I love doing show! I love the opportunity to interact with customers, see what pieces are popular and what pieces don't work out. The last couple of years doing shows has really helped me define my target market. This information as been invaluable.
There are always things about doing shows that make me a little nuts, the people who want to have a conversation with their friends in front of my display making it difficult for the people who want to shop, and the people who want to chat your ear off about nothing in particular.
I have realized that one word has been used to describe my collection more than any other word, and that word is CLEVER. My sister and I counted how many times we heard that word at one show and it was over 40 before we lost track and stopped tracking.
For a long time that word made me crazy, of all the words you could choose, why clever? Well this year after a 2 day show and who know how many times we heard the word clever, my sister finally shed some light on what she thought that words means in relationship to my jewelry collection. People are always surprised that the collection is created with recycled hardware, and clever is their way of sharing their surprise and delight for something they did not expect.
The word is growing on me. It makes people stop and look at my collection and in most cases buy something. It has also made me realize I am going to have to make some changes in the Additions collection marketing materials.
So in 2015 I am going to rebrand Additions so it focuses more on my target market. But rest assured, even though the word clever is used often to describe my collection I will not be using it in my branding :)
Has there been any word used to describe your work over and over?
Posts
I, too, think your work is "clever", yet I would also call it beautiful and unique!
ReplyDeleteI think my jewelry work has been described many times as "fun" or "cute", both words I don't mind being used but I would rather something a little more descriptive.
I think clever is a good word to describe YOU and what you do, more than the jewelry itself. Take it as a compliment. YOU are doing something smart and interesting that not many people have thought of and you make it pretty and desirable. :)
Ps - I'm a long-time admirer both here and on FB. Love your style and creativity!
Me - www.westcoastcreations.ca
(Previous comment deleted b/c I stupidly made a typo in my own web url!!)
I actually think "clever" is a great fit for your work! It's unusual and inventive, but still pretty and wearable. My decor items haven't been around long enough for me to notice any huge patterns yet, but I've been getting a lot of stuff like "bright" and "fun" both of which are fine with me. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with your shoppers that clever is a great way to describe your work. And I think it's a huge compliment. In a world where so many crafts are the same, yours is unique. And jewelry competition can be tough at shows, so standing out from the crowd is a huge success.
ReplyDeleteI love your pieces with a mix of hardware and gems/stones :)