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The best thing about our new company, Artistic Hub (as the name suggests), is the value it places on design. I’ve been reading a great book called “The Designful Company” and it talks about building a culture of innovation through design.
Design refers to many things. It’s not just the creative used in advertising, promotion, product development or communication of ideas, but it’s in the design of a company’s culture and structure. Open platforms that break down internal communication barriers are designed to create innovation. Open work spaces that create better work flow in companies are designed to foster collaboration.
The root problem of the design philosophy in most companies is that “as soon as a designer is hired, the perceived value in his or her talents depreciates faster than a BMW showroom.” – TDC, p. 98
The reality – the design department is just as important, or more important than any other department. Designers create the visual expression of the company. They link the company to its customers through memorable cues. The designer does more for a company’s brand message than almost any other company role.
The value of truly great design on a company-wide scale may be immeasurable.
The current economy has been tough on retail no doubt, but for new brands to any market success can particularly challenging when people are watching their spending closely. In hard times people still spend, but they are much less likely to step out of their core brands and try new things. Here are some smart ways we are trying to hold onto our brand and make it through the storm.
- Stick to your guns. Brands are created through strategic long term goals & strong leadership at the top. As a founder we are the eyes and ears to the organization, but we must also be the filters.
- Be flexible. It sounds like a contradiction from above, but a brand must have flexibility. In the beginning we thought we had to sit down and clearly define our brand strategy, decide who we were and make our product a living example of it. What we’ve found out is that it is a important to let your customers clearly define the brand for you. They’ll help show you what works and what does not. Ask for their feedback, and you’d be surprised at how much they’ll share with you.
- Be a steward of your core values. If your customers ride the bus, you must get them going in the right direction, or at least give them the map. For us the core message has been ideas like “support independent artists”, “change the way fashion is made”, and “live an independent lifestyle”. Our core values were defined early on as Independence (the idea), Recognition (the promise to our artists) & Quality (the promise to our customers).
- Extend your brand. What other products or services do these core values apply to? If we are a community for artists worldwide, how else can we create opportunity for those artists? New clothing lines, new design competitions, events, partnerships, etc. These are all great channels we’ve found to drive Collar Free further into the market.
A quick props out to a great clothing line I just heard of…
I was out searching for a new boutiques yesterday, and came accross a great new brand, Jedididah Clothing. These guys rock! Great product and great message.
