September 17, 2011
I had the opportunity to attend the I Heart Portland Etsy conference this Saturday. Arriving at the venue, I didn’t know what to expect because prior to entering my MFA program a month ago, I had no clue was Etsy was. Ok, it’s a website where people make stuff and sell it. If I were to say this to anyone at the conference I would’ve been slapped with glares of contempt and dishonor. Approaching the entrance at 8:45am, there was already a line of people that led to the end of the block, many of whom were sporting their own handmade hats, jewelry and bags in hopes that “…please, god, someone please comment on my shoe tassels so I can talk about them!” That being said, there were also some pretty impressive crafted items that showed up.
Once inside, there were a selection of workshops to could attend, and I chose “Tasty Branding” primarily because it seemed the most relevant to what I need to focus on in my own endeavors. Aside from the presenter’s apparent fear of speaking and near Seinfeld-level low-talker quality (remember the Puffy Shirt episode), the workshop had some valuable tidbits of information I will be working on. The presenter had been running her own business that helps upstarting companies develop a brand; she seemed to know what she was talking about. Of all of the information we received, here were my take-aways:
-Brand is not a look, it is a feeling.
-A successful brand has a connection to the maker.
-A successful brand LEADS WITH ITS VALUE, not its price.
-Be very specific in terms of goals, (In 5 years I will have increased my profits by 20%) and then break down what it will take to reach that goal.
-Being handmade isn’t unique (at least in Portland)! Don’t use it as a selling point.
-”Don’t take them to the clearance section of your business.” You provide quality. Stand by it.
I had the opportunity to attend the I Heart Portland Etsy conference this Saturday. Arriving at the venue, I didn’t know what to expect because prior to entering my MFA program a month ago, I had no clue was Etsy was. Ok, it’s a website where people make stuff and sell it. If I were to say this to anyone at the conference I would’ve been slapped with glares of contempt and dishonor. Approaching the entrance at 8:45am, there was already a line of people that led to the end of the block, many of whom were sporting their own handmade hats, jewelry and bags in hopes that “…please, god, someone please comment on my shoe tassels so I can talk about them!” That being said, there were also some pretty impressive crafted items that showed up.
Once inside, there were a selection of workshops to could attend, and I chose “Tasty Branding” primarily because it seemed the most relevant to what I need to focus on in my own endeavors. Aside from the presenter’s apparent fear of speaking and near Seinfeld-level low-talker quality (remember the Puffy Shirt episode), the workshop had some valuable tidbits of information I will be working on. The presenter had been running her own business that helps upstarting companies develop a brand; she seemed to know what she was talking about. Of all of the information we received, here were my take-aways:
-Brand is not a look, it is a feeling.
-A successful brand has a connection to the maker.
-A successful brand LEADS WITH ITS VALUE, not its price.
-Be very specific in terms of goals, (In 5 years I will have increased my profits by 20%) and then break down what it will take to reach that goal.
-Being handmade isn’t unique (at least in Portland)! Don’t use it as a selling point.
-”Don’t take them to the clearance section of your business.” You provide quality. Stand by it.