Craft Industry Today Winter 2017

WINTER 2017

Stand Out &

Sell More

Photo by Brooke Roe, CEO and Founder, PinspirationÂŽ, with customers in the Jackson Pollock-inspired splatter room

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ERS

.com

contents

Winter 2017

In Every Issue

14 Where Should I Look for

New Customers?

20

Evolution of the Retail Experience

4 T he Buzz Go Viral

24

8 Industry News

Rhinestone Stickers: Revolutionizing the Craft and DIY Industries

2017 Officers, New Member Benefits, CHA Hall of Fame & Industry Awards

12 Trend Report

2017 Shipping Trends

26 Do-It-Yourself

How to Host a Canvas Painting Event in Your Store

27 Designer 10 Chit Chat Directory Kathy Cano Murillo

10

of the Phoenix Fridas

28 New Products 30 Index of Advertisers

20 14 Winter 2017 Volume 7 No. 1

Craft

Industry THE CRAFT & HOBBY ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE

Editorial Maureen Walsh mwalsh@craftandhobby.org Keri Cunningham kcunningham@craftandhobby.org Kristen Farrell kfarrell@craftandhobby.org Jason Baum jbaum@craftandhobby.org Alex Armeni aarmeni@craftandhobby.org Jeffrey Malaney jmalaney@craftandhobby.org

Advertising Tim Braden tbraden@fwpi.com Darlene Ryan darlene@fwpi.com

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Publisher

Fahy-Williams Publishing PO Box 1080, 171 Reed St. Geneva, NY 14456 800-344-0559 Fax: 315-789-4263 fwpi.com Craft Industry Today is distributed to CHA members on a complimentary basis. Subscription fee for non-CHA members is $25 a year.

Craft Industry Today is published quarterly for members of the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA). CHA is an international non-profit trade association consisting of thousands of member companies engaged in the design, manufacture, distribution, and retail sales of craft products worldwide. For more about CHA, the value of membership, or its award-winning Conference & Trade Show, please visit craftandhobby.org.

The Craft & Hobby Association 319 East 54th St. Elmwood Park, NJ 07407 201-835-1200 Fax: 201-797-0657 craftandhobby.org CRE8TIME.org creativationshow.org facebook.com/CraftandHobby twitter.com/CraftandHobby youtube.com/user/CraftandHobby pinterest.com/craftandhobby linkedin.com/groups/Craft-Hobby-Association-1565337 Additional copies are available upon request pending availability. To order, contact CHA at 201-835-1207.

Copyright Š 2016 The Craft & Hobby Association. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

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The Buzz

Go Viral

Leverage your customers as an often untapped – but truly fantastic – source of promotion for your company.

by Jennafer Martin

T

Thanks, in part, to traditional advertising campaigns, Kohl’s was already a well-known department store in the United States in 2016. But in May of that year, Kohl’s received a ton of completely free advertising thanks to one of their customers: Candace Payne. The stay-at-home mom from Grand Prairie, Texas, didn’t intend to advertise anything; however, she did through documenting her sheer joy of purchasing a Chewbacca mask at Kohl’s in her first Facebook Live video.

Because she mentioned the store, it was part of a video that quickly was shared all over the world, receiving 140 million views within three days.

You truly can’t buy advertising like that. And that’s why leveraging viral content through your customers is not only an effective way to advertise your store, company or products – it’s also an incredibly affordable one. But what is viral content? How do you tap into it, let alone leverage it for your promotional needs? Read on for tips to get on board the viral content train.

Viral Content 101

There’s lots of buzz in both mainstream and social media about “going viral,” a phenomenon that essentially means word of mouth advertising in the digital age. At its

Candace Payne’s viral video about her Chewbacca mask purchase at Kohl’s department store gave Kohl’s a ton of free promotion. Photo courtesy of the BBC.

heart, viral marketing is the spread of a particular idea online, through social media and other online channels. And through the spread of that particular idea, you pique customers’ interests in your products or company in a subtle and usually fun way. However, the best part of viral marketing is that it starts with your customers. “Viral marketing is about getting as many word-of-mouth sales as possible,” says David Fallarme of ReferalCandy. “It means turning your existing customers into magnets for customers.” In an age where countless stories, ads and more are vying for your customers’ attention, the recommendation of a trusted friend or family member can cut through the noise to help people make informed buying decisions. While customers can definitely see your company’s offerings through ads, or look up reviews on listing sites or social media for more info, sharing your company’s content from one person to another is a direct way to recommend what you’re offering.

And an effective one.

Your customers share a lot of content each day on social media accounts, including articles, memes, videos and more, giving you a rich supply of content

to possibly go viral. In fact, a 2015 survey from the Global Web Index reported that the average person has five social media accounts and spends an average of one hour and 40 minutes per day browsing those accounts. Of all of these millions of posts, what makes content shareable enough to go viral? Here are a few factors that viral content have in common.

Viral content is positive. For people to share content online, it needs to focus on a positive issue or cause. Your customers are bombarded with negative images in the news, and they would much rather share things that brighten their days rather than darken them.

Content that goes viral can surround a cause or charity they can get behind, or it can be something that inspires them or just makes them happier. But whatever that content is about, it’s positive. In the Candace Payne video, the positivity was the delight that she took in her purchase. Her laughter and joy were contagious and entertaining.

Had she been complaining about the line she had to stand in to get the mask, or felt the price she paid was too high, the likelihood of that video being shared would have dropped dramatically.

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When office buildings in NYC started a Post-It art competition, 3M jumped on the bandwagon to spread the word. Photo courtesy of New York Magazine.

Occasionally, negative content goes viral as well, usually to evoke fear or outrage or to call attention to a cause that people feel needs attention. But the majority of content that goes viral is positive.

Viral content is emotive. Good viral content evokes emotion in the viewer or reader, from being touching to fear-inducing to amusing and everywhere in between. Had Kohl’s run a traditional advertising campaign surrounding the masks Candace Payne posted about, its images could have surely evoked emotion in some. But the video of Candace evoked emotion in people who could have cared less about what she purchased, because viewers got to share in her pure joy and delight, and laugh along with her, that created an experience that transcended the products and brands themselves.

