Back in Michigan for the summer

Ah what a grand time to be in No. Michigan. The trees are all green and the fish are biting. I caught a good sized rock bass tonight while fishing with the girls. Threw it back since I don't have a license yet this year. Well, that and I don't like cleaning or cooking fish... But it was great. No bait either, just a killer lure (which got stuck in a rock on a later cast so I no longer have it...) sigh.


So the Traverse City Film Festival is in full dysfunctional swing and I have to say I am so glad I'm not involved. Word is that the founder is tougher and tougher to work with. I gave up last year. Or rather I should say that I have enough self esteem to not tolerate my time and talents being wasted, insulted and disrespected, for a second year in a row. I imagine he will be insufferable this year with his latest film coming out just before the festival begins. It's a shame too because I think his work is really important. He has a loud voice that yells about issues that most of us wish we could do something about and some try but how can one person or even an impassioned group change huge corporate problems and injustices?

Well he can because he mobilizes the masses. But this is a little lesson in good management... You simply cannot abuse the people you need services from. An ex-assistant of his told me that he has to restaff with all new people after every project he does because no one will work with him again. That works fine in New York because there are lots of people to go through who will take the abuse for the privilege of working with him. Once. The problem with mistreating people in a small town is that he will very soon run out of individuals who are actually trained in and able to do some of the specialized things that need to be done.

He may have tyrant syndrome (I just made that up). It's too bad he does not know when to turn it on and off. It was very evident to Rob and me last summer that it isn't the Traverse City Film Festival but in fact it's the Michael Moore Film Festival. It really is. Not from a political platform, but a micromanaged one.

I hope the public has a fabulous time and soaks up some great film experiences. And I hope he doesn't burn his way through every willing volunteer in Northern Michigan. He may just have to move the festival to Flint after all.

Happy summer folks.

Licensing - The Great Unknown

I probably should not title a blog post like that when I'm on the verge of departing for the biggest Licensing Show of them all. What if someone reads this? Then they will know, that is one little corner of my business I can safely say I know nothing about. A ripe target for some savvy licensor to take advantage of little ol me.

Yeah, well I promise you two things:

> I will not sign any major licensing deals before I go. (Except maybe to renew my driver's license)
> I will be A LOT smarter in about two weeks.

I get to go to NY for 4 days and be one of the lucky ducks going to the conferences and walking the floor. It will be fun to not have to set up and tear down a booth.

My company is sending me, all expenses paid! I'm so glad I work for me. I'm so nice! But I'm also frugal and pining for a visit with my Score buddy Phil, so I will be staying with his lovely wife and him.

We leave on Tuesday to go back to Michigan for the summer. I need to touch base with my warehouse. Love them still.

Swing Set Sweetie

Here is another adorable kid in Stylease.



This little cutie-pie is actually one of our models getting all grown up! You can see her as a littler person modeling our Garden Party style.

Littler is right. The pictures of our models are teensy... I will have to fix that.

Yea, yea, I'll put it on the list. If I had a boss breathing down my neck, they would be saying,
"Where are those reports Hughes? Did you mail out those catalogs like I told you to? What about resizing the images on the website? Hu? Are you listening Hughes? Are you? Did you lie on your resume? You can be replaced you know!"

"But... but but... just give me another chance. I have kids you see. And and and I was sick with the Chicken pox and a cold. The... the sun was in my eyes and and..."

"Not my problem Hughes. I got problems of my own. Get caught up or your fired!"

Slowly I start packing the pictures of my family and the other personal items from my desk. My favorite coffee cup, a candle that I was never allowed to burn. The little tube of hand lotion there by the phone. I'm going to miss this place.

Hey, wait, that's my dining room table. I'm clearing it off because we have to eat dinner!

Branding

Earnshaw's, a magazine that I advertise in, was doing a story on branding. They selected me for the interview. These were the questions posed and how I answered them.

What is your company known for?
Stylease is patented one-piece infant wear that looks like separates. Giving ease to the parent and style to the child.

Did you recognize the value of branding from the beginning and intentionally brand your company? If so, how did you go about it in the beginning?
Yes, absolutely. Because our product is specific, all our items are one-piece rompers that look like separates, I knew I wanted consumers to tie the Stylease brand to the concept.

I bought two books when I started the company. One of them discussed branding. I designed and executed my brand in photoshop. I went to the USPTO website and read through tons of legal documents and filed my mark for consideration for a trademark. After about 4 months I was granted registration and changed my tm to an ®.

When I consulted a patent and trademark attorney to write my patent app. he asked how I knew what to do to register a trademark. There are apparently quite a few rules that I managed to comply with. I just told him I read all the paperwork. He also mentioned that I had a very strong design. That it possessed qualities of a successful mark. That was nice to hear, since I didn't use any guidelines when designing it.

What do you do now (ads, in-store events, hangtags, etc)?
I do regular advertising, have hangtags, in-store displays, booth signs, website, catalogs, direct mail postcards.

How do you protect yourselves from the also-rans? What role does your established brand identity play?
I filed a patent application and it was pending for 18 months then was granted. A patent pending is sometimes stronger than the actual patent because no one can see what is being patented while it is pending. So far that seems to be working. The Stylease brand is establishing itself not only with the product but with our company mission of a 100% satisfaction guarantee, terrific customer service, innovative products, value, comfort and style. Even if the copycats start, they won't possess all the qualities that the Stylease brand offers and our customers will turn to us for the service and quality they have come to expect.

Have you needed to adjust your brand identity as the company has grown or offered different product categories? If so, how did you do it--by creating a separate brand or expanding the one you had?
Yes. The company wants and needs volume sales to survive. In order not the jeopardize the branding level that Stylease has established, we are coming out with another brand that will be distributed to different levels of retail.

Is your brand message targeted to kids or their parents?
Definitely to the parents. Our products run 3-24 months in size. The mini-adult styling and easy-on-easy-off one-piece design is geared to appeal to parents, grandparents and the overall gift market.

Jenservation: Launching your own brand is HARD!! And expensive. Who knew?! Consider licensing if you are short on resources and don't necessarily want to start a business to launch your idea.