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One other aspect of the craft community that was not fully articulated (that I could see) was the issue of artists getting knocked-off and the devastating effect this has had on the American craft community.
Coincidentally, a discussion recently began on the American Craft Forum on the same topic. You can join that discussion here (registration required to participate).
Did you catch the latest PBS documentary on the American craft community? All three parts of Craft in America debuted last night.
Amy of Greenjeans held a nice three hour live blogging session, capturing the essence and some insights into the documentary.
It was interesting to see that the documentary only briefly covered how artists actually survive. The last few minutes of the last part showed the Smithsonian Craft Show. And it was told mainly from the artists' perspective of coming together briefly for a show, experiencing the community that occurs at a show, and then returning to the studio.
Sadly, there was little mention of any galleries that have done a great deal of work to promote artists and American craft. (That's one of the reasons why NICHE magazine has its Top Retailer Awards program.)
That said, the underlying message of the entire series was quite powerful. Craft not only changes our lives, it is a key part of who we are as Americans. It is our lives. It tells the story of how American society has dealt with numerous episodes of adversity and instability. Slavery, the Depression, World War II, Vietnam, AIDS, and even the seemingly small issues that occur in our personal lives have fueled creativity and innovation to make craft something that connects us to each other.
A couple examples stick out:
There's a ton of stories out there. All you have to do is listen--and get inspired.
Did you catch the latest PBS documentary on the American craft community? All three parts of Craft in America debuted last night.
Amy of Greenjeans held a nice three hour live blogging session, capturing the essence and some insights into the documentary.
It was interesting to see that the documentary only briefly covered how artists actually survive. The last few minutes of the last part showed the Smithsonian Craft Show. And it was told mainly from the artists' perspective of coming together briefly for a show, experiencing the community that occurs at a show, and then returning to the studio.
Sadly, there was little mention of any galleries that have done a great deal of work to promote artists and American craft. (That's one of the reasons why NICHE magazine has its Top Retailer Awards program.)
That said, the underlying message of the entire series was quite powerful. Craft not only changes our lives, it is a key part of who we are as Americans. It is our lives. It tells the story of how American society has dealt with numerous episodes of adversity and instability. Slavery, the Depression, World War II, Vietnam, AIDS, and even the seemingly small issues that occur in our personal lives have fueled creativity and innovation to make craft something that connects us to each other.
A couple examples stick out:
There's a ton of stories out there. All you have to do is listen--and get inspired.
Last summer, the Buyers Market and about 30 retailers ventured away from the Pennsylvania Convention Center to visit three phenomenal galleries in Philadelphia, Lambertville and New Hope. The purpose of the road trip was to highlight how three very different retailers merchandise their store. And we saw three very different ways in which each gallery employed lighting, display furniture, color and more.
This summer, the bus tour returns and we'll be visiting several new galleries. Retailers can sign up for the tour, as well as register for the summer show, at www.buyersmarketonline.biz. Here's where we'll be going:
One of my favorite non-craft world columnists is William Parker. He has a monthly column in Decor magazine, a trade publication for framers and framing shops. Parker is constantly pushing the envelope in the framing industry, which has seen a massive decline in independent framers due to big-box competition from places like Michael's. Sound familiar?
This last month, Parker's column illuminates this dilemma framers by comparing the situation to Frankenstein's monster. His blunt analogy rings all too true for the American craft community as well:
Framers see big-box retailers as a modern equivalent to the Frankenstein monster. Some think they can turn back the clock if they just kill Frankenstein. In reality, Frankenstein is here to stay.
He then turns his eye towards an examples where a small, independent companies was able to carve out a niche for themselves without having to go head-to-head. And it entirely involved finding novel ways to market the brand. "Look for niches, and be creative," writes Parker.
From the wholesale craft community perspective, we know that artists' stories connect consumers to the art they want to buy. Now, more than ever, do we need to find creative ways to tell those stories. I think this goes beyond simply putting up a sign next to an artist's work at a gallery (though this certainly helps). What other ways can we think of to tell and sell artists' stories?
We'd love to hear retailer and artist ideas on this. Just add a comment below!
If you've been to any of the Buyers Market educational seminars for buyers at the past several shows, you're probably familiar with Rick Segel. Rick is extremely dynamic, entertaining and SMART when it comes to retailing (he's probably smart when it comes to other things too), which is why we've had him back to the Buyers Market over and over again. In fact, every time we have him, at least one person always writes "MORE RICK SEGEL" on the evaluation form.
Rick will be returning this summer for a seminar entitled, "Fix Your Ugly Website!" Now, that's not meant to be an affront to anyone who thinks their website looks good AND is helping them build their customer base. (As a side note, someone emailed me with feedback about the title, saying that they're website was just beautiful in their opinion.)