Viral content is beneficial to the consumer. For content to go viral, it needs to bring an advantage of some kind to the consumer. It can provide a useful, practical application to their lives or it can serve to brighten their days. But it has a benefit that hooks the viewer/reader, connecting them to that content, and, by extension, the brand(s) mentioned in it.

How to Go Viral

Knowing what makes good viral content is one step, but here are three ways to leverage it for your promotions.

1. Spot it. Unlike traditional commercials, viral content isn’t something you create. It’s something you find from your customers’ social media accounts or from traditional media outlets and then capitalize on.

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Keep an eye out for posts, videos and more mentioning your store, company or brand. Pay attention to trending topics on social media to see if those mention your company, and make spotting mentions easier by setting up a Google Alert at www.google.com/alert, so each time there’s a mention you get an email informing you of it.

2. Share it. Once you spot mentions of your company or brand that fit viral content standards, share that content with your social media and blog followers. Be careful to not turn that sharing into a commercial though, as the purpose of going viral is to share rather than promote. The less you say when you share the content, the better, as the emotive properties of the content will subtly do your selling for you. Be sure to include a hashtag that the original poster provided so your sharing will come up in any searches done through that hashtag.

3. Add to it. Sharing appropriate viral content from your customers isn’t where your efforts to go viral need to end. You can take it a step further to thank the person who created the content for a positive public relations move, as Kohl’s

did when they gave Candace Payne a gift certificate to their store as a thank you for her video. They photographed the thank you presentation and posted it to their social media as well, with a link back to Candace’s video, adding even more fuel to that viral fire. The thank yous for Candace Payne didn’t stop with Kohl’s. She was given a tour of the LucasFilm studios where Star Wars is produced, and met “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” director, J.J. Abrams, and Peter Mayhew, the man who plays Chewbacca in the movies!

In addition to your thank you for publicity, you can fan the viral content fire by asking your customers to create and post similar content. Or, you can add to the discussion by donating products or services to keep the viral content going. That’s what 3M did when they saw a local media story about people in two New York City office buildings. They were one-upping each other creating window art using 3M’s Post-Its.

3M deployed free Post-Its to each office, giving them more art options for their window canvases and promoting the use of their products in a good-sport way. More products to use meant more window Post-It art, and pretty soon the art battle moved from being a New York City phenomenon to a worldwide one, with offices around the globe sharing photos of their Post-It art on social media.

However you leverage viral content for your company and products, there’s a world of promotional possibilities that abound when you go viral!

A Go-Viral Success Story: Skittles

The candy brand Skittles provides a savvy example of “saying less is more” when sharing or commenting on viral content, as well as not passing along viral content if it doesn’t meet the standards of being positive or beneficial. When a political candidate’s son created and shared a meme showing a bowl of Skittles that read, “If I had a bowl of Skittles and I told you just three would kill you, would you take a handful? That’s our Syrian refugee problem,” the company knew that low to no involvement was the best strategy. The VP of corporate affairs at Skittles’ parent company, Wrigley Americas, issued a statement hours later that simply said, “Skittles are candy. Refugees are people. We don’t feel it’s an appropriate analogy. We will respectfully refrain from further commentary as anything we say could be misinterpreted as marketing.”

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Industry News New Officers for 2017

Take Advantage of New Member Benefits

The Craft & Hobby Association is pleased to announce three new officers elected to serve on the Board of Directors for a one-year term effective immediately. The new officers are: • Chuck McGonigle, Chair, President of Spencer Enterprises

and the Owner of Phoenix Hope Consulting LLC, • Jim Thielen, Vice Chair, Vice President and Chief Operating

Officer of H.A. Kidd and Company Limited, and • Christopher DiTullio, Secretary, Senior Vice President

of Marketing and Omni-Channel at Jo-Ann Fabric and

Craft Stores.

The officers join the current Board Directors: Nora Abousteit, Judi Atkinson, Brigid English, Don Guidi, Sarah Hodsdon, Roseann Kermes, Mark Lee, Ursula Morgan, Frank Rizzo, Tony Sheridan, Greg Tipsord, and David Murray, Immediate Past Chair.

“Our new Board leadership brings a combined 38 years of experience in the creative arts product industry,” says Mark Hill, CHA President and Chief Executive Officer. “Their long dedication and expansive connections to creative businesses qualifies them for their new roles, and positions them as strong leaders to guide CHA through its transformation and an ever-changing marketplace.”

Use our new member benefits to save on your personal and professional expenses. Log in to your account at craftandhobby.org to access these discounts.

Facebook Live Education Series

In 2017, we will start using Facebook Live to broadcast live webinars to our creative business community. If you’re interested in presenting a topic, contact Nidia Negron, Director of Education, at nnegron@craftandhobby.org.

Constant Contact: Connect to customers quickly, easily, and affordably with Constant Contact’s email marketing and online survey tools. Our members receive an additional 10% off the standard prepay discounts.

Lifelock: Your identity makes you unique. LifeLock is an industry leader in identity theft protection. Our members are entitled to a free 30-day trial period and 10% off a yearly membership.

Office Depot/OfficeMax: Office Depot/OfficeMax is the leading global provider of products, services and solutions for every workplace. Our members receive 10% off online prices, free shipping on orders over $50, an extra level of customer service through 1-800-MEMBERS and discounts in more than 2,000 Office Depot retail locations. iCLIPART: You have eight million royalty-free images at your fingertips! Our members pay ONLY $52.46 for a full year’s subscription (regularly: $69.95).

Retail Supply Chain Conference 2017: The Retail Supply Chain Conference is the premier event for supply chain executives.

Our members receive discounted access to the event.

CHA Announces Industry Award Recipients

CHA is elated to announce the recipients of its 2017 Creative Industry Awards, recognizing excellence in industry service and philanthropy. Mark Peters, Duncan Enterprises, has received the Meritorious Award of Honor; and Therese Hennessy, Polkadots and More, and Shurtech Brands have received Special Recognition Awards.

The awards will be presented during the Creativation Celebration on Saturday, January 21, 2017, from 6:30 p.m.– 10:00 p.m.

