The Authentic Artisan: Handbag Creator

Imagine you're the creator of designer handbags.

You've mastered the art and craft of working with high-end materials. You put your heart and soul into your work. Your work expresses who you are: you as a person, as a creator. It expresses your values: a sense of place, your friends and family. 

And over the years, you've built an audience that loves and trusts you. A community, a "tribe" of loyal fans. They admire your authenticity and want to be part of the story you've created. These fans are the heart of your business: without their trust, you simply won't survive as an artist.

Now, imagine you've just made a big announcement! You'll be selling a limited-edition series of handbags. Only 10 bags of this special design will be made. Handcrafted locally by you and your small team of skilled employees. 

Each bag requires the highest level of craftsmanship. And the price reflects that, with each bag costing $3000. If you can sell all 10, you'll bring in $30,000. Enough to pay your bills and fund the next profitable design and creation. Enough to continue living this vision you had for your life as an artist.

Good news! All 10 sell out quickly, from pre-orders. You're thankful you have a great audience following you. They trust your brand, and the successful sale is a testament to your brand's value.

A few days go by, and you wake up to a notification on your phone. Following the link to some website, you see… your bag… or, what looks to be an identical copy of your handbag. Selling for $50. 

From the photos it appears to be an exact replica, a nearly-perfect imitation, a clone of your work. Each bag even has a sewn-in patch with a logo that's nearly an exact copy of yours. 

$50.

A forgery.

Imagine how it feels to be in this situation, as an authentic creator, as an artist and artisan. Think about what this forgery will do to the trust you've built with your audience. 

Think about how this cheap counterfeit affects the high-end clients who purchased the $3000 bag… there's really almost no way to distinguish the rip-off from the real thing. Will they wear the bag to important events? Will they carry the bag with pride?

Do you think that the next time you try a limited edition sale, that you're going to have customers willing to spend $3000 on an item... that's nearly indistinguishable from the $50 knock-off that hit the market only a few weeks after you shipped the real thing?

Now, take a step back and think: 

• What happens to your brand? 
• What happens to the trust you've built with your audience and community? 
• What happens to your livelihood? What happens to the livelihood of your employees, who you've treated like family?

Forgeries Happen Fast

In this day and age, it's easy to scan nearly any product, and then recreate that product with a few presses of a button on the right machine. 

It can happen to you, particularly if you've found success and there's a real demand for your products. Be aware of the risk. Don't fall victim to this theft of your intellectual property and hard work.

How are you going to protect your brand? How are you going to protect the value of what you've created? How are you going to protect your audience and fans?

What if you could offer your customers and fans a guarantee that a work is authentic? Wouldn't that protect their investment and your reputation? Wouldn't that protect everything you've built?