Author Archive
Rob Walker Answers our Questions About Hello Kitty, Etsy & Buying In
From his “Consumed” column to his Murketing Blog, Rob Walker is a great storyteller and keen social commentator. Walker’s New York Times Magazine article, Handmade 2.0, is legendary in indie craft circles. It was the first mainstream media article about the handmade revolution that really got it.
In his fascinating new book, BUYING IN: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are, Walker examines the dialogue between who we are and what we buy. His research into brands like Red Bull, Sanrio and Converse is eye-opening and funny.
Walker will be discussing his new book at Politics & Prose (5015 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.) on Wednesday, August 6th at 7 p.m. Plus — he’ll be giving away 25 of these awesome screenprint posters from Little Friends of Printmaking. He was nice enough to answer our questions about marketing, Etsy, Hello Kitty and more.
Q: What company, in your opinion, is the best at “murketing” right now? Who’s the future “murketer” of the year?
A: I wouldn’t to crown anybody “best,” but I like the idea of “murketer of the year” — it would have to be the kind of thing where it would be up to others to decide whether that’s a badge of honor — or a badge of shame.
A couple of things I’ve read about just recently would be good nominations.
One involves MTV and Sears. Basically they’ve collaborated on a movie called The American Mall, which will air on MTV in the fall; it was shot in a Sears and all the characters wear Sears clothes. Sears will sell the DVD in its stores, and the soundtrack. Characters from the movie will be in Sears newspaper circulars. And of course there will be Sears ads during the show. But basically it’s impossible to tell where the “entertainment” begins and the “marketing” ends. Very murky.
The other is the Chris Brown single “Forever,” currently number 9 seller on iTunes. Turns out the bit where he says “Double your pleasure” is no coincidence: He was hired by Wrigley to update the famous Double Mint jingle. (Other pop star types were hired to update the Big Red and Juicy Fruit jingles.) Once Brown cut his new version of the jingle, he added some additional lyrics and voila — pop hit, courtesy of Wrigley gum!
The music arena is a really interesting one for murketing, because it used to be a site of resistance — people were mad when Nike used a Beatles song in an ad, that kind of thing. That’s really changed. Procter & Gamble may be one-upping this Wrigley thing, because they’ve reportedly cut a deal with Island Def Jam to form a record label together. It’s called Tag Records — Tag being a P&G brand of deodorant. Once upon a time people might have shied away from getting a record deal with a label founded to promote, and indeed named after, a brand of deodorant. Keeping an eye on that one.
And then there was the thing where McDonald’s paid to have its branded iced coffee prominently placed on the set of a news show in Vegas. That one kicked up a bit of a fuss, but I’d say it’s still in the running for Murketing Moment of 2008.
Oh, and I have to note the Dove “Campaign For Real Beauty,” which while not particularly new, keeps adding to its murky heritage: It recently commissioned Judith Thompson to write a play about aging and beauty. So, a theatrical production tied to the brand message — that’s a new one.
Okay, that’s enough of that.
Q: Have brands replaced a lost sense of community in some way?
A: There’s definitely a widespread feeling of lost community, and brands attempt to tap into that, sometimes explicitly; and there are those who argue that Apple and Harley Davidson and so on do add up to community.
But brand communities aren’t real communities, in the way that someone like Robert Putnam (”Bowling Alone”) would define that idea. Community isn’t just about shared interest in something, it’s about shared wilingness to sacrifice for higher ideals, for things that transcend self-interest. Brands communities don’t deliver on that — which is one of many reasons that consumption can be frustrating, actually. We buy into ideas about brands that they really can’t deliver on. And when they don’t, we end up trying to buy something else to find satisfaction, and the cycle repeats.
We’re very often not conscious of all this, or that this is what marketers are aiming for, and that’s a big goal of the book — to give people a look behind the curtain, both at how the commercial persuasion industry works, and at how our own minds work when it comes to our buying decisions.
Q: In your book, Etsy founder, Rob Kalin says, “It’s the Baby Boomer generation that fell in love with the mass-produced aesthetic,” continuing to call Etsy a resurgence with it’s growing customer base indicative of the backlash against the Wal-Marts of the world. Where is the declining economy in this equation? Is he ignoring the fact that it costs more to shop handmade? Is his vision sustainable?
