Let me start with a disclaimer. I am by no means an expert in branding. I am only a student and in kindergarten at that, but I have always been detail oriented, and it seems to me detail is at the heart of branding.
When it comes to opening a shop on Etsy, anyone can doodle a banner, create a product and open a shop. What seems to be forgotten, however, is the details. The realization that your virtual store is a representation of what a physical store should be. What should your Twitter bio say or what should your Facebook profile picture be? What about these small but important details?
My wife and I are proud Disneyland annual passport holders. Sometimes we go just for the Gibson Girl out-of-this-world ice cream or explore areas of the park one-day park-hopper passes don’t allow time for. The amount of detail Disney puts into every square inch of their attractions is astounding! Their attractions are, after all, what the theme park is known for. Their entrance is their Etsy banner, and their attractions are their products. It goes without saying that everything is detailed and cohesive, but what about small, forgotten areas like first aid?
On our recent visit, the tiniest toe on my left foot suffered a sudden blister. I needed a band aid and fast. My wife directed me to the nurses office hidden in a section of Main Street, USA that I was unaware of. The first thing I noticed were these beautiful frosted glass windows. They were soft and welcoming as if a doctor from a Norman Rockwell painting was waiting for me on the other side.
Once inside, I immediately noticed the illustrations of famous Disney characters as doctors and nurses, assisting other Disney characters who were patients. The atmosphere was similar to a doctor’s office but this extra touch kept the fantasy alive, even in a place where Advil and Pepto-Bismol call home.
I was so impressed with these details, I almost forgot why I was there, until a kind nurse asked me “Good afternoon, sir. Is there anything I can do for you?” I explained the predicament of my tiny toe. She took the matter very seriously and began to display a series of bandaids in various sizes, unsure of the girth of my tiny toe. She made sure that we knew there were extra bandages we could take just to be sure that my little toe would remain safe. I took the smallest one, thanked her and sat down on a bench with my wife while she performed the operation.
She opened the bandaid and placed it gently on my wounded appendage. I look down and what do you think was staring back at me? Mickey Mouse! He had a big smile on his face as if he was saying “All better now.”
This tiny detail made me feel like a little boy going to Disneyland for the first time. In Etsy, tiny details such as status updates, bios, or even pictures can be forgotten or put aside. Disney is an example of how even the smallest attention to detail can bring people and keep people in their world. They understand something as simple as a Mickey Mouse printed on a bandaid designed to rescue a little hurt toe could make their customer feel special. They understand the heart of branding is in the details.
So let us take a lesson from Disney. In our Etsy shops, let us pay attention to the details of our branding, treat every customer like they are the first customer, and create cohesive beautiful shops that display our talent and finds.
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