Preparing for a craft fair part 3: build your brand

If you are a "butterfly crafter" like me, you enjoy making something, then moving on to trying something new. In this case, packaging and branding will not be the most exciting step for you in the preparation process! However, it is extremely important, especially if you want to build your brand as a long-term venture. 

Branding and packaging my bracelets

Choose a brand name

If you have not already done this, choose a brand name for your crafts. This could be absolutely anything- make it personal and choose something you love. Think of symbols and logos you could link to this brand name too, to make one of your crafts instantly recognisable. I chose "Pink Robot" for my brand- one of my favourite songs is Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by the Flaming Lips, and I thought the name sounded cute and quirky as a craft brand. 

Choose a logo or signature

A logo will tie all your products together, and make your crafts seem more credible as a brand, instead of just a random jumble of "stuff" on the table. My husband is in the process of designing a cute "Pink Robot" logo for me at the moment, so I can print business cards. In the meantime, I have decided to sew this little robot charm on to all my products, to give them a uniform and recognisable signature look. Time consuming? Yes. It takes a while to do this, even for the smallest of items,but I think it's worth it and it adds value to my brand. 

I sew this cute little robot onto all my products

Think creatively about packaging

Once someone has bought something from your stall and taken it home, that is the lasting impression the customer will have about your brand. Make your packaging unusual, so they want to find out more about you when they get home. I chose old book pages for this range, as I think it makes the brooches stand out. Think about printing paper bags with your logo. Include a business card with every purchase, with links to your Etsy shop/ blog/ Twitter account. If a customer likes what they buy, they will return! 

Upcycled book pages are used to package this Woodland brooch range

Packaging the Woodland brooch range

One lesson I have learned is that packaging and branding stock can almost take as long as to actually make the items in the first place! However, taking the time to do this right has given me a special satisfaction with my products, made them look more professional, and hopefully this extra time investment in developing the brand will pay off over time. 

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