What Makes Hand-making Different?

What makes hand-making different to High Street fare? Ever really thought about it? And, suffice to say we'll ignore the literal retort, "duh, it's handmade".

Bet you haven't given it much thought. But, people don't buy handmade for handmade's sake, do they? I doubt it.

Handmade (Or is it hand-made? Feel free to correct me), says something to buyers. It means something. It invokes some kind of expectation, possibly even imagery.

Of course, not all handmade is the same. Handmade in China don't mean diddly to anyone - save exploitation. It's got to be handmade in the UK, mainly - for UK buyers at least. Except for with chocolate, where Belgian is usually understood to be the good stuff.

So, your product is handmade in England, Scotland, or Wales, but what does that mean? Why should I give a damn? Well, to answer this question is really to understand what it is you are actually selling. And, that makes selling a lot easier.

Handmade but what does that mean?

I haven't done any research into this, so no definitive answers here. I think it's probably one every handmaker should ponder. I'm not a hand-maker, but here's what (UK) handmade means to me:-

1) It's rare. Not something to be found on every High Street the length and breadth of the land. So buying this gives me the opportunity to own (or give) something that few people have.

2) It's inspired. It is the product of creative passion, not market research. It was designed by an inspired individual, not a design committee. An idea was nutured and developed and ultimately fashioned by its creator.

3) It's been made with love. It was made with care and subjected to individual attention, not churned out by machines. As a result it has character. There's something of the crafts-person's hands and 'eye' evident in each, slightly imperfect (and unique) edition.

4) It's different. It stands apart from High Street fare. I certainly wouldn't want it to be mistaken for such. It almost has to be noticed, because only then can one explain how special it really is.

5) A romantic notion of craftsmanship; an antidote to consumerism and a mass produced world. It evokes a certain imagery and sense of supporting an alternative to more factories, roads, concrete.

6) Implicitly, it is worth more. I believe this without thinking and I have been trying understand why. Certainly, it is in part down to answers 1 through 5. But, I think it's actually more fundamental than that. It boils down to a subconscious belief that the work of a man (or woman) is worth more than the produce of a machine (or industrial process). And, I guess that's because I 'know' that the aim of industrial processes is to produce identical products of acceptable quality at the lowest possible cost. I like to think that, whilst a handmaker may also want to be efficient, their's is a less ruthless brand.

So that's my feeling, but what does it mean to you? Make your own list. Ask some friends and family. Guess what, that's what you should be selling.

OK, let's be absolutely clear: I'm not asking you to redesign your product. I am asking you to think why people buy it. Then, I say, give them that by the spade full, across your entire Marketing Mix.

What's your Marketing Mix? We'll return to that next week....