Linda Christen on tue 5 aug 03
//> Definitely, advertising is about selling an image, a
benefit (basically how
> they will save money or experience joy.) The key will be
getting people to
> "remember a simpler time" or "slow down and enoy life" or
something similar.//
//Enough interested people will find you if you do not hide
too far in obscurity.//
We are talking about more than just a slogan or an advertising campaign.
What we are really talking about is educating the public. If we educate
the public about why they should spend quadruple for a bowl, tile or
sculpture than they would at Target then there will be a greater number
of potential customers willing to look through obscurity to find said
potter.
//Forget selling an 'image'...or a mirage...//
We are not talking about selling a mirage, we are talking about building
awareness among a wider audience as to why pottery is better.
//Moreso, forget being influenced by those as will or wish to
buy them.//
Right, we should be influencing them!
//To me, the problem seems to be that the perspective of the potter
shines through those slogans.. and it has little to do, maybe, with the
perspective of the buyer.//
This is an excellent point. The same has been niggling at the edge of
my conscience, but had remained unformed. Maybe what would really be
helpful would be a survey for customers to fill out. A survey which
rates the potential slogans and questions why they choose to buy
pottery, what they do and do not like about it. Etc etc etc
Just my few thoughts after reading through today's responses to this
thread.
Linda Christen in muggy Massachusetts, thinking of Arti whose posts
always contributed to the clayart pulse and worrying for Kelly who is
worrying for the safety of her children and those in her area. That is
an unimaginably terrifying experience for all of you.
Lois Ruben Aronow on tue 5 aug 03
>We are talking about more than just a slogan or an advertising campaign.
>What we are really talking about is educating the public. If we educate
>the public about why they should spend quadruple for a bowl, tile or
>sculpture than they would at Target then there will be a greater number
>of potential customers willing to look through obscurity to find said
>potter.
>
i beg to differ. People who would prefer to buy at KMart (or
wherever) don't want to be educated on why they should use handmade
items. Hell, alot of *potters* don't use handmade ware for everyday
use. If one is trying to educate Gigunda-Mart consumers, you are
trying to reach the wrong audience. Find the people who appreciate
and understand fine craft, and actively get your work into their face.
There are plenty of them out there, but they won't come to you.
There are plenty of them.
Mega Mart shoppers care more deeply about price and value, and will
settle for mediocrity and convenience. Forget them. =20
....Lo
************
www.loisaronow.com
=46ine Craft Porcelain and Pottery
New Work for Summer 2003
New Show and Retail information
Catherine White on wed 6 aug 03
My mom had a lovely cocoa set...... tall, slim cups with handles, not tiny.
There was a pitcher for the hot chocolate. I can't recall if there were
saucers. The cups were so elegant. I've never found a set in my travels.
Regards,
Catherine in over-heated Yuma, AZ
ncwhite@adelphia.net
My inability to emulate occasionally results in originality.
----- Original Message -----
>Have you ever heard of chocolate sets? Adorable. Gorgeous. One of our
> gentlemen has a couple of them left. Mainly because none of us had ever
heard
> of them. Nothing in what I've read of other country's cultures, except
> France's mentions much about eating habits. jp
Jan L. Peterson on wed 6 aug 03
Yes. Exactly. He had to look up the history of it. They are the fantasy of
many a little girl nowadays, given the plastic stuff for tea and coffee and
such. Something like that would set a little girl on the road of finer
collectibles for life. I got to play with my aunts fragiles when I was little, and my son
has a Kovell Bible. jp
claybair on wed 6 aug 03
But.... if we make something beautiful they cannot get in K-Mart
& is nearly the same price.... say an easily made soap dish
for $5-7. Not only have we started to educate them but we also have
started them on the way to being a collector!
I agree with Lois there are a lot of people who understand and appreciate
fine art & craft. So, is that an instinct or a learned ability? I think it's
both!
Anyone willing to expend the energy can also take charge of their
sales destiny.
Gayle Bair - cranking again for a 3 day show this weekend....
just took a gaggle of soap dishes out of the kiln....loading up more....
trying to squeeze in one more firing
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
>We are talking about more than just a slogan or an advertising campaign.
>What we are really talking about is educating the public. If we educate
>the public about why they should spend quadruple for a bowl, tile or
>sculpture than they would at Target then there will be a greater number
>of potential customers willing to look through obscurity to find said
>potter.
>
//i beg to differ. People who would prefer to buy at KMart (or
wherever) don't want to be educated on why they should use handmade
items. Hell, alot of *potters* don't use handmade ware for everyday
use. If one is trying to educate Gigunda-Mart consumers, you are
trying to reach the wrong audience. Find the people who appreciate
and understand fine craft, and actively get your work into their face.
There are plenty of them out there, but they won't come to you.
There are plenty of them.
Mega Mart shoppers care more deeply about price and value, and will
settle for mediocrity and convenience. Forget them.
....Lo//
Jan L. Peterson on wed 6 aug 03
With a dearth of places to shop for something nice, most people settle for
what they can get cheap. No potters up this way-no pots, unless one of our store
owners makes his stop in Seattle for a few days. There seems to be some fine
pottery down by Walla Walla, but I was always on the long end of a long trip
that I was trying to beat my last time on. Somewhere near Dayton or Waitsburg.
Nice little place right close to a bridge. Hope they are still there when I
get some fooling around travel time.
Besides, the cheap stuff you don't cry over for days if someone breaks it.
We had some beautiful pots in the store a few months back, and they went to
someone who planted some of those palms that seem to do well inside anywhere.
Beautiful pots.
some of our stores can afford to buy from eBay, and we have some beautiful
China in. Have you ever heard of chocolate sets? Adorable. Gorgeous. One of our
gentlemen has a couple of them left. Mainly because none of us had ever heard
of them. Nothing in what I've read of other country's cultures, except
France's mentions much about eating habits. jp
Linda Christen on wed 6 aug 03
Have you ever heard of chocolate sets? Adorable. Gorgeous. One of our
gentlemen has a couple of them left. Mainly because none of us had ever
heard of them. Nothing in what I've read of other country's cultures,
except
France's mentions much about eating habits. jp
---------------------------------------
I think that chocolate sets were popular in colonial days. They were
used for serving hot chocolate as a tea set is used for serving tea.
Linda
Jan L. Peterson on fri 8 aug 03
Some have saucers, some have slightly taller cups, some have cute little lids
that let you have a tiny spoon to stir your hot cocoa with. jp
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