#buckitt

[buckittbag]

On our way back from a VERY exciting and productive meeting at a new factory, it's all about the new materials! #madeinengland #buckitt

[patrickhussey]

Thoughts on helping Buckitt Bag Kickstart £20,000

Recently I was asked to advise on something a tad out of my comfort zone. Fashion...to be precise the Buckitt bag, a new and rather stylish handbag designed by Rae Jones.

It was British made, it was photogenic, it did terribly well...raising just under £20,000 and as with every campaign I've been involved with I learnt a few things.

Namely...

The idea and product are crucial to any crowdfunding campaign. Naff things people don't want will fail.

Presentation is crucial. We hired Tom Bolwell who I knew had made fine Kickstarter videos before.

Excellent presentation is not just crucial to convince punters...without it you will be ignored by press and your chosen platform.

Let's drop out of bullets to say that word again...press!

You and your campaign need it. I had concerns that Buckitt was starting with very little digital network, in other words very small social media.

However Rae Jones, Buckitt's creator pictured above, had a career's worth of connections, some able PR help and attention duly followed. Buckitt lassoed the audience (the networks) of trad press, blogs and even Kickstarter itself who featured the project in their Fashion picks.

Thing is this crucial turn in the spotlight would not and could not have happened if the project video wasn't slick and (I'll mention it again) the product itself wasn't compelling.

As you can read in this 'happy ever after' piece in the Standard (click the pic) all the other benefits of crowdfunding came into place. Buckitt's Kickstarter served as a marketing campaign in itself, the foundations of a social brand came into being and word got out, creating business connections on the back of the digital buzz.

Even the fact Buckitt crowdfunded itself was (still) a story, generating another useful PR angle.

Most of though all though I learnt two things that are worth repeating and emphasising.

1) Normally you must have a crowd in place before you crowdfund, with lots of likes and a big mailing list to get word out. However if your idea is good enough you can hurdle the lack of an established digital audience with press attention.

2) You must not stifle your good idea with poor presentation. Spend money on the video, make the page look great. Otherwise you won't just be turning off the public but diminishing your chances of getting vital press and platform attention.