I was reading Seth Godin this morning and he made the following statement:
“We’ve been culturally brainwashed to believe that the factory approach (average products for average people, compliance, focus on speed and cost) is the one and only way. It’s not.”
And that phrase, average products for average people, stopped me in my tracks. After all, don’t we all sometimes fall into the trap of designing average products for average people? Sure, we don’t say that’s what we’re trying to do. We talk about mass appeal, or wanting to make something for everyone. But what do those words really mean? Average.
This is a terrible way to run your business. First of all, you aren’t average! You’re a creative genius! And, you’re a craftsperson or designer who’s making products in a special way. So why would you want to design products that appeal to “everyone”? Why would you try to market your products just like everything else in the world? Why not design extraordinary products for incredible people? Why not dive deep into a niche, and design special products for even more special people?
Secondly, when you design average products for average people, you are forced to compete with all the other average products on the only variable that’s left – price. And as I’ve said before, craft cannot on price. That’s a game you won’t win.
So today, instead of trying to make nice products that appeal to everyone, why not design a unique, different, special product for unique, different, special people? Instead of trying to fit in, why not try to stand out?
Right on!
If you’re not following your heart, and designing what resides there, your flow won’t happen. Trust your own sense of beauty. Don’t apologize for it – embrace it.
While you make a good point, I find that doing both does well for me. My skirts are my unique product that I take take great time and pride in creating. I love my headbands because of the cool fabrics I get to choose for them, but I wouldn’t say they are unique. I think the headbands round out my shop nicely so people have different price points to choose from.
Alicia, I like your approach. It’s good to be unique, but not at the expense of alienating potential customers by only offering super-expensive products. Offering something at a lower price point is a great way for people to test the waters of your brand without making a bigger investment. Someone who might be hesitant to spend money on one of your skirts might start out with a headband. If they like the headband, they may be more likely to spend more money on one of your skirts in the future, since they now have a sense of the quality of your product. You can broaden your customer base, but you don’t have to compromise the identity or uniqueness of your brand in doing so.
I can understand finding your niche but if I spent my time thinking that “average” people will not buy my jewelry I would have stopped creating years ago. I can’t tell you how surprised I am by all the different type of people who buy my designs.
Standing out from the crowd gets them into my booth at a show but the fact that my work does appeal to all types of people , even “average” people is what gets them to buy it.
Should I only sell my skull jewelry to bikers, my twigs to florists?
There are many, many famous designers selling to Target, WalMart, and KMart. It is because they know that average Americans shop there. They still want to make unique products for them.
I have a drawer full of plain white T shirts, it’s almost all I ever wear. Does that make me average? It is what people do with these average products that makes them who they are.
One of the best statements about this I have read yet 🙂 TY !
I understand this post. I agree wholeheartedly. Make what you love, and if you want to SELL it, find a way to bring that look or concept to varying degrees (price points)so that the people who fall in love with it can find a way to bring it into their lives. You don’t need to “dumb it down” (your look, concept, signature item) for the masses, but you DO want to make it available to starving artists as well as the rich and famous. We build upon supporting each others art. In a nutshell, be trueto yourself, but remember your roots. = }
Love this post! I think most people fall into the rut of making average products for average people due to the state of our entire society! How crazy is the fact we are penalized for performing well (income taxes) and supported (seemingly) for not performing well? Finding value for things above average is becoming extinct, look at Wallmart’s continued success as an example.
I’m so glad I fall into the category of people always trying to improve themselves and their products!
I ♥ your blog!
Great line, I love it! I don’t sit around and think about making average products, but I do think about what will sell. Part of the challenge is convincing potential customers that they are not average and that they are worth the extra money for something special!
Seth Godin is a genius! I took me a little time to get my head round lots of his ideas in this book (The purple cow, i think), but it just all makes sense. It is so easy to stick with in our comfort zones rather than brave doing something different and a little off the wall.
In saying that, I’m enjoying this new found remarkableness!!!
I just started reading Seth Godin, and I think he has some very interesting points. Your insight clarified his statement perfectly, and made me really think about why we create in the first place – for creativity’s sake, or for the consumers? I think if you really make a product you’re passionate about, you’re pretty likely to find a market for it – because you’re probably more likely to spend time perfecting it.
Thanks for this!
I think that I create original, special clothes. By the fabrics I pick and how I put things together. I think my style is original and mine. And it has been interesting to see that there are about 1000 people that really like my style. It makes me really happy that others LOVE my stuff. From grandmas to aunties. I say amen to this post because I love unique things and would love to see more. But I also agree that some are rich and some poor, so if u create some thing great can u make some thing similar that I can afford? And I should listen to my own words.
Wow… that just gave me goosebumps and reinforced my whole creative process… I have to go and absorb that fully.
Have a great day 🙂
Thought-provoking post! I get both sides of what everyone’s talking about and I believe there can be a happy medium. Just this week, while working on items for a local show, I found myself wishing I could make a few knock-your-socks-off items to display, but that particular show doesn’t cater to many who spend extravagantly. I have been so busy (and that’s a good thing!) making so many of my standard items and I long for just a little extra time to be more creative like I used to be. While I don’t have time to make something extra-special for this show (although I like to think all my creations are extra-special to those who buy them), I made a decision to offer a few unique, intricate and more-time involved handmade items from time to time for my online shops. Many customers go for the average price these days, but there are still a few that will and can buy something very special even if it is much more expensive.
Exactly my approach and for the reasons mentioned above 🙂
I support this notion completely. What I struggle with is reaching a specific audience – my target demographic. How do you find them … using your time and money most effectively to reach them? There are so many people in the world, even the most unique products will speak to a lot of them.
