Dan and Joanne Taylor on wed 16 jul 97
I notice a thread re what is hand-crafted vs production, etc. Won't get
into that fray but just wanted to respond to the comment that there
seems to be a good market today for functional pottery. That is
certainly true in our part of the world. I can't keep up to the demand
and any others who have found their niche in the market say the same.
However, there are still those who cry the blues and blame the market.
T'will always be. If your work isn't selling, the simple fact is that
you are not making what the consumer is buying. If the bottom line is
important to you, you either change what you make or look for different
consumers. Sounds rather simplistic, but it's the naked truth.
--
Dan Taylor in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Production potter - Taylor Clayworks
John H. Rodgers on fri 18 jul 97
-- [ From: John H. Rodgers * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] --
The comment of Joanne and Dan Taylor " you are not making what the customer
is buying" is right on target. The old saw " build it and they will come"
seems to have come from a different age. "The time was" when a producer,
whether a factory or individual, could come up with something and convince
the public to buy it. That is the hard sell ...... and the hard way. In use
in todays business environment is the "Marketing Approach", ie, survey the
public, find a want or need, and produce to meet it. Competition today is so
keen that this is almost the only way businesses survive. And we are all
affected by it, no matter whether we are a Mom and Pop shop operation in the
garage at home making and selling a few pots, or a big Manufacturing
operation cranking out thousands of half-round tuits. It matters not if they
are wonderful in the makers eyes, they have to be wonderful in the eyes of
the buyer.
One thing functional potters have going for them is utility. Have you ever
looked through any of the home and garden magazines, home decorating
magazines, etc? Notice the pictures of all those wonderfully designed
bedrooms, kitchens, baths, living rooms, etc? They virtually all have some
form of vessel used in the display. And what is a pot or vase if not a
vessel. And does it not have utility by virtue of being able to contain
something, serve a purpose other than to sit and be beautiful and
interesting to the viewer. ? So that is the point. The utility, the
functionality of the items made by potters meet various needs. Some do
better than others. But, that marketing approach is absolutely essential if
you are to keep yourself aligned with market demand. Somewhere along the way
most of us come to the point where we would like to earn some money from our
efforts, in addition to enjoyment of working with the clay. This is where we
must engage the marketing thing. It is essential to real success.
I would encourage anyone wanting to make money at clay work, be it just a
little spending money or a primary income, study marketing. One good book
that I used when I first got on board this marketing concept thing was
titled "The Portable MBA in Marketing". Sorry, I don't remember the authors
or publisher, but it is available in most bookstores in the business books
section.
I must confess, in one sense it was very dry reading, but by the time I got
through it, my view was changed forever.
Good Luck to All Who Try It!
John Rodgers
An Alaska Sourdough beginning to adjust to the heat of Summertime in the
South.
-------- REPLY, Original message follows --------
Date: Wednesday, 16-Jul-97 09:59 AM
From: Dan and Joanne Taylor \ Internet: (dataylor@mail.awinc.com)
To: CLAYART LIST \ Internet: (clayart@lsv.uky.edu)
Subject: functional market
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I notice a thread re what is hand-crafted vs production, etc. Won't get
into that fray but just wanted to respond to the comment that there seems to
be a good market today for functional pottery. That is certainly true in
our part of the world. I can't keep up to the demand and any others who
have found their niche in the market say the same. However, there are still
those who cry the blues and blame the market. T'will always be. If your work
isn't selling, the simple fact is that you are not making what the consumer
is buying. If the bottom line is important to you, you either change what
you make or look for different consumers. Sounds rather simplistic, but it's
the naked truth.
--
Dan Taylor in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada Production potter - Taylor
Clayworks
-------- REPLY, End of original message --------
Karen Gringhuis on sat 19 jul 97
To D & J Taylor & particularly to John Rodgers - RIGHT ON!!
Studying marketing (complete w/ book title) is one of the best
suggestions to come over Clayart in a while.
I am a functional potter with an MBA in - you guessed it -
Marketing. It works, it is not rocket science nor is it
prostitution of one's art. (You can study it and ignore it -
the choice is yours.) But there will also be demand for
the proverbial "better mouse trap."
In marketing, you will find the 'channel of distribution"
concept aka finding the right venue for your work. I've
just consoled a fellow Clayart member whose work sold poorly
in a recent fair I shopped. In my opionio, the work was the
best ceramics in the show - but I think it simply was the
wrong venue for it. The taste level of the crowd was
way below the quality f the work. The work needs to
be tried in another channel of distribution.
Again, thank you John. Karen Gringhuis
Suzanne Storer on sun 20 jul 97
Karen,
If a potter were to read only one marketing book, which one do you suggest?
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>To D & J Taylor & particularly to John Rodgers - RIGHT ON!!
>Studying marketing (complete w/ book title) is one of the best
>suggestions to come over Clayart in a while.
>
>I am a functional potter with an MBA in - you guessed it -
>Marketing. It works, it is not rocket science nor is it
>prostitution of one's art. (You can study it and ignore it -
>the choice is yours.) But there will also be demand for
>the proverbial "better mouse trap."
Karen Gringhuis on mon 21 jul 97
Suzanne - the book title came from John Rodgers
"inua@quicklink.net" here on Clayart and was THE PORTABLE
MBA IN MARKETING. I haven't actually studies marketing in many
years but you want another title or this one is out of print,
perhaps I can come up with one from my husband who works for
a marketing services agency.
Good luck & let me know. Karen Gringhuis
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