To Ning or not to Ning, that is the question

Ning.com is very cool. The Ning architecture allows anyone to set up and customize blogging and social networking features to create a social network suited to their needs. It even includes built-in photo galleries with the option to sort images into albums.

This free resource should be ideal for an artist to set up a network and interact with consumers.

So why isn't it more popular?

Another Way to Market a One of A Kind Item

This story about a $10,000 dollar Gund teddy bear caught my eye:

http://toyconversations.blogspot.com/2010/02/10000-bear-stirs-up-quite-buzz.html
In a nutshell, Gund has produced a Ultra-Deluxe model of it's popular Snuffles bear to auction for charity. The bear is made with white alpaca fur, black pearl eyes, and 10 Caret diamonds on his white gold hang tag.

The production of this special bear is in commemoration of the bears 30th birthday. What I find most intriguing in this article the way Gund has managed to use a high-end artisan piece to generate a buzz for their appearance at Toy Fair 2010.

I am also impressed with their use of  a take-away for visitors. As convention-goers leave their booths, they are presented with "I hugged Snuffles" sticker. While this little token may not seem like much, it is an excellent way to generate good-feelings in a customer and instill brand loyalty.

In the same way record labels (http://www.touchandgorecords.com)and t-shirt designers (http://www.threadless.com/) include bonus stickers into every package, many crafters are tossing in small items like key-rings and hand-painted business cards with their big items. These smaller items are low-cost ways to keep the brand on the consumers mind.

Is social networking best left to the Big Guys?

The Toy Industry of America has recently decided to close it's branded social networking site in favor of developing its presence on the more common (and more popular) social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

Toy Connections issued the following statement:

"The world of social media is constantly evolving and ToyConnections – an industry-specific networking website for the toy community – was no longer the convenient “go to” destination it was intended to be. Public websites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube are where you are … and where the conversations and interaction that were happening on Toy Connections need to be as well.

"Therefore, as of COB on Wednesday, March 31, “Toy Connections” closed its virtual doors. We are happy that you’ve been a part of our online community, and welcome our ongoing online connection as a “fan”, a “friend”, a “follower” or a “contact”:

 It appears to me that the business that have the most potential are the ones that can integrate within an established (and popular) venue rather than the ones that try to start fresh.

Keeping that in mind, I think it is a necessity that independent artist and designers remember to maintain a social network presence, and not just focus on their own website.

More Toy Tutorials

Excellent toy tutorial - starts with the sculpy and goes all the way to resin

http://www.figurepunk.co.uk/ - click diy

Who wants a new toy?

In considering a new craft project based on the FREE / FREEMIUM concept, it is necessary to determine the potential appeal to different audiences.

Crafters
looking for new patterns
have a wide range of experience
generate interest based on the patterns
May be looking to sell finished products
Can use own fabric stash or recycle fabric
Open to creating their own versions

Collectors
interested in artist designs
may have limited sewing ability
less concerned with price
interested in Limited Editions
not so focused on recyling
More interested in completed designs

Children
Will be harder on the toys - actually "play" 
Younger children will require safety considerations
May not be as interested in limited edition design
Up-cycling outgrown clothing allows for less waste


Adults
Toys may not be played with - may be display only
Do not have to worry about safety issues
May be more interested in specific artist designs
May also be interested in recycling

Food For Thought: printing on fabric

This looks to be a lot of work, but the idea of being able to have colorfast prints on ANY 100% cotton fabric is intriguing...

http://h20331.www2.hp.com/hho/cache/313-0-0-39-121.html

Promoting Designers to increase revenue

 In the November issue of Playthings, Mary Couzin states that in the same way that actors, performers and even chefs can become celebrities (and develop their own following), toy designers can become marketable. commodities.

Properly marketed toy designers can develop their own followings in the same way that millions flock to read a favorite author's new book.

http://www.playthings.com/article/CA6704027.html

Keeping this in mind, it seems logical that finding ways to collaborate with other artists would be a great boon to the independent toy designer. By developing a basic concept similar to Kid Robots popular Do It Yourself Toys both parties will be able to benefit from increased market.

Rethinking the bitter truth of craft sales.

