Chris Fredricks

Raconter l'histoire de votre marque / Un atelier Brand First

I've been watching a lot of Seth Godin's videos on Youtube.   Creating your story and telling it to your tribe is probably the most important thing we can do for our business.  I think once I get this story right everything will fall into place.  Most of my stuff is handmade.  I'm moving toward having small batch manufacturing done as I can't make enough to scale.   One of the things you really need to create consistent products is a great story.    I'm finding this to be very challenging.  What is my purple cow?  It's easy to say it's handmade or well made or super quality but how do you get the vibe going?  Apple did an entire marketing campaign and said nothing about the computer, it was all about being different.   The shift from the best, the biggest etc. to a story is very difficult.

Hi Scott, Thanks for sharing this. My first questions I'd ask to figure out the most important part of your story would be:

Who is your main audience/customer?
What motivates them to buy your hooks vs any other? 
Why/How did you start making these? 

For a product like this, I think the last one would be the first thing you'd want to address on the about page of your website for example. A maker's passion for what they do is often their why, so I'd start talking about that.

I hear you, Chris.  I guess I'm looking for the purple cow.  Everything seems so canned.  I know my audience and customer.  What motivates people to buy my crochet hooks is they are unique and super quality. 
That doesn't seem like a good way to go as it's probably the same for every maker. They have a passion and they make the best.
 
  I just met with a small batch manufacturer in Brooklyn as I'm looking to ad more awesomely made items that I don't make. So I can't really say that I have a passion for making something I don't make.  I do have a passion for offering only the best. 

 My tack is quality.  I have no interest in selling on price.    

The problem with the story is I started making Bowls and hollow forms (woodturning) and the market led me to this product.  It really was that simple.  It seems to me that stories based on love and passion don't really differentiate you.  The idea of the golden circle...it doesn't really seem like "a why"  it is more akin to the example of computer companies talking about the speed of their computer.  Is it possible to have the product tell the story?

I think for most makers, their passion is what differentiates them. Typically, they all get into it for different reasons, and that story tends to be what sets them apart. 

One example. I have an line of apparel that I screen print. I knew how to screen print for several years before I started my own line. What inspired me to start my line is that I started having kids, and I wanted to use the skill I had to make the clothes they wore. As they grew the things they said and did inspired my designs. 

I've worked with a lot makers, most of them (including me) aren't making innovative products. That spark, the thing that made them start often ends up being what makes them different, and interesting.

I make heirloom quality crochet hooks from domestic and exotic wood.  The hooks shown in the picture are painted and carved by hand.

Crochet Hook Roll

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