psci_kw on wed 6 aug 03
Well, aside from the Dohrman's comments (which are also valid), responding
(in part)
to Jeff's comments edited below, we can all agree that there is no EZ
solution. Yes, a
slogan woud help unify all of us as potters, and there is a lot to be said
for
"brand recognition"(hand vs. mass-produced ware). Convincing people to buy
Brand "A" instead of Brand "B" is what marketing is for.
Instead of wringing our hands lamenting the fact that "no one wants my
hand made pottery instead of the cheap/less expensive/slave labor made
"stuff" from China, SE Asia, Canada or wherever..." (no slaps intended to
potters there) I think that we should consider asking ACERS to start a
marketing division. Let THEM worry about the slogans, and all the marketing
end of it. We as individuals cannot DO national marketing. We just haven't
the resources.
OUR jobs should then be EXPOSURE. Get out there, hit all the shows
in your area,further if you can travel; send out press releases to the
local
newspapers about your "new and exciting line", "glazes to match every color
of the rainbow", whatever fits what YOU do. (Hey, it works for fashion)
Maybe even (gasp!) use sex to sell pots. I'm thinking of an ad with a
skeleton
in a yellow thong lying seductively posed next to a set of handmade bowls
with the caption: "These lasted longer than SHE did." Sell the durability!
The point (yes, finally) is that all the slogans in the world, no matter how
cute
or trite, are no substitute for advertising and exposure.
Advertising doesn't cost, it pays. If they do not know you exist, all the
slogans in the world are not going to change that.
Wayne in KW
who is lucky to live in an "art community", a town of 28,000, with over 40
galleries
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Longtin"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 9:45 PM
Subject: K-Mart "culture" is good
> I don't want to sell my work to some yuppie fuck who thinks it's
oh-so-cool
> to buy hand made work from some "pottery dude". I want folks, everyday
folks,
> who want my WORK, that specific teapot for instance, because they dig THAT
> specific teapot. I don't care if they go off to K-Mart to buy a table to
put it
> on, that's THEIR business. I don't want to tell them how to live their
lives I
> just want them to BUY my work.
>
> That's what a good phrase, with lots of repetition, could do?
snip
> ps. I showed my teapot to someone, at work today, who didn't know I was a
> potter. He responded by saying, "That's really cool!" I didn't ask him
where he
> shopped, he didn't ask me how I made it. Simple. Let's stay focused on
selling
> more pots, not on telling people how to live their lives.
>
>
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