A: Even Kalin wouldn’t say that Etsy is going to turn back mass production. But … what made me want to write about the craft/DIY world (which Etsy is part of) in the book is that there is sort of built into it a different way of approaching consumption. And it’s not just about spending more money.
To me what’s intriguing is that so many participants in that world bring to material culture a different implied critique, having to do with basic questions like: Do I need to buy this — or can I make it? If I do buy it, what can I learn about how its made (what’s it made of, and by whom)? The handmade world can answer those questions in ways that are less alienating that shopping at a mass merchant, where there’s no one to ask, and you can maybe Google up some report but it’s hard to decipher, etc.
It’s certainly true that plenty of people end up on Etsy for totally unrelated reasons — they just see something cute on a design blog, and they want it. That kind of thing may well suffer in a down economy. But if you’re thinking on an individual level, to me the issue is: Whatever brought you into contact with the handmade world, isn’t it getting at some pretty core issues that are worth considering? Our consumer choices really do matter, both to our own personal satisfaction, and to the broader culture (via ecology and labor practices etc.)
It does zero good to just sit around and complain that “we’re all too materialistic.” Nor do I think is denial of the pleasure of the material a practical strategy. So I’m very much a believer in the idea that change happens on an individual level. Maybe it means ending up with fewer things — that are ultimately more satisfying. More satisfying individually, and socially. It’s just a different way of thinking.
Q: You also talk about the “projectability” of Hello Kitty and how she is kinda everything and nothing all at once to people who love her. Do you think it is because she doesn’t have a mouth? If so, isn’t that kinda sad?
A: Hello Kitty — sad?? No way!
Seriously, there is no easy answer to Hello Kitty. I use her in the book as the opposite of an answer — she’s a mystery. The solution to that mystery somehow rests in the millions who have consumed her image, not in the image itself. I do quote someone talking about how having no mouth is the key. But, my view is that “the key” is almost never in the symbol or object — it’s in us, the consumers.
Remember that Sanrio has created more than 400 other characters. And they would LOVE to have another Hello Kitty.
They’ve never come close.
If it was just about the lack of a mouth, I think they woulda done it.
Q: What do you think about whole crop of user-generated/ designed brands (like Threadless). With these companies, the consumer can be both artist or wanna-be artist and thus has even more reason to market the brand.
Q: We’ve come a crazy long way from the 1940’s when Pepsi was known to use Skywriting to advertise. They couldn’t have possibly ever conceived the new world of “murketing.” Where are we headed? What will the world of advertising look like 50 years from now?
A: Hmmm. Ever see “Minority Report”?
Q: What do you think of Twitter as a marketing tool? Are people more likely to buy from Zappos because they know what the CEO is having for dinner?
A: People ask about Twitter a lot, but this is actually the first time somebody’s asked me about it in an interesting way. Because it actually might be helpful to Zappos that people can find out what the CEO is having for dinner. In a weird way that kind of plays into something that I think is real, which is that for all the tech “empowerment” going around, and all the talk of “transparency,” shopping remains pretty alienating in a lot of ways. It can be really hard to get the information you want about how something is made, and so on.
Obviously knowing what the CEO had for dinner has nothing to do with that. But it does at least humanize the guy, in weird way. And there’s probably a segment — a small segment — of the Zappo’s audience that responds to that.
That said, a much bigger segment, I’m sure, is attracted by their return policies and the other real aspects of their business. That’s the real key, I assume, to their success.
Which brings up a recurring theme in my conversations with business people and marketers for big companies. They don’t want to make big substantial changes to their businesses, they want to do something quick and easy and totally trivial to change their “image.” Having the CEO use Twitter would be a perfect example of that, actually. I’m sure there’s a consultant somewhere getting paid a lot of money to tell some CEO that if he wants to have Zappos’ success, he should get on Twitter, pronto.
Q: With all of this thinking and writing about buying, are you someone who thinks over every purchase or do you try not to obsess too much?