For many of us, the simple fact is that what we love to do does not pay. And it is not that we are unskilled, or that our output is low quality. It is that we have chosen an undervalued field.


Going back to my earlier pricing plan,I can usually work in a labor charge of between $5 and $25 an hour based on what craft I am working on. And I am not the only one who is forced to have a widely fluctuating rate. Designers are often locked into a certain pricing scale based on the type of work they do.

At the bottom of the perceived value scale are the handicrafts. Skills like weaving, knitting and crochet are often devalued because people feel certain that they could do it themselves in their free time. And their free time is not worth much, so why should ours be any different.


Oddly enough, the same type of item sewn from fabric and based on a purchased pattern can fetch a much higher price, despite taking less time and a lower cost of goods. Sewing is considered a advanced skill when compared to knitting or crochet. And highest of all would be the custom designed crafts, because pattern-design is highest in the crafting heirarchy.



But designers are going to make the items anyway - it's what we do. So why don't we focus on selling our highest-esteemed output, the patterns themselves. Sure, we can sell the finished products too - and ask for a fair price because it is "the prototype."

Selling patterns has a secondary benefit in that it allows us to move into a non-physical economy. Microsoft can make more money than IBM because they are selling copies of their software, while IBM has to build a whole computer. By selling copies of patterns - which most of us would be making anyway - we have a higher potential for profit in the long term than by selling several handmade objects.

When Freeconomics Comes to Toy Town

In his recent book Free: The Future of a Radical Price, Chris Anderson expands on his long-tail theories presenting FREE as future economic model of bit-based culture, as opposed to the current brick & mortar physical or atom-based model.

To further illustrate this point, the unabridged audiobook is available free on his blog http://www.longtail.com/ and iTunes (the abridged version is available at cost - the theory being that the time saved by only absorbing the meat of the book is higher value than the book itself).

This is a great theory, and several big products have taken advantage of this model with great success. Bands have released albums on a "Pay what you Like" scale, Old media has attempted integrating FREE in it's bids for the New Media audience. This is all great,  but how can it be applied to the toy industry?

In the case of handcrafts, we need to consider if the real value of out products are in the design or pattern development or in the finished product. Or do they have separate but equally important aspects.

If I am making an average toy I need to plan to block out a couple hours for the design, and then several more for the construction. Depending on how complicated the product is, I will charge $5 - $25 (more on that later) for the labor. Then I need to tack on double the materials, and any other shipping, packaging, or branding costs. And that is for one toy. Rinse and repeat as needed.

But what if we change the model. What if instead of dealing in the in the atoms, or end end product, we focus on bits, the design itself. But how much to charge? How much is that time and effort worth?

If Chris Anderson is right, the answer may be nothing.

Bamboo Toys - Cool and Environmental

Design Boom - Bamboo Toy Workshop

Article describes a workshop on bamboo toy design. Students from Shenkar college traveled to china to see bamboo production first hand. Students were given the opportunity to workshop designs with local artesand and engage in a test with 600 children.

Page also presents several successful designs including bamboo "erector sets" dominoes, dump trucks, rocking horse and a plush armadillo with bamboo shell.

Searching for the Toy Industry

Under the advisement of Chip Wood, instructor for our Information Design class, I have begun researching trade organizations and information for the toy industry.

My first recommended stop is the Toy Industry Association. This organization hosts the annual Toy Fair, which has served as the launching platform for items ranging from Barbie to Silly Putty and the Ugly Dolls.

http://www.toyassociation.org

 Their website has a wealth of information on the toy industry, including the latest trends, current safety initiatives, and even how Social Media is being utilized by the toy industry.

Points to consider:

• Kids have round the clock access to their favorite brands via tv web and phone. Even cars can sync with branded sponsor entertainment - Disney and nickelodeon have even launched their own netbook lines. 
• Dont be so brand centric that you loose your audience - it shouldnt be a non stop commercial
• Customers liste to you - so you should listen to them
• Innovative content is paramount - online literature isn't good enough anymore
• Be sure you are aware of who your REAL audience is before you begin your dialogue.
• As tratitional media continues to decline, social media will becoem a necessity in order to generate word of mouth.