Visit www.craftandhobby.org to read the press release.

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CHA Hall of Fame Inducts Industry Pioneers

45th Annual SDP International Conference & Expo

Five people who pioneered creative arts products have been recognized for their extraordinary contributions to the growth and success of their organizations and the industry.

Hit the beach with the Society of Decorative Painters in 2017.

Oceans of Color, the 45th Annual Society of Decorative Painters International Conference & Expo will take place May 16-20, 2017 at the Ocean Center Convention Center in Daytona Beach, FL.

Daytona Beach is one of America's favorite beach destinations and has a variety of restaurant, shopping and entertainment options for all budgets, making it an affordable place for many to visit. Bring your family and friends, and enjoy four days of painting, shopping, creativity and fun!

Hotel reservations are available at the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort/Ocean Walk Village. The Conference Special guide to classes and events is available online, and registration is open. To book your hotel and to register, visit decorativepainters.org for more information.

The 2017 Hall of Fame Inductees include: • Dave Catanzarite, Darice and Pat Catan’s • Emma Gebo, Crafts Inc., dba SIERRA’s • Jerry Hacker, Dee’s Delights • Catherine Kay, Elam-Kay & Associates • Bob Ross, Joy of Painting Company

Visit www.craftandhobby.org to read the press release.

Grow Your Association & Get Rewarded

Receive a $25 American Express gift card for every individual you recruit to join our Association. Our new Emeritus Membership is a great opportunity for you to refer your mentors and former colleagues! Tell them to join online. Be sure to tell them to use the membergetamember source code when signing up!

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Chit Chat Chatting with the

“Crafty Chica ” Kathy Cano-Murillo of the Phoenix Fridas

by Jason Baum

B

Back in October I was lucky enough to sit down and have a fun breakfast with Kathy Cano-Murillo. Kathy is an author, artist and founder of the award-winning site, CraftyChica.com.

In her own words, Kathy uses social media to “spread the gospel of glitter” – literally through her DIY projects and figuratively through her speeches, workshops, books and essays. A former reporter for The Arizona Republic, she is now a full-time creativepreneur, which has led to partnerships with Coca-Cola, HSN, HP, WordPress, Disney and many others. She has authored seven craft books and two novels, and has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed and more.

Kathy and I met at the DeSoto Market, one of her favorite downtown Phoenix meeting places, and spoke

for a couple of hours about topics that included the upcoming Creativation Show, social media, how to be a creativepreneur, the importance of retail entertainment, the city of Phoenix and so much more. I was able to follow up with Kathy a few weeks later to discuss her craft collective, the Phoenix Fridas, which is now in its 11th year.

inspired to start a collective here in Phoenix. I called upon some of my favorite crafty friends to get together and craft. We had no idea what it would lead to or what we wanted to do, we just wanted to get together and be creative!

Here we are 11 years later with several arts awards under our glittery belts!

Congratulations on celebrating more than 11 years together! Who are the Phoenix Fridas and why did you feel the need to form the collective back in 2004?

A craft collective is for people who are committed to creativity. They are committed so much that they realize the power of community and collaborations for learning and growing their skills, talents and vision. It’s like-minded people coming together to support and lift each other, and maybe even have a Jedi Council sort of relationship to discuss touchy issues in a helpful and healing way.

Hi Jason! Well, at the time, there were craft collectives popping up all over the country – Austin Craft Mafia, Santa Ana Craft Cartel, West Coast Craft, NY Department of Craft, etc. I became

How would you define a craft collective?

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What’s new or innovative about what the Fridas are doing?

We are excited to be a part of Creativation. We have a panel we are speaking on and we’ll be in the Artisan Plaza! In addition, we are working on our summer 2017 Frida Kahlo birthday party event, and planning our upcoming blog articles.

How are you able to reach consumers directly and build your own brand through the collective?

We are all working artists. We all have our own shows and events, and we all go and support each other’s projects. In addition, we’ll have collaborative shows at local art houses, coffee shops, galleries, etc. We do an annual trunk show and/ or pop-up shop. We each have to present an event to host or organize once a year. We’ve had Fridas host a wellness day at a beautiful farm where the public could come to get a massage, shop, join a drum circle or get an aura reading. We had another Frida who organized a Frida-inspired pub crawl. She worked with the owners to create a special drink for our patrons.

We do local TV segments, live paintings at events, YouTube videos, speaking engagements, workshops and more to show creative inspiration. So rather than just rely on our individual businesses, we have a stream of other avenues as well.

How do the Fridas give back to the local Phoenix community?

Many ways! We often speak at local events, volunteer to teach art or make and takes, donate art for fundraisers, visit and shop

Kathy Cano-Murillo (back row, center) and the rest of the Phoenix Fridas.

Photo courtesy of www.thephoenixfridas.com.

from local galleries. We also hold our monthly meetings and independently-owned businesses, and while we are there we do social media for that business to introduce our followers to their company. It’s a win/win situation!

Join Kathy at Creativation for S216: “The Benefits of Launching Your Own Local Craft Collective” on Friday, January 20 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. when she goes into more detail on the benefits of launching your own local craft collective. Visit creativationshow.org to register today, or sign up onsite at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Craft Industry

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Trend Report

Keep an Eye Out:

Shipping Trends 2017

by Jeffrey Malaney

S

Shipping is an important and sometimes final opportunity for a company when it comes to overall customer experience and satisfaction. Adopting new shipping methods and strategies can help get orders to your customers faster, while saving your business money in the long run. Meanwhile, sticking to the old shipping routine might end up costing your company more than you would think. Stay ahead of the curve, and save, by keeping a close eye on the latest shipping trends.

As 2017 quickly approaches, arguably the most

talked about shipping trend is the upcoming adoption of drone delivery. We’ve heard stories how big powerhouse brands like Amazon and Google are experimenting with local drones in private facilities. These small flyers allow for super-fast delivery of small items in local areas. In addition, we should be seeing more same-day drone delivery

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e-commerce, the stores that support them will have a huge advantage over the rest.

