience, it is not common to encounter the fuselage of an aircraft in a retail environment. The display was remarkable for the story of its acquisition, transport, and installation. If I had been shopping for travel luggage it might have been appealing but instead, the display might be overshadowing the product.

How might we calibrate our displays to amplify our products (or services)? What happens when the display framework takes more commitment to produce than the design of the product? When we assemble a fantastically designed strategic plan, annual report, or capital campaign brochure but the content does not reverberate, we get credit for thoughtful marketing but the depth of our work is forsaken.