5 Ways To Elevate Your Brand Using Craft-Based Design

In this increasingly content-driven, digital world it can be challenging for brands to stand out from the crowd. With so much content being served to audiences all day every day, how can brands secure the airtime needed to create a long-lasting impression? Incorporating craft-based design into your campaigns is the answer! By utilising traditional craft techniques and reimagining them in fresh and on-trend ways, you can create show-stopping props, installations, graphics and experiences that provide a unique and tactile alternative to conventional marketing campaigns. Here’s how! 

Handcrafted props by Kitiya Palaskas for a Peter Alexander pyjama campaign.

CREATE SHOW-STOPPING CAMPAIGN MOMENTS WITH BESPOKE, HANDMADE PROPS

For brands, incorporating handcrafted elements into a campaign helps create an approachable personality, and can be a genuine, effective way to connect emotionally with audiences. [Source]. In my opinion there’s no better way to achieve this than with a bespoke, craft-based prop, installation or set piece! Evoke novelty and delight in your next ad campaign, visual merchandising display, or event and make space in your budget for something completely custom and handcrafted. Think big when creating your campaign briefs! Play with scale, showcase unusual textures, and experiment with unconventional materials, all working together to create an unforgettable, tactile experience for your audience.

BUILD AUTHENTIC CONNECTIONS WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS THROUGH TACTILE CRAFT-BASED GRAPHICS

In the same way as handmade props, craft-based illustration and graphic design has the ability to create an unforgettable tactile experience for your audience. Whether it be paper collage, felt collage, or claymation, elevate your graphic content with handcrafted imagery that makes your audience feel as if they can reach right into the magazine page (or screen, or billboard, or poster) and touch the artwork. 

Branded DIY content by Kitiya Palaskas for Officeworks.

ENTERTAIN AND INSPIRE YOUR AUDIENCE WITH HANDS-ON DIY CONTENT

Craft and DIY has experienced a huge resurgence over the past couple of years as a direct response to increased screen fatigue, more time spent at home, and a craving by many to be entertained, distracted and delighted. This resurgence was so notable that Adobe marked it as a trend to watch in 2021, with the world rediscovering and celebrating handmade pursuits on an expanding scale. So how can brands capitalise on this trend? A simple way is to integrate DIY content into your marketing plan. This creative content could see you sharing innovative and crafty ways for customers to use your product, showcasing clever ideas on how they can upcycle your packaging, or providing a creative outlet for your customers as a means to engage with your brand in a different way. Embrace the rise of video content across social media with bite-sized DIY videos, then repurpose them again and again across multiple platforms including blogs, Instagram Reels, YouTube, TikTok, and more.

USE HANDMADE GIFTS TO INCREASE THE “SHAREABILITY” OF YOUR NEXT PR CAMPAIGN

User-generated content is a powerful marketing tool, with PR mailouts (and their corresponding unboxings) being a popular and effective way to engage a wider audience and increase brand awareness. But with so many PR campaigns being mailed out to influencers on a weekly basis, how can brands stand out from the crowd? One way to create a unique PR experience for your influencer base is to send a handmade package. Recipients will delight in the authenticity and uniqueness of a handcrafted gift, whether it be a mini piñata filled with your product samples, a handmade wrap and gift card combo, or a custom item personalised with each recipient’s name. Incorporating handmade elements into your PR mailouts will lead to an unforgettable unboxing experience and an increased chance for your campaign messaging to be spread far and wide. 
 

ENGAGE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS FACE-TO-FACE BY HOSTING A CREATIVE WORKSHOP

Whether it be an in-store event or an exclusive online opportunity, creative workshops can be a fantastic way to directly engage your customers and bring them right into the room with you for a unique branded experience. Why are creative workshops such a valuable marketing tool?  Studies have shown that crafting in group settings builds a feeling of community, releases dopamine and increases wellbeing, pride and enjoyment. When customers associate these positive feelings and emotions with your brand, you’re well on your way to increase brand loyalty and unique and exclusive experience that customers will be talking about for a long time to come. Here’s some inspiration to help you identify the kinds of craft workshops that could work for your brand:

• An in-store product customisation station using your latest product range
• A school holiday workshop series for kids based in a shopping centre or community centre
• A drop-in maker stall at your upcoming event
• A staff bonding experience, professional development day, or staff Christmas party for your team