Amen!
I get much more enjoyment, too out of connecting with that amazing unique person with my jewelry than if I just assembled average jewelry for the masses. It might not be a good business plan, so says Mr. Corporate, but that’s why I’m no longer in the corporate world.
Such a great post… I agree wholeheartedly with Lana. I too am preparing for a market stall this week and have been totally absorbed with creating something that I think the ‘market trade’ will buy… and yesterday stopped and realised I am not making what I love and feel so passionate about making… I have been so intent on being someone else – NO MORE 🙂 So I have a couple of days up my sleeve to whip out a few things that say me… Cheers xx
That is so true. I know that my custom wedding invitations cannot compete on price, so I focus on high production standards, great customer service and top notch design.
I loathe having to dumb everything down for the masses (as instructed by my boss) in my advertising day job. I prefer to treat customers as if they are intelligent.
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Could someone please explain to me what an “average” person is? Megan- what is your definition?
Does it depend on where they live, their age, race, religion? How much money they make, how many children they have?
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This is AMAZING and completely true! I’m in the stationery/invitation design business and there’s a lot of us out there. Yes everyone is following their passion, but there’s also a lot of crap out there. Stuff that I wouldn’t buy, or as a consumer, I’m underwhelmed by and I think it’s because people are creating stuff that has a mass appeal. When you do what you love and it’s limited and unique that is when you truly get your message across.
Relatives, friends and ngeohbirs see this stuff but don’t want to get involved; feeling it’s none of their business smh! You’re right. Men and women are making their own choices to avoid loneliness; which, is not an insignificant factor to be ignored. But it would be better to get a real dog as a companion, than to choose some of these out of control males. Ironically, Christians have a more sure guide, but of course, that seems like the long route and God just takes so long to move sometimes! I know from experience as well that there is no short cut . Stepping into a relationship based on an emotional or physical attraction without doing some serious prayerful and critical due dililgence can and often does lead to all kinds of consequences. Then the mind trick of overlooking the other person’s faults creeps in. Rationalization(excuse making); Wikipedia has a perfect definition. It takes self control and a healthy self esteem to do the right thing, cause who really feels like praying when you click with somebody..Seems like the only praying being done is asking for forgiveness Another point that is sometimes overlooked is that the abuser to my understanding starts as a child. Look at the teenagers who are being beat up and bullied. These grown men who mistreat women (and their children mind you) got away with too much stuff when they were children themselves. Then as adults they feel their emotional cheerios and nutup on the weaker vessel. Where the brothers at?
This post has many great points. If we try to make average trend type items, we are going to lose out from the get-go. First of all, the price points of K-Mart and the like are way lower than handcrafted goods. You’d be setting yourself up for being priced out of the market by making items that look like Wal Mart sells!
I would think a better approach is to be unique, but translate the uniqueness into functionality. In clothing for example, unique means nothing if it isn’t well made, durable, or wearable. Average people can tap into well made, durable, and wearable but you won’t be automatically the most expensively priced seller if you take the unique route at the same time.
It is amazing how many craft items look just like something one could now get at Target. This is because Target and other large retailers have “commercialized” handcrafted looks and this presents a challenge for us artisans. It ups the ante on us to be more unique than ever before while building a respect for the handmade.
ooh, I love this :}
What a great article! I’ve come to a similar conclusion myself, recently. I absolutely love what I make- but unfortunately for my sales, I am most attracted to forging high karat gold and silver with fine gemstones. Not something that most people purchase on a regular basis… If I try to crest to a more popular price point, however, I generally hate what I create! Not the way to run a business at all.
Thanks for such a well considered post!
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Sometimes when in a funk I forget where I want to go. Thanks for the reminder!
creating for unique people doesnt mean that it has to be expensive. It is great that you have articles in a broader price range if there is a logic in the pricing. i think what the poster meant by unique and average is that you brand your product so people who will like it find it easyer to relate. And although your an unique person one other may think your average.
A nice thing to do is describe your main target, considering age , interest, income etc. Try to make a story out of it. > Women between the age of 25 and 50 who are independent and have an eye for beauty they like going to musea and expositions. And for there holiday they like citytripping etc etc. You can even do a survey or write some things down when your at a market like how many women/ man where at your stand age group style etc.
Thanks for your inspiring words. As a new artist, I am inspired to create art and jewelry that speak to my heart; however, after being in business, I sometimes think that maybe I should be doing a little more of this or of that. I think as artists we get inspired by other great work but it is very important to stay true to who you are and the unique elements one brings to the table.
I do not make ‘average products for average people.’ I create handmade, one of a kind Arab and Islamic products. My frustrations have to do with companies like Etsy who won’t acknowledge that these non-average products are out there. I’ve been trying for years to get Etsy to acknowledge that Eid should be categorized with Christmas and Hanukah as a major holiday, but they keep ignoring my pleas: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5813888
So my question is: how do we get the non-average products in front of those companies that continuously highlight the same products over and over again and don’t celebrate the non-average?
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Thank you for the reminder and inspiration! Your article fits were I am at mentally and creatively with my work. The problem I have had is finding that perfect niche that I not only love but that is marketable. It is so easy to fall into creating “average” products and then having to compete with similar “average” work. It’s time to step outside of the box and get the creative juices flowing again!
Right on! I have thought my stuff is not for the faint of heart…if your going to create, CREATE!
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Hi Megan,
You opened my eyes. Though your product should have a mass appeal, you must focus on creating a valuable product designed specially for incredible people. Why aim less?
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