Made in Floyd

Made in Floyd - branding or just common sense?

Any community must bring in outside money to survive. It can export its labor as commuters, telecommuters, or in the form of products.

When you look at the products and services that the residents of a community can provide, there are two quick choices that can be made voluntarily. First of all, there is a range of quality from the barely acceptable to the exceptionally fine. The next choice is whether to provide a known and standard product offering that is interchangeable with everything else available on the market or to provide something unique that is not available anywhere else.

If the residents of a particular area choose to make high quality products that are not available anywhere else, they create a unique marketing opportunity and open the door to the potential for branding the products of the area so that potential consumers will recognize the area as a source of superior and unique products and services.

For example, Amish workmanship has been so superior in this part of the country that we see furniture and sheds proudly marked as "Amish Made".

In the case of Floyd, VA, there is no one type of craft that dominates, but there is a high concentration of talent in this one stoplight county and this talent produces unique works of excellent quality and much of it is based on traditional themes and values.

If the products are local, organic produce or locally produced products of unique value there is a definite possibility that good marketing will generate income for the county without sacrificing the rural character that makes Floyd what it is today.

Promoting the work of local artists and local farmers generates income which keeps Floyd green. Local businesses which offer superlative customer service and support local farmers and artists become an integral part of the sustainable economic growth machine.

Culturally oriented tourist and vacation business is coming in on us from far places, because of a perception that Floyd is unique in many ways.

The important part to keep in mind is that these people come to Floyd to find Floyd, not to buy Chinese or Taiwanese products at low prices. We need to keep a "Buy Floyd" attitude uppermost in our minds.

"Made in Floyd" should become a part of our county branding identity. If every article made or grown in Floyd County was so identified, it could create a brand awareness that would strengthen the local economy and could make news on a national and state level.

Our products are distinctive. Giving them a link to this locality adds to their uniqueness. A simple code of product integrity that artisans and producers could subscribe to would embody the attributes buyers are interested in. "Made in Floyd" should mean produced in Floyd County with care.

That would probably be enough to cover produce and all farm products, wood and wood products, as well as art and craft work of all kinds.

It could be supported by the County but will probably occur spontaneously and be driven by some independent group that has the county's interests at heart. I think it is an idea whose time has come.

Just what are local arts and crafts anyway?

For the casual tourist collecting souvenirs of places visited, this may mean mass-produced craft work with some traditional basis. There is certainly a market for faux souvenirs and a good example of this can be seen at the gift shop at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. All of the "authentic early American designs" are produced in China.

Floyd blogger Doug Thompson recently cited the example of a Michigan tourist who was looking for work that said "Floyd County" or the "Blue Ridge Mountains".

My take on it was that the woman was looking for a particular form of souvenir rather than an authentic piece of Floyd art. Floyd art is what is created by Floyd artists.

Catherine Pauley's work is a fine example of Floyd art. It is too inventive and expansive to be squeezed into the artificial construct designated as "local arts and crafts."

As soon as someone codifies and organizes art into tidy little categories suitable for bar coding, it is probably no longer art, but tourist bait. I am sure there is a market for tourist trade "art objects", but these may not be what educated tourists are seeking.

I think it is far better that Floyd artists define what is Floyd art, than letting tourists become the arbiters.

Tourists are free to purchase whatever they want and if they want inexpensive souvenirs, they may end up with items mass-produced by the wonderfully enterprising people in far countries.

If visitors are looking for quality work and original art by local artists, they will find many examples of this in our local shops and galleries.

They should not expect the subject matter to be confined to country roads and old mills. Many Floyd artisans have traveled widely and have refreshingly original concepts to express. Floyd art ranges from the sophisticated to the primitive. The only common factor is that it is made in Floyd.

Subject matter is not a determining factor of whether something is local art. Not in Floyd anyway...

Floyd blogger Doug Thompson recently cited the example of a Michigan tourist who was looking for work that said "Floyd County" or the "Blue Ridge Mountains".

My take on it was that the woman was looking for a particular form of souvenir rather than an authentic piece of Floyd art. Floyd art is what is created by Floyd artists.