Many of the new shipping trends for this year point in the same direction: customers are more demanding than ever when it comes to receiving packages faster and on their own terms. The age in which a customer places an order online and expects to receive the package within a couple of weeks is over. Today’s buyers want to know exactly how and

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options for metropolitan areas. As the digital trends continue to grow at record pace, customers now expect their products in an extremely timely and efficient manner. New commercial drone services such as QuiQui and Bizzby Sky indicate that drone delivery will be available to smaller e-commerce businesses very soon.

Giving customers more shipping options upon checkout is key. Traditionally, e-commerce stores give shoppers a few shipping and handling choices: standard, expedited and overnight. Customers are starting to look for new flexible ways when it comes to choosing how and when they receive their order. New on-demand package services like Doorman and Deliv are emerging in big cities, which ensure delivery is protected against theft, and is convenient for your customer’s busy schedule. If you are tired of those “sorry we missed you” postage slips, imagine how your customers must feel when they see them on their front door. Many customers are interested in picking up their orders across the street, rather than waiting for it to fly across the country. More and more local pickup options are popping up on checkout pages. In turn, the option for local pickup to shoppers reduces shipping costs for you and gets product to your customers faster. Happy customers equals returning customers.

Even though shipping costs and postage will continue to increase, your company should offer free shipping simply because the leading competition offers it. Due to Amazon Prime memberships, shoppers expect free shipping as part of their online shopping experience. It is impractical to offer free shipping on every order your company ships out, which is why a practical marketing strategy is growing in popularity: offer free shipping after a specific amount or order value has been reached. Creating this threshold will increase your businesses average-order-value per customer. These added profits on customer orders will help to alleviate the cost of shipping multiple products at once. As this customer experience makes its way to

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when their package will arrive, and the sooner the better. Offering same-day shipping is a great way to get the edge on competitors that are behind the ever-changing times. Whether you’re an online store or traditional brick and mortar, anyone can increase sales by offering faster shipping, and improve customer satisfaction by getting packages out faster. Keep your customers happy, rather than waiting CIT by the front door.

Craft Industry

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Where Should I Look for NEW Customers?

by Heidi Kaisand

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At Heidi’s full-service quilt shop and retreat center, Hen & Chicks Studio in Conrad, Iowa, the average customer is female, and between the ages of 50 and 70. “But some of our favorite classes to teach are aimed at kids -- often children and grandchildren of those more regular customers,” she says. Heidi has owned the store for five years and in this article, she offers tips about bringing in new customers. In her case, she broadened the appeal of Hen & Chicks Studio by including gifts and scrapbooking/paper craft supplies in her mix. In addition to her retail business, Heidi is also Editor of American Quilt Retailer, a trade publication for quilt shop owners (www.americanquiltretailer.com).

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I

In an ever-growing and changing marketplace, independent retailers must constantly be introducing themselves, their services and their product to markets that do not currently know them, but should.

Start by creating a customer profile. Is your customer male or female? What’s his/her age? Where does he/she live? Does he/she work? What kind of job might he/she have? What’s his/her family like? Kids, pets, grandchildren? Does he or she have hobbies?

Is there research in your particular business that can help you confirm what you think you know about your customer? In the quilting industry, we look to Quilts, Inc. as a resource for this information. The Quilting in America survey (http://quilts.com/ announcements/y2014/QIA_summary.pdf) was last done in 2014 and provides facts about who the average quilter is and about her spending habits.

When I was preparing to open Hen & Chicks Studio I worked with our local Main Street Iowa organization to help research potential customers in a certain radius of Conrad. According to the Quilts, Inc. Quilting in America Survey, 10% of all households in America have one dedicated quilter. With that bit of information, our state agency was able to tell me how many households were in a 15-mile, 60-mile and 150-mile radius. Then I could calculate a plausible number of dedicated quilters in those areas. I broke it down to these three ranges, because I had a vision of how these ranges would benefit the store.

1. A 15-mile radius included not only the town my shop would be located in but also the nearest large community that didn’t have a quilt shop. These customers are my core customers – the ones who visit me regularly, whether daily, weekly or monthly.

2. Quilters love to travel. In my previous job as editor of Better Homes & Gardens American Patchwork & Quilting magazine, we published Quilt Sampler, a magazine all about quilt shops. I knew firsthand, even before opening a store, how quilters gladly travel within one hour (a 60-mile radius) of their home to visit a favorite store. Although I knew these would not be regular visitors, it quickly expands my customer base as I broaden that radius.

3. Because Hen & Chicks Studio has a fully-equipped retreat center in addition to the full-service quilt shop, I wanted to know how many households were in the larger, 150-mile radius. Driving two to three hours to a quilting or scrapbooking retreat is common.

You can take this information and decide how you’re going to reach each of these customers. Let’s start with the local customer (15-mile radius).

How do I reach potential customers?

Newspaper Ads

When my doors opened for business I tracked customers in our point-of-sale system by zip code. Quickly, it became clear that 50% of my customers were from the large town 14 miles from my store. Add in a few small communities around and that number jumped to 60%.

As I learned how strong my customer base is within a particular zip code (population 31,000, compared to only 1,500 in our town’s zip code), I looked at how I could reach more in that area.

The average quilter is 50 to 70 years old, so reading a traditional newspaper is likely. I worked with my advertising person at the Craft Industry

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newspaper to find the right ad placement and frequency for our store. I believe consistency is important, so I commit to a year-long schedule at a time. Supporting our community is important as well, and we regularly advertise in our local newspaper. During special events, I advertise in places I don’t normally, such as specialty newspapers and papers farther out from our location.

Radio Ads

Again, I’m trying to reach that core group of regular customers, but am constantly looking for new customers – not only in the core area, but also reaching into that hour-drive radius. So, as I’m driving down the road, what am I listening to on the radio and how far does that station reach? Would other women like me listen to this station? Yep! Time to talk to the sales manager at the local radio station. But don’t just assume that the station you listen to is all they broadcast to. It’s very likely they have more than one station or opportunity for you to get your message out. Just like you need to know

who your customer is, so do they. Ask for specifics. Who is their listener? How far do they reach? They should have all those figures at their fingertips.

