The philosophy of craftsmanship is at odds with the values and patterns of the current production system. This situation, far from being an obstacle, is the main stronghold for the development of a business model that fits perfectly in a market that goes to fill the gap left by the large manufacturing companies. “Faced with the traditional commercial circuit, the craft is opposed to industrial, since the concept of craftsmanship is no implicit important values such as sustainability, local knowledge, the warmth of the hand and respect for the materials,” explains Mercedes Valence, coordinator of the Spanish Foundation for Innovation of Crafts (Fundesarte).
Crafts seeks your site
Artisans are witnessing the consolidation of a model to which light and shadow are drawn. “The small artisan company can not compete in price productivity and items made in series in countries with lower labor costs to Spanish. However, through the export and sale over the Internet open new horizons , “said Valence.
The transition is not so simple. Previously, the value of items made by master craftsmen lived essentially in their functionality. Now, they must add value objects that have no mass. ” They must be branded items, prestigious, with intrinsic and unique value. If we mix all this with design, it gives us a new start, very effective for craft products. We can respond to a demand that is growing tired of standardization and start searching differentiation , “adds Fundesarte coordinator.
Brand and new channels
In the process of adaptation, these are some of the resources that are being used … or that more use should be made:
More online sales. “The growth in sales over the Internet will be very important in the short term. The problem is that some artisans workshops in rural areas still have many difficulties to provide a minimally acceptable to incorporate these tools Internet “laments Manuel Gonzalez Arias, president of Craft and Art,
Organization of Artisans of Spain (OAE). However, Valcárcel notes that “increased use of these instruments note. There are many initiatives that are bearing much fruit in terms of marketing. “
More competitiveness. This factor is critical to refer to objects with higher costs for production of standardized articles. The president says Art Office and has worked to improve the presentation of the commercial craft products “and has made progress in branding ‘umbrella’ of some communities, such as Galicia Crafts”.