Sorry but‌ Positioning 1/2 Here is an example of key words you can base your brand identity/image on, as you want it to be perceived in the mind of your target market.
Statement
Minimalism
Humor
Essential*
*Depend on the type of products you might sell in the future, if it is only essential products, like an ashtray, a mug, a tshirt, a clock‌.then you can use it.
MA Applied Imagination for the Creative Industries 2011.A.V.
(British) Know-how
Sorry but… Positioning 2/2
Statement The idea of the message on the products is to go against the mainstream. You should keep it that way but you need to make it clear: with your products, people are making a statement because they are not followers, “because they are worth it”.
Humor The tone of the message is humoristic, you can use the same tone in your promotional campaign (web, press releases…). Minimalism The design is simple (for now…You might decide to change later) because it is all about the message and the product usage. Why not the word Design? Because unfortunately, (for now) your product design is generic (standard mug) with no significant display of creativity (apart from the message which can’t be considered as a design as you whish to promote the art of making beautiful ceramic pieces, it is not enough).
MA Applied Imagination for the Creative Industries 2011.A.V.
British Know-how The products are Hand made and Made in UK. This is a strong element you can use to position your brand/products on the market as compared to the cheap versions of the Made in China mood mugs for example. Therefore, you need to explain (on the website for example) where the products are made in the Uk and why your brand thinks it is important. Alternatively, you can mention which type of process does the product go through if you happen to work with a different manufacturer in the future. Know-how means tradition, quality and therefore a guaranty (The guaranty factor is important when you want to sell a “pricy” product). Those are key words that you could use.
Initial SORRY BUT‌ Marketing MIX
Product
Place
The Green Zone ďƒ The right balance
between the 4 P
One or more elements are too heavy
MA Applied Imagination for the Creative Industries 2011.A.V.
One or more elements are too light
Product
1.
Products: Generic mugs with a slogan about a short time relevance event. An unknown brand. No story. No universe. No details about the quality.
2.
Price: £15 is more expensive than same type of mood mugs on the market and there is no visible presence of elements justifying the price.
3.
Place: Sold online on a website to be finished. No physical place for retail.
4.
Promotion: No promotion for the product or for the brand “sorry but” . Poor and inefficient use of internet tools (Facebook, you tube, twitter, blogs: no visibility)
Place
Promotion
MA Applied Imagination for the Creative Industries 2011.A.V.
Initial SORRY BUT… Marketing MIX
New SORRY BUT‌ Marketing MIX
The Green Zone ďƒ The right balance
between the 4 P
One or more elements are too heavy
MA Applied Imagination for the Creative Industries 2011.A.V.
One or more elements are too light
1.
Product: Different product approach with: (Potentially) An iconic piece of Art produced in limited edition. Followed by other products of same type (possibly in different shapes). Made by the Sorry but brand officially going against the mainstream. A proposition of universe has been made (see “positioning”).
2.
Price: £15 could be an acceptable price if the story/ universe is strong. When the story is bigger, the price can seem smaller. There is a need for advertisement in order to get more visibility and more credibility. If other limited editions were to be made, the “uniqueness” factor could justify a higher price (a market study of other expensive mugs is essential to set an acceptable high price for these specific objects).
3.
Place: The website needs to be improved (see web recommendations in the class presentation). There might be a need for a physical retail place as it make the guaranty concept more tangible: customers might think that if something is wrong, there is at least one place they can go to, to talk to someone. That can reassure a potential customer into buying the product over the internet.
4.
Promotion: We created some kind of events to promote the mug (but also to get some feedback). We contacted bloggers and diverse magazines. Once the concept is clearly defined, other types of media can be contacted in order to build a relationship with useful resources (bloggers for example). See the rest of recommendations during the class presentation.
Product
Place
Promotion
MA Applied Imagination for the Creative Industries 2011.A.V.
New SORRY BUT… Marketing MIX
Sorry but… Product recommendations 1/3 You Need
To use all the space on the mug strategically. As for now, you only have the slogan on the side and the “wink” part is on the bottom BUT, the message on the bottom is not as strong as the one on the side, it does not reinforce the initial message. Never the less, the WE factor (from “We are just being honest”) is interesting as it convey the idea of a GROUP of people who think alike. So, you might want to keep it but maybe not for every product. Use both sides (side and bottom) of the mug to give a tone to the message in order to emulate potential customer’s curiosity: i.e. the message is uncompleted until you read the bottom. Example: « I like to take my mug outside…sorry but i don’t do paper cups ». Then you would go against the whole (Starbucks and co.) paper cup trend and even encourage your customers to go out with their mugs and to be proud of it.
MA Applied Imagination for the Creative Industries 2011.A.V.
To keep the same typography so that people can see it on every new product you make and recognize the brand even if the product is different: you want them to think “It’s a Sorry But, right? I didn’t know they were making…”.
Sorry but‌ Product recommendations 2/3 You should
MA Applied Imagination for the Creative Industries 2011.A.V.
Try other mug designs, for example a ceramic pot with a silicone (or other) lid you can take outside (like a thermos). Since you wish to share strong messages, you might need to create/produce something that people can take outside for everyone to see as it is hard to make a statement in your kitchen or worst, at work where your boss might REALLY CARE about the royal wedding (for example).
Sorry but… Product recommendations 3/3 Diversify and do other products: • In ceramic, but you should not limit yourself to ashtrays as only few people can see it. For example, you could make an iconic piece of jewelry like a ceramic Broach in the shape of a bone with a message like: SORRY BUT...I DO BITE. This is an example of a use of the SORRY BUT… brand with keeping the same tone of message. This way the “SORRY BUT…” concept is wearable and the person wearing it convey the image of a certain lifestyle (not following, going against the mainstream, except if it ironically becomes trendy) everywhere and more people can see it and buy into it. • In other materials like fabric: a T-shirt example is displayed in the class presentation. Or paper with the post card (which could be in a future packaging). Communicate the idea that your products are collectible and of two types: The everyday series and the limited editions for special events (Royal wedding, Olympic Games…) series. Consider a partnership with an organization doing charity in the UK (keeping it UK focused is more coherent). The charity factor can possibly motivate people into buying not only the product but also the concept as it is RIGHT and can bring up a “feel good” emotion on the plate.
MA Applied Imagination for the Creative Industries 2011.A.V.
You could
Sorry but…
Once the target and its needs are identified, a new product can be created for this specific target. It should never be the other way around. A product should be made with a clear target in mind.
This document comes as a complement to the 21st of march class presentation.
…we are just being honest.
MA Applied Imagination for the Creative Industries 2011.A.V.
The Brand’s target needs to be clearly defined (demographics study, surveys…) in order to address the communication/message to the right customers and to know how and where to find them.