The same commercials can be recorded and played on more than one station. That’s what works for Hen & Chicks Studio. In addition to the pre-recorded ads that run regularly, I also do one live commercial every week. This gives me a great opportunity to pitch what is happening right now.

And, it gives me a chance to share our store’s personality with listeners. We’re in business to have fun and be creative at the same time. My goal would be to have people hear our passion in both our taped and live commercials.

Radio Show

Local radio stations are always looking for interesting programming for their listeners. What an amazing opportunity it is to spread our excitement about quilting, scrapbooking and everything creative through a weekly, 30-minute, live-radio show. The

demographics of the station’s listener are parallel to quilters, so I was speaking to my people. It is an ad, and yes, I pay them to do this, but the payback for me has been so much more. First, I had people walking through our front doors because they wanted to learn more about us. Second, I own the radio

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show content, so with a little technical know-how, we upload every radio show to our website to create more content. And, because of the marvels of technology, this radio show streams live on the Internet. So, I’m reaching my core customers and every potential customer beyond the 15-mile radius.

Special Event Promotions

As I look for where to promote to our target audience, I refer back to the exercise asking what else might my customer be doing. For quilters, cooking and gardening would rank right up there. Recently, when a cooking magazine brought its live cooking show to our area, you can bet I jumped on the chance to advertise by providing a bag stuffer for 900 participants. Our bag stuffer was printed both front and back promoting an upcoming event, our social media links, and a coupon for coming into the store.

Specialty Magnets

Inkjet Printable Magnets

Button Magnets

Magnetic Strip

Monthly E-newsletter

A newsletter allows us to keep in touch with all of our customers about what’s happening in the store and on our website.

Speaking Engagements

Getting in front of quilters has always been a guaranteed way to promote my business. And, I love talking about what I’m passionate about! Several years ago, I developed two programs that I can present to groups and quilt guilds when requested.

My presentation includes both a PowerPoint presentation and about 20 quilts I bring to show in person. These opportunities to connect with hardcore quilters is priceless.

Contact us for more information about magnets

Email: retail@magnummagnetics.com Phone: 800-258-0991

Social Media—Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and a little Twitter

Being present consistently in social media has been our goal. We post a variety of information, including specifics about upcoming classes and events, but also inspiration and motivation for quilters to get their projects done. The ability to schedule posts on Facebook helps to be able to control the amount of time we’re actually on Facebook.

Instagram is more spur of the moment because posts can’t be scheduled.

It also gives us a chance to reach a different audience demographic. Our customers are visual and always looking for inspiration, so Pinterest is a great place for us to be present. We’ve created boards that help us capture the range of crafts we do at Hen & Chicks Studio.

that we help create excitement and a reason to check us out is to offer classes, events and retreats. The more reasons a customer has for coming to your store and the longer they stay, the more opportunity for them to make purchases and build long-term relationships.

What can I do to reach new customers?

Hold a Retreat

Quilt shops are reaching out in many ways to find that next customer. One way

Retreats can vary in length and in goals. A day retreat might have extended Craft Industry

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hours (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Customers bring their own projects to work on, but the shop takes care of all the details like snacks and lunch. The customer can dedicate quality time to their project while getting to socialize with others.

And, there aren’t any distractions. If they had stayed at home, they might have gotten up from the sewing machine to throw in a load of laundry or fix themselves lunch. At our day retreat, I handle all of the details, from making the coffee to serving lunch to clean up. A day retreat costs $15 and includes a catered lunch that is covered by the fee.

An overnight retreat will cost more,

but also continues to build relationships with dedicated quilters and crafters. We have hosted overnight retreats with different focuses. One type of retreat is for them to work on their own projects, whether quilting, scrapbooking, knitting or painting.

Another retreat style has everyone working on the same technique or style of project. A themed retreat can include special gifts and unique creative touches from us.

Host Special Events

As you’re planning more traditional and expected classes, also think beyond your traditional customer. Our average customer is a woman between the ages of 50 and 70, but some of our favorite classes to teach are aimed at kids – often children and grandchildren of those more regular customers. In the summer, we host Crafty Girls Camp where our focus is teaching young girls

to sew during a three-day, two-night camp. And, every July, we host Super Fun Monday each week, a morning class for boys and girls grades K-5 to paint, glue, cut and color. It brings in a much different customer and I love how it broadens our scope of creativity.

Hold a class that doesn’t require the customer to bring anything to class (a great reason to invite a friend). With all the buzz on Pinterest, it’s easy to find Pinterest-inspired projects that don’t require a lot of skill, but are fun to create.

Sometimes, customers are looking for an opportunity to socialize and just have fun. Our Craft Happy Hour event is three hours long, starting right at 5 p.m., so it catches people as they come home from work. It costs $25 per person. We serve appetizers to tide them over. And, because our store sells wine, we offer wine tasting during the evening. Our annual event has included learning to crochet a small flower, and making a May Day basket, a Mother’s Day card, and wool applique paper clips. All of the projects are doable, while exposing them to new techniques, tools and products. My sales pitch is minimal, with my goal being an opportunity to build relationships. We laugh, we smile, we hug and we share in the experience. I know they will come back to the store if they had a good time.

What About Cross-Marketing Opportunities?

Broaden your popular appeal by bringing in merchandise that your core customer will like, but will also attract new customers. The inventory at Hen & Chicks Studio is 80% quilting supplies, 15% scrapbooking/paper craft supplies, and 5% gifts. People who are creative tend to be creative in more than one medium. Such is the case for me! So, as I was developing the business plan for Hen & Chicks Studio, I knew that our store had to have some variety and ability to do a range of crafts. I even went as far as to not put the word “quilt” or “quilting” in our business name so I could be more fluid in what our store sold. There have been a few times when I’ve had to explain what our business is, because the name is not as clear as saying “Quilt Shop.”

But I do love how customers identify with us for different reasons. Some come because we have a wool section within our quilting supplies, while others know

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that we’ll have scrapbooking paper or paper-craft supplies they might need.

And, even others know us as the place where people go to retreat or where they pick up their favorite bottle of wine. All of these help broaden our customer base.

