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Article: Entering the Fair Trade Market

Entering the Fair Trade Market

Entering the Fair Trade Market

Fair trade is no longer a breaking headline; an unknown practice just surfacing in the market. In a society saturated with media and advertisement, it has become a beacon of meaning and purpose. One that customers regard as incredibly important and often times essential in their daily shopping.

Advertising fair trade effectively, therefore, is key to product success and can noticeably enhance sales for any business. The largest essential? Clearly and efficiently communicating the story.

For thousands of years, people have connected to one another through stories; a practice that still hold true today. Historically, production and sales have focused on the transfer of goods from manufacturers to retailers/consumers with little attention given to where these products were coming from or the hands that made them. The transformative influence of the fair trade movement has completely altered that narrative. Today consumers care about where their clothes are made, how their food is grown, and the conditions under which workers labored in producing the goods they are buying. Innovative and smart businesses are responding to these concerns by changing how they display and market products in stores; shifting from price point based to story focused marketing instead.

As business owners, you exist in a unique position. You provide the bridge that connects customers to the mothers, fathers, and communities carefully and expertly crafting the product. It is, therefore, crucial to address the concern of the shoppers as well as support the workers behind the scenes, wherever they may be.

Know Your Product

A beautiful trait of this type of merchandising is that there are numerous ways to showcase the story. Ultimately, it is up to the creativity of the business owner to decide what communicates best to his or her target market. However, knowing the story is one of the first key steps; the better you know how the products were made, the better you can communicate it to a customer. Never forget the power of sharing the process by which the product was made. Each handmade piece is a work of art; a product containing both form and function.

Merchandise Meaningfully

Another avenue by which you can transfer the story is through displaying informational cards along with your product, offering a more direct line by connecting shoppers to the product background. Displaying artisan photos aids in drawing a line of identification between maker and buyer; deepening the connection that a customer feels with a product and the story behind it.

Harness the Power of Social Media

Do you regularly post on social media? In a time of littered communication, we are in a valuable position. Sharing artisan stories and photos along with promoting your products gives the customer a meaningful behind the scenes view and refreshing social experience.

Ultimately, these tactics all have a common goal; creating community through business. Artisan and customer alike are united across the globe through trade which leads to better work environments, life, and profits. It is our job and privilege to communicate this well so that this goal can be realized. Applying this principal will not only further our global community but also positively benefit your businesses.

"It's a small miracle that we can participate in a process that is keeping skills and communities alive and helping them to prosper." – Emma Watson

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The People Matter: Fashion Revolution 2017

The People Matter: Fashion Revolution 2017

"Act as if what you do makes a difference, it does." William James Each year, on April 24th, communities from around the world unite to bring awareness to a movement that seeks to make fashion...

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