Ulla Engeström

'Own Logo' not 'No Logo'

I found a WNYC radio show from September 2002, where Naomi Klein and The Economist's Asia business correspondent Sameena Ahmad debate about corporations, people and power under the headline "Pro Logo vs. No Logo."

The debate is actually more about the nature and role of multinational corporations than it is about logos. Naomi Klein (sort of) tries to convince the audience that her take is not against globalization; it's against undemocratic and discriminating ways to handle change in areas of society that are most affected by multinational businesses. But Ahmad does not want to acknowledge this, and the debate drifts into an unintelligent boxing match between good and evil (both draw on statistics and anecdotes from their personal experience to justify their arguments).

Although things have changed since 2002, the debate about branding and globalization really hasn't moved on from the dead end where Klein and Ahmad left it. Now, I think that there is reason to argue that the grounds of this debate might be changing too. I suggest that instead of No Logo, a new emerging issue in this field is what I call the Own Logo phenomenon. Let me try to explain what I mean by this.

First, in the global entertainment industry, an increasing percentage of sales come from products that were never meant for the masses - that is, products that make up the Long Tail. Recently, niche production has also increased sharply in the fashion industry. Witness the increasing number of designer and crafter communities who discuss trends and techniques, post photos of their designs, and often also sell their hand-crafted products online. On the demand side this means that an increasing number of people prefer products that a) they have made themselves or b) somebody they personally know has made. For the young people who are leading this trend, buying a mass-manufactured garment is totally uncool. Instead, buying a garment that has a (hi)story is awesome. I guess this could be interpreted as a form of self-expression - partly by rejecting readymade mainstream designs offered by global fashion brands, but also (perhaps more interestingly) by inventing new designs of their own.

An essential aspect of the own logo phenomenon is the branding of one’s own creations. Many of the people who have started to make their own designs (including me and my friends) want to tag their creations with their own symbol. The symbol can be their initials, a nickname, or any other sign that they want to adopt as their own brand. These people would probably agree with most of the arguments that Naomi brings up in her book. Still, instead of No Logo, they are signing up for Own Logo.

ULLA on MTV3

Yesterday's news on MTV3 reported of the growing interest in various kinds of web-based crafting and knitting societies in Finland. To my amazement, I learned that one of the many recently establihed associations and net magazines for knitters is called 'Ulla' ! Anybody who has good ideas and models to share can participate.

Knitting needle user test

The current knitting needles and crocheting hooks are far from being objects of desire. There is relatively little variation in the models and materials, the packaging is rather unattractive, and even the well-equipped department stores rarely stock them.

For making a proper toolbox for fashion crafting, I started by putting seven knitting needle models into a user test. These are (from left to right in the picture):

1. Chopstick, Wrong Noodle Bar, Helsinki (there were two in the test)
2. Straight steel knitting needles, INOX, England
3. Double pointed rosewood knitting needles, Susanne’s, Germany
4. Straight plastic knitting needles from the 1960s, unknown manufacturer
5. Double pointed bamboo knitting needles, ADDI, Germany

6. Circular ebony knitting needles, Susanne’s, Germany
7. Circular aluminum knitting needles, AERO, England

Test criteria (i.e. the elements of user experience in knitting):

Smoothness
In knitting you always have to slide back the needle that holds the loops. It really makes a difference if the needles are slippery or sticky. That’s why smoothness is one of the most essential characteristics of needles.

Weight
The weight of the needle affects to the knitting speed. Heavy needles are slower to knit with than light needles.

Sound
If one likes to knit in public spaces like movie theaters, trains, and planes, one may appreciate needles with modest sound. A noisy clacking can be so annoying!

Feel
The feel of the knitting needle in the hand is important. The material of the needles often makes the most difference overall.

Looks
Why do knitting needles have to look so dull? For serious crafters, they are in the same category with other personal portable objects, such as the pen, the phone, and the purse.

Portability
Portability can mean at least two things. First, it can mean travel portability (for instance, wooden and plastic needles can be taken on the plane whereas metal needles can mean trouble). A second dimension of portability is the wearablity of the tools (for instance, people could hang the needles on their neck).

Open the user test PDF here.

Swapping in the Tail

Initially, the notion of Long Tail was launched to question our current way of understanding business opportunities. Since that the discussion has expanded to a number of other areas, such as the freedom of consumption and design, software, etc. Still, the question about the profitability of Long Tail has remained – especially among those whose tail has been stepped on. Supernaturale.com made me think that the only way for the body business to benefit from the tail business is to start selling stuff that makes the tail even longer. Here is an example from the field of fashion crafting.

In supernaturale.com glitter forum there is a community of crafters that among other things swap the coolest and wierdest stuff ever seen. It basically works so that someone decides to organize a swap around a theme (for example, textiles and fabrics). In the first phase people post lists of things they like. For example, I could post a message like this:

" Hi, I’m HobbyPrincess and I like
- figurative vintage fabrics from 1950's
- old Marimekko textiles
- hand-printed cotton
- fabrics made of natural fibers

I would love to get mail from somebody, and I have some nice designs I could share .”

If I'm lucky, mister postman will soon bring me a packet, a gift from a stranger. I will then snap a photo of the things I got and post it to the glitter forum chat list. In return, I have prepared the best “counter gift” I could ever think of. (I would have to send something really cool because I know it will end up public).

This is a form of exchange that is definitively Long Tail but not necessarily that of fashion business. A site like supernaturale.com (which is only one example of the many) has as much as 2600 users – many of them consumers and producers at the same time. An increasing number of people also have their own web pages where they sell stuff, and gifts are also exchanged for promotional purposes (promo swaps). Still, for these people selling is not the point. Crafting is.

As to business opportunities, the question of how to turn small-scale hobby crafting profitable makes little sense. More interesting is the question of what kinds of new business opportunities arise from the growing interest in crafting among various consumer groups.