Craft Entrepreneurship - University for the Creative Arts

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Alice Goldie, MA Design: Textile Design,University of Southampton, Winchester School of ArtKate Elkins, BA (Hons) Graphic Communication,University College for the Creative Arts, FarnhamPeng Hsien-Ying, MA Innovation & Brand Management,University College for the Creative Arts, FarnhamAlice Goldie is a textile-based fashion designer working with 3D sampling in print,knit and embroidery. She has over 10 years experience in the fashion industryincluding designing for the Jasper Conran range and has also lectured in Fashion/Textiles at The University of the West of England. Although having a strongcommercial background Alice wanted support in setting up her own business.case study one“I really wanted to get a clear direction on how todevelop brand loyalty and values as well as developingpricing strategies for manufacturing and selling.”The product Alice bought to the Workshop was a children’s gift blanket which shehad been developing for some time. Using the branding and design managementexperience of Kate Elkins and Peng Hsien-Ying, the team worked on developing theproduct’s Unique Selling Point and brand values in order to differentiate it from massproduced competition. The team focused on developing the blanket as a premiumproduct which would be custom made by hand and personalised for each customer.A service would be offered to adapt the blanket in the future to suit the changingneeds of the customer. Strong values of ‘make do and mend’, textile techniques andtactile quality of the fabrics would be promoted. Pricing strategy would reflect thebrand’s bespoke nature and the longevity of the product.The team thought that selling could be achieved through: direct selling to parents and grandparents at baby shower parties andselling to baby product manufacturers and retail outlets - large chain stores as well as specialist niche shops. Marketing plansincluded a leafleting campaign to nanny agencies, hospitals, playgroups and mother and baby groups as well as advertising inmajor childcare magazines.Alice found the input from the guest speakers to be the most inspiring and useful part of the day and has already begun toimplement some ideas suggested by them in her work by looking into methods of advertising and potential manufacturers.She found it very useful to test her product on the other team members and to get an initial reaction from potential buyers.The development of the brand is still in progress.What they learned:• That finance need not be daunting• To be open-minded and prepared for change• The importance of taking responsibility for your own work• The need to make your values clear to others“The Workshop really helped meto gain confidence and take mywork seriously, regarding it as abusiness, not just a hobby.”
Tara J Murphy, MA Contemporary Crafts (Jewellery),University College for the Creative Arts, FarnhamClaire Majury, BA (Hons) Graphic Communication,University College for the Creative Arts, FarnhamQing Lui, MBA,Royal Holloway, University of LondonTara J Murphy is a jewellery designer now producing pieces that have beeninfluenced by her life experiences and travels around the world. Whilst having soldher previous designs through galleries, this current work is a new direction for her.Tara was looking to develop a more professional approach towards her work. “Asa designer-maker I have always directed the majority of my attention towards thedevelopment and production processes. I wanted the opportunity to focus on theactual business side and marketing of my work.”case study twoTara brought finished examples of her jewellery to the Workshop. The team used thebranding and business skills of Claire Majury and Qing Lui to begin developing corevalues of the product and a branding strategy. They focused on the handmade andtraditional making techniques of the jewellery which they thought added a beautyand unique perspective to the work and communicated a personal understandingof the artist’s life. Their strategy focused on building a high-end brand image witha strong brand personality linking the brand stories with the products. The teamdecided on market segmentation into high-end and mid-market product lines. Thehigh-end market would be for bespoke, exclusive and one-off pieces reflected inprice, accompanied by high quality images and stories of the journeys surroundingthe piece. The mid-market would consist of a mid-priced signature range along withthe appropriate stories.Lynne Franks (centre) with students“The Workshop was afantastic opportunity tocollaborate with individualswho specialise in businessand branding related subjects.It enabled the developmentof new and exciting conceptsfor the future branding andpromotion of my work.”The team planned to sell the work by attending trade fairs for collectors, high-end and mid-market retailers and galleries.Marketing plans included publishing and communicating the stories of Tara’s adventures that link to her work via a blog, books,illustrated journey articles, newspapers, videos and word-of-mouth.Since the Workshop Tara has produced a case study focusing on the current ethical jewellery movement which has involvedresearching the jewellery supply chain for its social and environmental impact. This research will inform her marketing andbranding strategy for an ethical jewellery business and the direction for a new blog.What they learned:• The importance of spending time on the presentation of every aspect of your business• That branding should be a huge consideration when building your business strategy• The importance and usefulness of collaborating with others
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Craft Entrepreneurship - University for the Creative Arts

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