Tina Bauer, owner of Bittersweet Quilt Shop & Home Décor in Pinconning, Michigan, wanted to make her store unique and find multiple reasons for her customers to keep returning. “I wanted to carry items that I loved, including home décor, jewelry and seasonal items,” Tina says. “Plus, I had a lot of knowledge of antiques so I added that to the list, too.” Bauer knows from personal experience that if her five close girlfriends go for a day of shopping, one of them is not a quilter. She wanted to create a store where her friends would all want to come, whether quilters or not.

Shop owners Carol Keller and Beth Rosene had already been in business for 11 years at Quilter’s Garden, a full-service quilt shop in Princeton, Illinois, and were looking for a new revenue stream. They had contemplated a variety of business ideas, but on a trip to Branson, Missouri, they were inspired to open a clothing store. Once back home, the wheels were put in motion because the building next to their existing business was for sale.

Sassy Sisters started to take shape and today is known for its affordable and unique clothing. “We sell lots of shirts and tunics,” Carol notes.

Accessories and a particular line of pants are also staples. Although Sassy Sisters and Quilter’s Garden are two separate businesses, Keller says that 20% of Quilter’s Garden customers shop at Sassy Sisters. “It’s been great to pull in more people than just quilters,” Keller says. Yet Keller and Rosene say that 90% of their time is spent running the quilt shop. “We often hear customers come into Sassy Sisters and say ‘I have an aunt that quilts. I’ll have to tell them about your store.”

Finding new customers is a task that never ends, but by creating new events or classes and promoting them in new ways, you’re sure to find new customers.

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Craft Industry

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Evolution

Retail Experience

of the

Brooke Roe, CEO and Founder, PinspirationÂŽ (right) and interior photos of her store

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by Brooke Roe

H

Have you noticed the savviest brick and mortar stores are searching to reinvent themselves? With the increase in online shopping opportunities, many retailers are responding with extra services and experiences that online commerce can’t provide; increasing emphasis on curated customer experiences. This process involves selecting the most relevant trends from a variety of sources and presenting targeted products to customers in useful and organized ways.

For those that grasp innovation, there is tremendous opportunity. We have entered an era where the playing field has been leveled. Retailers and consumers must learn to dance together. Small and large businesses alike are getting closer to their customers by identifying their needs and thinking creatively about how they meet those needs.

I opened the retail arts and crafts experience, Pinspiration, to embrace this brave new future of consumerism, and discovered a fun way to integrate online and offline communities. Pinspiration analyzes do-it-yourself (DIY) project trends from social media sites like Pinterest, and offers all the tools and supplies to make the most popular projects in our studio. While we do offer some skill-based workshops, Pinspiration has eliminated the need for customers to coordinate schedules and sign up for a class to make the same DIY. Each person selects a unique project to make and works alongside friends with the support of our helpful staff. The projects are functional and evolve to accommodate customer demand. Pinspiration customers “order” a project kit they select from a menu of options, akin to a restaurant scenario. They use iPads to navigate through the project tutorials while socializing with friends. Think “paint and sip” taken to a new level.

So, how can your retail arts and crafts business engage customers in this new world? Here are eight tips to try in 2017.

our customer ambassadors, who share what they make in the studio and help spread the word organically.

We also offer local community members opportunities to sell their goods in the store’s handmade retail area and help design our project kits.

In addition to supporting other local retailers, we host many community events, meetups and pop-up shops.

We built our company culture on the power of cross-promotion over competition. This shows partnering with others in your retail community could benefit your business in more ways than you think.

Tip 1: Make Your Customers Ambassadors

Consumers increasingly care about social impact. New generations of shoppers are willing to spend more for items that are socially responsible.

In light of this desire, Pinspiration is

In just a couple of years, Pinspiration has grown from inception to a thriving business. I credit a lot of our success to

Tip Two: Augment (not Inundate) with Technology Today’s generation thrives in the virtual world, but as humans we are innately designed to work and create in the physical world. We go to new restaurants selected from online reviews, rely on Siri to navigate us from place to place, and we help our kids with math after visiting a YouTube video for a refresher. We naturally use the virtual world to help us in the physical world.

Most Millennials have grown up with technology, but lack the handmade creative skills of former generations. I saw a big opportunity to fill that gap.

Pinspiration provides iPad tutorials that customers use to navigate project steps. Rather than technology making people more isolated from each other, Pinspiration became a way to mitigate the digital disconnect and create a responsive community centered around real-life social experiences.

It seems that a lot of retailers are adding more and more electronics to merchandising displays in hopes of reaching generations that have grown up with technology. I’m not sure that’s the answer. Retailers need to use technology to help their customers, not just for a sales pitch.

Tip Three: Find a Larger Purpose and Tell Your Story

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launching a new collection of kits we call “Impactful Making.”

“Impactful Making” is a way to support socially-inspired business and economic empowerment for vulnerable women through artisan enterprise by simply being creative. Pinspiration has partnered with TO THE MARKET (TTM), a collective of cooperatives that offers the “dignity of work” to women artisans.

By sourcing some of the raw materials in the Impactful Makers Kit collection from artisan survivors of human trafficking, disease and genocide, TTM will be able to create income opportunities for these populations. In launching the Impactful Maker Kits, Pinspiration will offer makers around the world the chance to try the projects they’ve been pinning, and to support economic empowerment for survivors of tragedy.

Starting with our Impactful Makers Project Kit collection is one great way for us to begin to make an impact. We hope that others in the craft industry will embrace the ability to selectively source raw materials, and that we can help each other in that journey, as we plan to make these kits avaliable to other retailers.

Ultimately, businesses of any scale impact and serve more than just shareholders. We have a responsibility to the community and to the planet, and speaking to that role will appeal to a more conscious consumer.

Tip Four: Analyze the Aesthetic Does the outer space of your business reflect the inner space of your company culture and the interests of your customers?

Think about your physical space and determine how it stimulates all the senses. Searching for inflection points where shoppers can be physically engaged and immersed is key to creating an experience that stays with the customer long after they’ve left the store.

