Slaughter Free Leather Not Selling As Expected

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

It would have been nice to have a rug made from the 1,200# show steer I rolled under the front end of my 3500 Dodge 4x4. Man it had a nice thick all jet black coat. They ended up just burying it with the rest after butchering it out that night.

Someone else hit, and killed it, dropping it into my lane. It was dark, and I didn't see it till it was too late, so all I did was tenderize it a little more. Drove the truck home with a bent center link. Aaaahhh, life in a rural area. When the insurance agent asked if here were any fatalities, I told her yes, there was one. Just wish I could have keep a straighter face when she asked for details.

Edited January 21, 2011 by BIGGUNDOCTOR

[tg lucas]

Oh wow, I never thought that one post would have had such a carry thru from so many and on such a long range of view points. I love this website for this aspect alone.

I feel compelled to add my perspective to the original post and here it is....

First of all, the product is not selling as projected or hoped for. There are many view points as to why this is the case but what are the actual reasons? From a marketing and design background of over twenty years (Most of you in America have at least one example of my work in your cabinets right now) I see a fatal flaw in the marketing of this product that is no fault of Mr. Siegel. Whenever you introduce a new product to a line of products that are well established and are a majority of your income, the new product must not be in direct competition or worse yet, demonize your older and more established line of products. To do so is a death wish to your economic stability on all fronts of your product line because it introduces doubt on various levels. Branding a product, to create a brand loyalty and eventually establish expanded additional sales is a sought after knowledge every business person in the world has struggled over since the beginning of commerce.

Let us examine just this one case. The branding of "Slaughter Free" leather is problematic for the consumer as it portrays that any leather not harvested in a "slaughter free" manner has been acquired by less than humane or morally correct means. Rather if this is true are not, it still does imply a moral issue with manufacturers and consumers alike and will suffer a backlash as we have seen on this forum. What this simply translates to is the failure of expectations, if not outright death of the product. No pun intended. Hundreds of products lay in warehouses all across America because of this very lack of branding. It does not matter if the product exists as Mr. Siegel has stated a few times in his posts, if it does not sell it it is a mute issue. The obvious rejection by the majority of consumers of leather products of this forum by not purchasing the product is indicative of a absence of proper branding and education.

I have no doubts of Mr. Siegel's vast knowledge of leather however marketing is a ever changing area of expertise and no one person should ever consider themselves comprehensive of all it's facets. This is the reason for the many branding companies out there, some being more successful than others depending on their individual niche and experience. Make no mistake these companies are very expensive and often used by other advertising agencies to facilitate their clients needs when millions of dollars are on the line and failure is not an option, although there are never any guarantees. The branding companies spend lots of money and time

trying to understand consumer wants and needs, then translating those to clients. All of this research comes together in creating a "brand identity" and that is what we the consumer see, the logo, colors, the advantages of the new product. However as a supplier, one is also obligated to educate buyers of any shortcomings of the offered product if their are any and "manage their expectations". This kind of specialized help is, to be honest, out of financial range except for the larger companies. However; whether we produce wallets, belts, holsters and saddles or produce automobiles we are all subject to our end customer needs or wants and a more complete understanding will be the difference of shoppers versus buyers.

So this would be my humble suggestion, first rebrand the product to something less controversial, for instance "Natural Selections" brand, or something in the same genre that signifies that this product is different but in no way competitive or offensive with your traditional offerings. Leather artisans and craftsman are very traditional group due to the very nature of their unique relationship with their chosen medium. They instinctively know that leather came from a living breathing animal and that their work only enhances and extends the legacy of that animal and no other group of craftsman share that "bond" save perhaps those that work with wood. They understand that each animal is different and therefor the work they will produce will be different but the relationship of artist and medium is constant. I personally as Cherokee, have have almost a spiritual bond with my craft and to some level so do most artists whether it is something that they are aware of or would admit to in varying degrees. To imply, even most innocently, that my art or livelihood is some manner is less than morally honorable with have an immediate and intense reaction, most likely being negative to any product being offered. Most of us have a fairly decent functioning moral compass and would shy away from any product that we felt was damaging our environment or was endangering to our long term continuation of our craft, to presume otherwise or even accidently would be a marketing disaster.

