Marketing for Makers

Abstract

Makerting is a company based in Den Haag that focuses on helping makers in marketing related challenges. Building their brand to exploit this on expositions and eventually make a living as an artist. Every year 7290 graduates from creative studies enter the professional world (Vereniging Hogescholen, Den Haag, 2017). Besides the things that they learn about the profession on art schools there is a limited amount of time spend on marketing and business related aspects. As shown in research provided by Artists Interaction and Representation (2011) 90% of fine artists are self-employed. Artistic talent therefore seems not to be enough to guarantee professional career in the arts. This is where Makerting comes in. In this thesis the focus lies on the needs for makers to sustain a living in the art world. Throughout extensive interviews, with makers that are at the beginning of their career and makers that can already make a living of their art, a model is developed to display these needs and actions that makers should take. Together with a thorough exploration of the company and the context where Makerting in functions, the design framework was shaped. In this framework multiple concepts evolved that together lead to the company strategy for Makerting. This strategies is displayed in a strategic and a tactical roadmap. With eventually the goal for Makerting to fit in the future vision of the art world: ‘‘Creating a marketing embracing maker society to act as leaders in the transformation of the art world.’’ The strategy has multiple layers, as Makerting will continue with the services that it already offers, the 1-on-1 coaching with makers and masterclasses at multiple institutions. On top of this Makerting should in the first stage of the strategy get a bigger following to create a marketing embracing community. Showing what marketing is to a wider audience by making tools like the ‘Black hole explore‘ and ‘Maker Making’ to let makers get acquainted with the company and lowering the negativity around marketing. In the second stage of the strategy Makerting should focus on building the platform to get makers together to enhance this community feeling. ‘Makerklas’ and ‘M - the maker platform’ are services that Makerting should add to share the marketing knowledge and minimize the individual feeling that makers encounter. In the last stage of the strategy Makerting should use this marketing embracing community to change the perspective in the art world. As the art world is slowly transforming, the Makerting community should act as leaders in this transformation.