We design our studios as inspiring makerspaces where people want to linger. Many of the features, including our penny bar top and the wine bottle wall fountain were Pinterest-inspired designs. Our aesthetic at Pinspiration appeals to children and adults, men and women. We might host a corporate

team builder, child’s birthday party, a mom’s night out and Boy Scouts fundraiser all in the same day.

Tip Five: Encourage Customization and Personalization

Retail has evolved from big box stores and mass product distribution to offering memorable experiences and niche products. The next phase in the retail evolution is personally involving the consumer in the retail experience as co-producers of their own customized products or services.

Although Pinspiration customers select a project to make, almost all the selections can be personalized with color or embellishments at no additional charge. Our kits provide the supplies necessary to make a project, but the experience encourages creative freedom and modifications.

We believe more and more stores will go down this road, finding success through allowing some level of customer collaboration and input.

Tip Six: Make Data-Driven Decisions

Crowdshaping is the real-time shaping of a service around preferences of people in an area. Via online reviews, social media, endless read/watch/play lists and more, connected consumers are creating vast and curated profiles.

At Pinspiration, our team scours social media sites to identify DIY trends.

We are developing a proprietary data system for analyzing popularity of perceived trends across social media platforms. Once we analyze the data, we go to work sourcing the project and sometimes tweak it to prevent a “craft fail.” We go through several iterations of the project kit before it’s ready to present to the customer.

Customers love the idea of different kinds of projects that appeal to a variety of people and that the experience will evolve and change at each visit. The infrastructure to swiftly adapt to customer preferences will set the next generation of retail concepts apart.

Tip Seven: The Convenience Factor – Make Your Customers’ Lives Easier

Pinspiration came about as a solution to a real-life problem. After spending

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Tip Eight: Be Playful While many dot-com companies have long recognized that providing opportunities to play makes work more productive and pleasurable, few companies have looked at how to encourage playfulness with customers.

Play strengthens relationships, and stimulates creative thinking.

At Pinspiration, we love to laugh and create. We have a Jackson Pollock-inspired splatter room where customers go to literally sling paint at canvases and each other to create a messy masterpiece. We also offer a wine/beer bar for hospitality and to stimulate our “creative juices.”

While not all craft retailers will want to offer creations and libations, opportunities to be playful abound in daily life. In our hectic modern lives, many of us focus so heavily on our commitments that we forget to have fun.

Innovative retailers will carve out time to joke, play a game or take a quick break to listen to fun music. Playfulness is an important part of stress reduction, brain functioning, stimulating creativity and emotional well-being for all.

www.testors.com

We’ve Got You Covered! © 2014 The Testor Corporation

countless hours on DIY craft-focused websites, with few finished projects to show for my time, I began researching barriers to creativity and output. I found that lack of space, the expense of tools and specialty equipment, fear of failure, difficulty acquiring supplies and the daunting idea of cleaning up prevented people from acting on their ideas, even when deemed high interest and personally meaningful.

Innovative retailers of the future will identify and articulate how to remedy common pain points for customers. In our case, Pinspiration makes it easy for every member of the community to unleash their inner artist and try DIY. Our projects are display worthy and meaningful, fun and functional.

With four great brands, Testors® is the best choice for finishing a craft project exactly as AIRBRUSH SYSTEM imagined. Testors® paints are available in enamels, acrylics and lacquers, along with tools and adhesives to bring iconic Testors® colors or textures to almost any surface.

See the full Testors® product line at testors.com.

AIRBRUSH SYSTEM

MAKE LIFE A HOBBY™ AIRBRUSH SYSTEM

Pinspiration is located in North Phoenix in the entertainment district on High Street.

Photo Credit to KLM Photos Photo Credit Left to Neil Ruskin for TO THE MARKET

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ADVERTORIAL

H

Har-Man Importing is revolutionizing the craft and DIY industries with the introduction and distribution of STICKY CRYSTAL by PRECIOSA Crystal Components, a new product line of self-adhesive rhinestone stickers. This product is perfect for designers and DIY crafters that want to easily, quickly and consistently embellish their products with luxurious, quality crystal.

Due to its simple “peel and stick” application, STICKY CRYSTAL by PRECIOSA Crystal Components offers designers and DIYers the ability to “bling out” just about anything. Easily transform any surface or everyday object into a true luxury and unique item! STICKY CRYSTAL by PRECIOSA Crystal Components can be applied to almost any surface – glass, plastic, paper, metal, wood and ceramics – with the exception of most fabrics or skin.

Why is this product different from other rhinestone stickers?

• • • • •

It is made with Preciosa VIVA Crystal Rhinestones, not cheap acrylic imitations.

It has a strong adhesive, but it’s also easily removable on most surfaces, leaving no signs of wear or damage.

It has a patented rhinestone application to the sticker material.

It is lead free.

It is highly customizable.

There might be cheaper rhinestone stickers on the market, but nothing compares in quality or design!

STICKY CRYSTAL by PRECIOSA Crystal Components

is available in 19 colorways, combining the material of the sticker itself and the Preciosa VIVA Rhinestones. There is a great assortment of shapes and designs to choose from including letters and numbers (available in block or script print), basic geometric shapes, single stones, and a variety of straight, zig zag or curvy strips. Technology-driven items such as iPhone cover stickers and high-density sheets to cover large surface areas are tremendously popular and also available.

In addition to offering versatile stock designs, STICKY CRYSTAL by PRECIOSA Crystal Components offers unlimited customization possibilities to create your own exclusive customizable designs! Create a brand logo, a unique shape or an additional colorway. Har-Man Importing has designers who will work with you to make sure your customizable design not only meets your needs, but also is exclusive to you! Imagine utilizing or selling a design that no one else has!

We strongly believe that the greatest opportunity to use this innovative product is within the scrapbooking, stationery, paper, packaging and craft industries. The DIY application possibilities are truly limitless and include huge opportunities within beauty, technology and fashion industries.

Har-Man Importing has been a distributor and wholesaler of beads and rhinestones to the craft and hobby industries since 1948. Whether a retailer, reseller or designer, Har-Man can offer STICKY CRYSTAL by PRECIOSA Crystal Components to meet your design and selling needs!