But in reality, there are websites in the craft community that are in dire need of improvement (and this isn't just the kettle calling the pot black--we're working on revamping www.AmericanCraft.com). So, we designed this seminar to help retailers understand how to make their websites attract and retain more customers. Rick just published a book entitled The Essential Online Solution, which was the basis for a buyer seminar last February.
Now, Rick has partnered with Microsoft. Yes, Microsoft. He's teamed up with them to present The 7 Essentials of Successful Retailing. Here's an excerpt of the description:
What are the common denominators for successful Independent Retailing? Every successful retailer is practicing some of the Seven. The most successful embrace all of the Seven. Rick Segel will not only reveal those Seven Essential Elements that are prevalent in successful retailers, but will also show you ways to use them in your own business.
This program explores how ecommerce has changed everything… even if you never sell a piece of merchandise from a website. This is the most lucrative time for independent retailers in the history of retailing. The reason is because there are more low cost and no cost marketing tools available today that didn’t even exist a few short years ago. This program will share those secrets. It will also help you better understand the use of technology and its critical importance in order to compete in this global market.
If you sign up for this online seminar, and you enjoy it, be sure to catch Rick at the next Buyers Market on August 6.
We just found out this week that the Buyers Market has been named one of the nation's Top 200 Tradeshows by Tradeshow Week magazine!
Here's a link to our press release.
We've been included on this list numerous times, but all the same, it's nice to get some recognition from outside the craft industry.
Thanks to Luann Udell for pointing us to a new inspirational manifesto by marketing genius Seth Godin, entitled "Pushing Through the Dip: How to Become the Best in the World."
If you're not familiar with Seth Godin, you need to be. I've mentioned Seth Godin in an earlier blog post. He's written a number of books for marketers or anyone who wants to better market their business. Most of his books (I haven't read them all) are really short and easy to read. My personal favorite is Purple Cow.
At any rate, Seth has a new book out about how to get past mediocrity (the Dip). Seth's slant this time around is to be the best at what you do. Of course, not everyone can be the best at everything. So Seth suggests to do away with all the stuff you can't be the best at. "Quit the dead ends and invest in the Dip," he writes.
For small businesses, this can be quite a challenge. But I think there's a valid point here that some artists--in particular--overlook. To fight back against mediocrity--to get past the Dip--ask yourself some questions: What products are working? Which ones aren't that interesting? Which products look just like anyone else's products in your medium? What sets your work apart?
Like Luann, I found this section particularly inspirational:
The point is that in a world of infinite choice, in a world where the best in the world is worth more every single day, the only chance you’ve got is to find a Dip and embrace it. Realize that it’s actually your best ally. The harder it is to get through, the better your chance of being the only one to get through it.
Sticking with something just so you can be mediocre at it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Being average is for losers.
That sure gives us all something to chew on!
The latest Market Insider is up, where we begin discussing some basics of digital photography. Click here to read it!
We thought we'd start off by covering some basic terms that you need to know--even if you hire a professional photographer (highly recommended). Next month, we'll go into some digital photography faux pas.
I was combing through the recent posts to the Clayart listserve. This Yahoo group with over 1200 members is probably the largest online community of ceramicists (and if there's a bigger one, please let me know!).
At any rate, I came across this post by Jim Graham. It's part of a longer conversation, but I was particularly drawn to the following paragraph:
Why do we react so strongly to what we perceive as a misuse of the word
“handmade”? Suppose some guy in your vicinity is doing the most
egregious form of impersonal mass production imaginable and selling it
as “handmade”, while you, with your wheel, are turning out 1/10 of the
quantity and charging 4 times as much. Do you feel that he is taking
money from your pocket with his “false” claim? If your production and
his were sharing a shelf, would the buyer see a difference? Does
“handmaking” produce a product tangibly different than whatever you
consider “not handmade”? If so, then the buyer who is looking for that
human connection will prefer your work and be willing to pay the higher
price. If that personal connection doesn’t come across in the work
itself, though, then perhaps the fault is in the work, and you are
asking the buyer to pay for nothing more than an idea.
Not only are imports edging out and devaluing the work of American artists, but the technology for producing higher quality is improving. While the available manufacturing technology does not produce pieces quite on par with an artist's work, it is getting better constantly.
Jim suggests here that handmade work needs to offer buyers a personal connection. I think one of the best ways to do that is to tell a story. This fits perfectly with the 2008 marketing campaign we're planning. I don't want to give away too much now...especially because it's in its infancy. Just look out over the next few months (and beyond) for BMAC ads, emails, stories and some very interesting things right here on the blog.
So, what's your story?
