Difference Does Make Us

Etsy. Sometimes I live it, breathe it, and sleep it, but still feel everyday I am operating my shops within an ever-evolving larger context that isn't completely known to myself or much of the world. All I knew in the beginning was that "Etsy" was a nonsense word coined from transcribed dialog from Federico Fellini's film 8 1/2. The characters were saying "eh, si" a lot and Etsy evolved from that (Etsy, n.d.). Etsy didn't even have a business plan when the site launched, and the intention was to evolve the site as circumstances dictated (Walker, 2007). Interestingly, the trials and tribulations of building the Etsy brand closely emulate the process of rebranding, because a more universal understanding of Etsy has been revealed, the market is constantly being evaluated, underlying issues are being addressed, and new strategies evolve (Geyer, 2016). As a result, I have struggled with resulting changes in the Etsy algorithm that guide search, considered consumer traits when creating listings, and reassigned product categories. I have sided with Etsy in the controversy surrounding the evolving the definition of the handmade business and welcomed public trading of the company. Having flexible intentions for growing into its destiny spared Etsy the pain of reevaluating and starting fresh. All of the hard work is an ongoing process for Etsy and its loyal sellers. However, Etsy isn't simply just an online global marketplace for handmade and vintage items as well as craft supplies. What Etsy needs most is a clear, concise, and consistent statement to communicate what Etsy is to consumers. The careful crafting of a tagline seems to be the missing part of the Etsy brand.

Etsy recently launched its first global online advertising campaign called "Difference Makes Us" (Klara, 2016).  To me, the operative word in that statement is "Us." The most identifiable element that distinguishes Etsy from all other marketplaces is its strong sense of community. There is little to distinguish buyers from sellers in our internal social network and we participate together as members of special interest teams. The phrase, "Whoever you are, find whatever you're into," currently invites visitors to initiate a search for products. Melding the idea of individuals with diverse interests with belonging to a community would yield an ideal message that perfectly describes Etsy. The current commercials focus on the wide array of merchandise, but a human element drives the content. Ads are constantly edited to include new items posted by sellers. Viewers see different commercials every time they watch (Klara, 2016). Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson is acutely conscious of the human element in the business and emphasizes that each transaction ends with a real product from a real person. He calls it "existential satisfaction" (Etsy, n.d.). "Difference Makes Us" is certainly a step in the right direction toward a tagline and there is certainly more to consider. The biggest challenge seems to be squeezing many positive attributes into few words that perfectly describes Etsy.

References

Etsy (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Etsy

Geyer, F. (2009, March 24). Four best-practices for renovating your brand -- before its too late. 

     MarketingProfs. Retrieved from

     https://www.marketingprofs.com/9/best-practices-for-renovating-your-brand-geyer,asp

Klara,R. (2016, September 14). Etsy's first global campaign is an expression of individuality, just like      the stuff it sells: Here's what makes it and its everyday items different. Adweek. Retrieved from

     https://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/etsys-first-global-campaign-expression-

     individuality-just-like-stuff-it-sells-173404