A: It’s certainly part of my job to spend an awful lot of time learning about new stuff — in stores, magazines, web sites, on the street. A side effect is coming into contact with a lot of things that, you know, I like. (There’s aren’t the things I necessarily write about, because the column has different criteria). The weird thing about the Consumed column is that every single week I’m dealing with some new thing, some object or brand, and often I go through this same cycle — at first I get really excited and think “When I’m done with the column I’m definitely buying one of these!” Then a week later, by the time I’ve finished the column, I’m over it. And I almost never bother to buy it. I’m sort of done. It’s like virtual consumption, I get the vicarious thrill of the encounter with something new, but it’s faded before I’m in a position to pull the trigger. I think this saves me a lot of money! Not to mention cuts down on useless-junk clutter in my closet (and landfill).
In a way this has affected me, in that even when I’m just plain old shopping I think more than I used to about how I’ll feel about something in a week, or a month, or a year. And that’s probably even truer after some of the stuff I learned about writing the book, in terms of how our minds work and the way nonconscious processes can lead us astray. Plus I’ve thought a lot about what I call “unconsumption” — about the end point of the life of a thing. When we throw something away or otherwise get rid of it. I’m more interested in trying to find satisfaction at the end of the process than a thrill at the beginning, so basically I judge the “success” of a purchase by how long it lasts, how long I enjoy it. I don’t obsess over all this — and I still buy things on a whim, and all that — but sometimes it’s helpful to take two second to ponder it.
And … sometimes this process also ends up forcing me to re-discover things I already own, rather than getting something new. I’d love to do an ad campaign for things we already own. I was thinking of making that the sponsor for Murketing.com: “Things You Already Own! Enjoy Them Today!”
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Thanks to Rob for answering our questions! If you have questions of your own for Rob, you can ask them at Politics & Prose (5015 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.) on Wednesday, August 6th at 7 p.m.
Tina Seamonster blogs her life and craft at I Like Seamonsters.com. Her current favorite things are owl pajamas, Odwalla bars and podcasting.
Join the Craft Corps with Vickie Howell
Vickie Howell, host of DIY’s Knitty Gritty and Austin Craft Mafia co-founder, wants to know about you! Her next book, Craft Corps will focus on the craft community and she will be featuring 50-60 short profiles of crafters of all types. On her blog she writes:
Whether you’ve found success selling your handmade sock monkeys on Etsy or you crochet chemo caps for charity, I want to know who you are, what you craft and why you do it. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE PROFESSIONAL CRAFTERS (in fact, it’s preferable as the book’s other content will focus on that)!
If you’re interested in possibly being a part of Craft Corps, you can fill out the following questionnaire, cut and paste it into the body of an e-mail, and send it to: craftcorps@gmail.com no later than August 15th.
Crafter Profilee Form
Name:
Age:
Location:
Profession (If you’re in school just put what level of student, ie College Student, Middle School Student, ect.):
Craft(s) of Choice:
Blog (if applicable):
Memory, Story or Anecdote related to crafting in your life (no more than 250 words):
For more information, check out VickieHowell.com
Baltimore Design*Sponge Biz Ladies Meet-up
The Design*Sponge Biz Ladies meet-ups are designed to connect local women running their own design-based businesses. The event is a fun, informal session that will provide free advice and information in the following areas: Marketing/PR, Wholesale/Retail, Business/Legal issues and local designer Kat Feuerstein will tell her story of turning their passion into a successful full-time business (Gilah Press). The event is free to attend and is open to anyone running, or considering running, their own business in the field of art and design.
The event will be held Thursday, July 31st from 6:30-8:30pm at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore.
For more information and to RSVP, please check out the web site.
Upcycled: Cigarette Lighter Ring
My favorite upcycled products are those that are made from actual trash picked up off the ground. That’s why these rings from Metals And Thread made out of used cigarette lighters are just awesome.
In the listing for this ring, they write:
A sustainable and artistic approach was used to make these pop art jewelry pieces. The lighters were found on the street and were carved, sanded, shaped and finally filled at the top with acrylic to finish the look. Colors vary depending on what Nate happens to find in the street.
These seem like lots of work and are only $17.50!
DCAC’s Annual Open Exhibit!
The District of Columbia Arts Center Annual Open Exhibit, 1460 WALLMOUNTABLES, opens on July 18th at 7pm. The event allows anyone to hang their art in 2′ x 2′ spaces for just $15 per space for non-members (maximum 4). Become a member of the DCAC at the event and receive three free spaces (regular membership starts at $30).
