Marketing that delivered 200% of target signed up for crowdfunder mailing list

Client

Hat and Soul

Project outcomes

200% of target signed up for crowdfunder mailing list
Direct contact from larger ethical fashion organisations to discuss partnership

What I did

Brand identity
Illustration
Tone of voice
Headline writing
Project management

I was asked to create a pre-crowdfunder campaign to tell the story of Hat & Soul. I was to create imagery that gave a feel for the brand and products without access to product photography.

Hat & Soul are an ethical milliner who create hats from fabric cut-offs and end rolls. Their goal is to reduce waste by using fabric that would otherwise be lost to landfill. Each hat is unique based on the fabrics it’s made from, their colours and patterns. They were looking to raise funds through a crowdfunder in order to manufacture and market their six products.

At this stage in the process there was no access to photo ready product samples. I was asked to create a look and feel for the brand that built interest with ethical consumers and grow a mailing list for the crowdfunding campaign.

I worked with a research team at Strathclyde University Business School to gain insight into ethical consumers in the main markets Hat & Soul wanted to appeal to – Europe and North America.

Their research found that, in general, the styles of hat appealed to people with different hobbies, styles and approaches to life. The unique nature of the hats was interesting to the people surveyed and ethical consumers were keen to support an organisation on a mission to reduce waste.

The main groups showing interest in the products were between the ages of 14 and 30 and were regular users of social media. This insight led to me creating a social media focused campaign.

I saw the opportunity to build a following with ethical consumers by sharing the why behind Hat & Soul’s business. Showing the ethical credentials from the start builds cedibility with astute ethical consumbers familiar with campaigns such as Who Made My Clothes?

I paired this with a focus on showing the type of people who would wear each hat. This would allow the consumer to see themselves in the product and create an interest in finding out more. This dual approach hit the main groups of people interested in the products on offer.

I ran a social media campaign surrounding seven key ethical points of the business and created an infographic that could be shared between followers and key stakeholders. I used patchwork icons to show the nature of the designs and used a ‘made from parts’ style across the brand’s stationery and imagery.

The results were positive with 200% of the target signed up for the crowdfunder mailing list. The company also received direct contact through their social media from larger ethical fashion organisations looking to discuss partnership.