View the complete product range and learn more at: harmanbeads.com/sticky-crystal.

W

S

In is

Pl Vintage Paper Trims Available exclusively through Rose & Meyer ~ roseandmeyer.com ~ 651-342-0152

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We’re More Than Dots...

See What’s NEW at Glue Dots® In celebration of our 20th Anniversary Glue Dots is launching 15+ NEW products.

Place Your Orders with our Distributors: Product PERFORMERS

2017 CIT_01_Winter.indd 25

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Do-It-Yourself How to Host a

Canvas Painting Event

in Your Store

Step 1

Pick your design. Select from the hundreds of easy-to-teach designs available on the Social Artworking website (www.social-artworking.com).

Step 2

Advertise your class with in-store signs and on your social media asking customers to register by a certain date.

Step 3

Order your supplies from Social- Artworking, adding a couple of extra supplies for the

instructor as well as late sign-ups. The online Party Planner Tool

Step 5

Set up the party space. Make sure you leave ample room for each

will help you order just the right amount of everything for your

student to have an easel and all other supplies nearby.

selected design. Don’t forget the following:

Add some decorations and consider coordinating

u u u u u u u u u u u

Patterns

them to the theme of the painting. Offer a few light

Instruction set

snacks and some beverages to make students feel like

Transfer paper

they are attending a private party.

Canvases Brushes Paint Easels Palettes Water basins Paper towels Painter’s tape

Step 4

Practice painting the design before the class. Use your finished painting as an example for the class.

Step 6

Teach the class! Relax and have fun with your customers. Everyone

will paint at a different rate; just make sure to give extra help to those who are on the slow side.

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Creativity Is Our Business Contact a designer today to schedule a class, arrange for a consultation, improve your social media or solve your design dilemmas.

Expand Your Creativity with Fabric

Reserve your space in the Designer Showcase of Craft Industry Today magazine by calling Darlene Ryan at 800-344-0559.

Teach fabric a new trick.

Spray with Terial Magic to stabilize for cutting, printing, and more.

Use promo code CRAFT2016 for 10% off Expires 2/9/17

iii.global

Visit terialarts.com for more inspiration.

Craft Industry

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Design Master PREMIUM Metals Spray

New Products

offers quick-covering, fast-drying aerosol metallic color and a smooth, plating-like finish with high reflectivity. The trending Champagne Gold spray has a soft, pastel-like patina, adding richness and warmth to any color palette.

Illustrator by Spectrum Noir is a dual-tipped, artist-quality alcohol marker featuring a flexible brush nib and a firm super-fine nib.

The ergonomic barrel holds alcohol dye inks in 216 colors. Available as an individual marker or in color-themed 6- and 12-piece sets.

dmcolor.com

crafterscompanion.com CelluClay is instant paper mache that mixes easily with water, molds quickly, and adheres to almost any surface. It air dries, and can then be sanded, sawed and nailed. Perfect for paper mache projects and sculpting.

Non-toxic and gluten-free.

Lawn Fawn’s Bicycle-Themed Clear Stamp Set features accessories for riders and bicycles – plus coordinating dies – to create a perfect scene for weddings, birthdays, or everyday adventures.

lawnfawn.com

activaproducts.com

Rose Mille Vintage Paper Trims are hand-selected and beautifully packaged.

They’re the perfect finishing touch to enhance scrapbooks, greeting cards or artist trading cards. Available exclusively through Rose & Meyer. roseandmeyer.com

Tim Holtz Distress Crayons achieve vibrant coloring effects on porous surfaces. The smooth, water-reactive pigments are ideal for watercolor, creating backgrounds, smudge effects and more. Color direct, blend with water, and layer with other Distress mediums. The full Distress palette will be available in 2017.

rangerink.com

Pebeo's 4Artist Marker is a multi-use SumoGrip Erasers from Sakura work like ultra-fine sandpaper to grab and trap erased graphite, which forms into strands for easy disposal. The black erasers never look dirty. Available in three block sizes and as a retractable, refillable stick holder.

oil paint marker that revolutionizes traditional painting, allowing all artists to create stunning artwork with ease, control, and originality.

info@pebeo.net

sakuraofamerica.com

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Paper House Flipbooks are like an interactive, craftable picture frame – with plenty of room for photos and journaling. They’re a unique way for parents and grandparents to show their family pride and perfect for display on mantels, tabletops, or walls.

The new Stampendous Stamp Series features the vibrant and unique folk art style of Laurel Burch Studios, sought by collectors worldwide.

Magnum Magnetics has added double-sided adhesive tapes to their line of magnetic craft and office products - offering more ways to help crafts stick, plus quality you expect from a brand you trust.

retail@magnummagnetics.com

paperhouseproductions.com

stampendous.com

Event planner and lifestyle personality David Tutera's new Sizzix collection highlights his inspiring vision for elegant celebrations. Featuring dies, stamps, kits, a die-cutting machine and more, the line has everything needed for special DIY weddings, celebrations and events.

Crafty Cat Plastic Sanding Needles get Waffle Flower Crafts Stamps and Dies are versatile, easy to use and designed for creativity. For more product information, ideas and video tutorials visit wallflower.com, or Booth #709 at Creativation 2017.

wallflower.com

into small areas that are hard to reach with conventional tools. Designed for fine detail work and precision finishing.

Abrasive-coated and available in coarse, medium and fine grits. Use on metal clay, plastic, resin, metal or wood.

Washable and reusable.

flex-i-file.com

iCraft Mixed Media Sheets are an innovative new art surface that can be colored like paper, stitched like fabric and printed with an ink-jet or laser printer. Two weights are available. They’re a great way to add texture to paper crafts and mixed media projects and ideal for inks, paints, pencils, watercolors, and more.

sizzix.com

Use Testors Make-Your-Own Marker Sets to turn Testors and Model Master acrylic and enamel paints into a paint marker. Features a two-in-one barrel with a marker end and brush end. Use with current paint colors or create custom paint shades by filling the marker barrel with different colors.

Available at Hobby Lobby.

testors.com

thermowebonline.com

Craft Industry

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Craft

Tell our advertisers you saw their ad here.

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