Catherine Pauley's work is a fine example of Floyd art. It is too inventive and expansive to be squeezed into the artificial construct designated as "local arts and crafts."

As soon as someone codifies and organizes art into tidy little categories suitable for bar coding, it is probably no longer art, but tourist bait. I am sure there is a market for tourist trade "art objects", but these may not be what educated tourists are seeking.

I think it is far better that Floyd artists define what is Floyd art, than letting tourists become the arbiters.

Tourists are free to purchase whatever they want and if they want inexpensive souvenirs, they may end up with items mass-produced by the wonderfully enterprising people in far countries.

If visitors are looking for quality work and original art by local artists, they will find many examples of this in our local shops and galleries.

They should not expect the subject matter to be confined to country roads and old mills. Many Floyd artisans have traveled widely and have refreshingly original concepts to express. Floyd art ranges from the sophisticated to the primitive. The only common factor is that it is made in Floyd.

Subject matter is not a determining factor of whether something is local art. Not in Floyd anyway...

Why buy locally, when you can get things cheaper from overseas?

It's really simple. When you buy directly from an artisan or from a farmer, there is a sense of connection that matters. If the artisan and farmer have pride in their work, you take part in a transaction that validates the quality of the goods you have purchased and you have obtained something you are proud to take home.

You are not just buying a cup, a jug, or a head of lettuce. You are buying the careful effort that went into producing what you just bought. Afterward, you will find yourself telling others about your purchase and sharing your joy at finding something that was just right for you.

You have made a connection between yourself and another human being with a meaningful transaction.

You get something you need and the other person gets income and is encouraged to produce more things for you to appreciate and buy.

The downside of buying locally, when it occurs, is that you may buy something from someone who has no pride in their work or in the service they provide. You can find this in fast food franchises, but you can also find this in small town merchants and businesspeople who have long since stopped viewing customers as new friends.

When you only get inferior goods or services locally, it is quite easy to turn to the Internet and get excellent products at highly competitive prices. The downside to Internet shopping is that you don't always get the personal touch and great service you want.

On the other hand, there are lots of great small merchants who have coupled their jelly-making, or craft work to the Internet and they do very well when they bring the same downhome touch to their online business as they do to their local customers.

So, what is the bottom line here? If you are an artisan or a small business owner and view every transaction as a chance to touch someones life in a meaningful manner, you will have a growing number of people who want to tell others about the extraordinary effect you have had on their lives.

I don't care what you are selling, when you can create rewarding transactions in a natural and relaxed way, you will never lack for business. The easiest way to ensure you stay on track is to provide great products or services that people need and want.

Figuring out how to do that is what marketing is all about. I will probably write about that in another post.

Stay tuned. :)

You are not just buying a cup, a jug, or a head of lettuce. You are buying the careful effort that went into producing what you just bought. Afterward, you will find yourself telling others about your purchase and sharing your joy at finding something that was just right for you.

You have made a connection between yourself and another human being with a meaningful transaction.

You get something you need and the other person gets income and is encouraged to produce more things for you to appreciate and buy.

The downside of buying locally, when it occurs, is that you may buy something from someone who has no pride in their work or in the service they provide. You can find this in fast food franchises, but you can also find this in small town merchants and businesspeople who have long since stopped viewing customers as new friends.

When you only get inferior goods or services locally, it is quite easy to turn to the Internet and get excellent products at highly competitive prices. The downside to Internet shopping is that you don't always get the personal touch and great service you want.

On the other hand, there are lots of great small merchants who have coupled their jelly-making, or craft work to the Internet and they do very well when they bring the same downhome touch to their online business as they do to their local customers.

So, what is the bottom line here? If you are an artisan or a small business owner and view every transaction as a chance to touch someones life in a meaningful manner, you will have a growing number of people who want to tell others about the extraordinary effect you have had on their lives.

I don't care what you are selling, when you can create rewarding transactions in a natural and relaxed way, you will never lack for business. The easiest way to ensure you stay on track is to provide great products or services that people need and want.

Figuring out how to do that is what marketing is all about. I will probably write about that in another post.

Stay tuned. :)