Chicago Artisan Market
Content Goal: Attract and showcase artisan-vendors to exhibit and sell in quarterly markets and consumer-shoppers (primarily) and wholesale buyers (secondarily) to attend and buy from participating artisan-vendors at each market.
Content Strategy: “Create a Community” of artisans and partners who share in the success and “ethos” of the markets – shop local, shop small and shop sustainable.
In addition to using our website content, social media platforms and email, we invested heavily in strategic and geo-targeted partnerships to promote each market (the artisans themselves, neighborhood businesses and businesses who want to “reward” their customers with discount or complimentary tickets). This involved creating custom content for web, social and print that incentivized 3rd parties to syndicate and promote the market – and to closely track the success of each partnership & channel.
Metrics: Starting with nothing in early February 2018, we signed-up 100+ artisans by early May 2018 for our 1st market in July 2018. We attracted over 1,000 ticketed shoppers for our 1st market.
Soup to nuts, we launched an entirely new digital brand and brick & mortar market in less than 90 days.This included the Chicago Artisan Market website, new social media properties and campaigns, email campaigns and partner programs.
Vendor Participation & Ticket Sales: For each Chicago Artisan Market, 100 to 120 artisans exhibit and/or sell. Ticket sales to consumers and wholesale buyers have ranged between 1,000 to 2,000 per market depending on the season.
Additional Promotions: We offered digital coupon codes for free and discounted to a variety of marketing partners to track who is actually converting ticket sales. We compensated this valued “affiliate” marketing network with free tickets, custom branded marketing materials and the resulting goodwill. (Shoppers loved the experience provided by our markets, and artisans loved the exposure and sales).
Website: https://chicagoartisanmarket.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/chicagoartisanmarket
Instagram: https://instagram/chicagoartisanmarket