Spaces must be reserved in person on the three days leading up to the opening, July 16 - 18. If you come in person to reserve a space you must bring the artwork to hang in your spaces within 24 hours of reserving the spaces. Installation times are July 16 from 3-8pm, July 17 from 3-8pm, July 18 from 3-6pm.
If you choose to sell your work, DCAC takes a 30% commission on all art sales. Sold art stays in the exhibition until the show is over.
Check out the DCAC website for complete details.
Upcycle: Cassette Tapes!
I have no nostalgia for listening to cassette tapes. All that rewinding. Fast forwarding, rewinding. But I do have an old picnic basket way back in my closet full of them. Mix tapes, Cindy Lauper, long lost lo-fi projects and me doing a radio show at age 6. What to do with all these tapes?
Librarian Barbarian in Glasgow, Scotland, makes unwanted tapes into the cutest little change purses ($20). These would be even more awesome with a strap to turn them into wristlets.
This one has a cute little strap, making it perfect for a small camera:
Here, Kate Black turns an old tape into a notebook ($20):
And this rad necklace ($155) from Goblingblinggo has a tape as it’s focal point.
Tina Seamonster blogs her life and craft at I Like Seamonsters.com.
Show Us Your Photos!
We all wanna see what you bought at Crafty Bastards Silver Spring! It was a super hot day, like massively hot, so I know that you bought tons of water and Italian Ice. So I mean show us the crafty goods that you picked up! We might just use your photos right here on our blog.
You can add your photos to Flickr (see below) or email them directly to us at craftyupdates@washingtoncitypaper.com
Join the Crafty Bastards 2008 Photo Pool!
1. Go to the Crafty Bastards 2008 Flickr Group and click “Join this group”.
2. Upload your Crafty photos to your Flickr account and mark them Public.
3. Go to the page of each photo you want to add to the pool, and click “Send to group”.
4. Select “Crafty Bastards 2008″.
Big thanks to Erin McCann for snapping and sending us this image of Kim getting the mustache treatment from Spooky Mamma.
Follow our Twitter Feed!
You can now follow the Crafty Bastards Twitter feed on the right side of the Washington CityPaper web site! We will be posting updates all day during the fair. You can join in with your own Twitter updates by just adding @CraftyBastards to your Twitter posts. Tell us about all the neat stuff that you are seeing, live from the show! You can also follow us and turn on our tweets for up to the minute program information during the fair!
Craft Mutiny Supply Swap Booth Demos & Kits!
Not only will you be able to swap your unwanted arts and crafts supplies at the Craft Mutiny Supply Swap Booth #56, there will also be fun demonstrations and handmade crafting kits, too!
Want to learn something new? Try your hand at crochet or gocco printing? Meet other crafty folks? The Craft Mutiny is organizing several free demonstrations tomorrow. Here’s the schedule:
11 AM - Crochet with Chauncey (Swap Booth) - see how this DC area artist gets his crochet on!
12 PM - Shrunken Punks Panty Hose Zombie Heads with Spooky Daddy (Booth # 58) - Craft Mutiny is sponsoring a few kit giveaways here, so don’t miss it!
1 PM - Knitting with Woolarina, Jess, Kelly (Swap Booth) - learn some knitting basics!
2 PM - Gocco Printing with Tina Seamonster (Swap Booth) - See how a gocco works, from burning screens to printing postcards!
3 PM-5PM - Grab Bag Crafting with Sandra (Swap Booth) - see what you can make with a bag of random supplies! Results will be added to a fridge door that will be displayed at a DC museum!!
There will be supplies for you to try out, or take away for a small donation.
You can also pick up handmade kits that will teach you to make felted soap, hand-sewn pins, and a soda cap pincushion. Their new zine, The Dabbler, is all about crafting with bottle caps!
So, check out the Craft Mutiny Supply Swap at Booth #56 tomorrow!
Moustache Painting!
There is no reason at all to walk around Crafty Bastards this Saturday without an awesome moustache. That’s right! Look for Spooky Mama’s moustache painting during Rock and Romp’s performance at 11:30 a.m., right next to the main stage in the merch booth. While the staches are not free (where can you find a free one these days?), the Spooky Daddy coloring books are!
Another super reason to come and hang out at Crafty Bastards Silver Spring this Saturday!