Secondly, I would put great effort in communication and education about the product. Explain how it could be marketed to the end consumer, it's advantages to the leather worker over traditional offerings. Is there any shortcomings of the product and what can be done to overcome them if any. Can it be used for some products and not for others? As a supplier, be proactive in managing the expectations of your customers and not wait for negative feedback to crush the product before it can gain a place in the market. Bad news travels ten times faster than good and unfortunately remains in memory ten times longer. Circumvent this by an honest evaluation and comparison to other products beforehand and make this readily available to consumers. It will prevent unfulfilled expectations, limit complaints and generally excel the perception of your dedication to your customer's satisfaction.

Lastly, understand the economics of your customer base completely. This is probably the most volatile aspect to any marketing campaign as it changes depending on a myriad of circumstances. If a product is not vastly superior or economically obtainable without sacrificing expected qualities, it will have a slow or non-existent interest in the intended market. If a product does not give me the majority of qualities I require, no matter what it's cost, then I have no motivation to buy it. It may be another of hundreds of products out there that started out as good ideas or simply ahead of there time, but just do not have the market share to sustain sales or manufacture. Unless you have a deep belief and even deeper pockets to hold out until a product could gain a wider acceptance within your customer base, it may be advisable to discontinue that product and provide the products that your consumer base is actively seeking and allows a better cash flow for innovation later.

In closing, I applaud your efforts to expand the offerings of our craft and your obvious dedication to it. Innovation and imagination is one of the reasons that made America, in particular, such a place of freedom and possibilities. Don't be discouraged and never stop trying to make a difference for the people or businesses you are involved in. Some efforts

are never rewarded but those that are will be more gratifying.

ps. I can personally see a market potential for the "tree hugging hippies" that make up half my clientele for my wildlife carvings. So if you ever need an honest, no holds barred review of your product for that purpose let me know and we can talk. Oh I can see it now... "yep poor Bessie spent a lifetime of happily producing milk as farm family pet until a lightning strike called her home to the Creator and now she is immortalized in your carving of the American Bald Eagle, that also with your purchase a percentage will be donated to such and such foundation. Yes, you have a wonderful piece of art and helped save the planet... doesn't that just give you a warm fuzzy feeling?" Cha-ching.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Hmmm, a name that sounds better than slaughter free for the intended customer. Natural Selections , pasture perfect, no kill, end of the pasture, happy cow (from UKRay), Au natural, Mother nature, naturally demised, organic, .....................................

One thing that has always bugged me is paying more for something due to its size, quantity, etc. Why is whole wheat flour more than the stuff that has far more processing? Why is that individual serving ham steak 2x more in cost per pound than a whole ham? Why is organic anything so much more than the "non healthy" stuff. My point is, make items with this leather and sell it at the same rate as regular leather, or say 50% higher. That way the cow huggers won't feel that they are being taken advantage of, and you may end up selling a lot more. It isn't like this leather works any differently than what we normally use, it just came to be by a different route. So why use it if you can't make a much higher profit? To attract a new customer base that would otherwise buy something else. An option, that's all. I know that a much higher profit could possibly be made, but if it is too high of a difference it may not sell at all. Just explain that there are fewer naturally demised hides than the other style, hence the slightly higher premium in cost. Most nature loving hippie types that I know have one thing in common, they don't have a lot of cash.

I pay extra for USA made items because I like to support the home team, and they generally have the quality that I am looking for. So, I do understand paying more when principals are involved. With that being said I do have a pain level. If the cost is too high, I do without, or find an alternative; used, import, etc. I haven't been able to go USA, or nothing, due to so much being made overseas now.

[mendedbowl]

Label your product what you will, whether it be "Slaughter Free", "Natural Selection", or "Happy Cows", and when your customer asks for the details about this wonderfully humane product what are you going to say? Will you tell them the truth? That "dear old Bessie was in line for the slaughterhouse just like all the rest of the cows. She wasn't treated any better. She just happened to drop dead BEFORE she reached the killing floor, and for that I get to charge you more for your new wallet, and you get to have the erroneous belief that you've made an ethical purchase "

Or will you tell them something less than the truth?

If your potential customer wouldn't normally buy leather goods because of their personal moral beliefs, and you tell them anything other than the truth, you're attempting to trick them into breaking their own moral code. While I may not agree with their beliefs, I respect their right to have those beliefs, and I'm not going to lie to them just to make a sale. I sell products made from the skins of animals. These skins are by-products of the meat industry. End of story. If someone can't buy leather goods because of some moral objection to those conditions they need to look elsewhere for alternatives. My integrity and my reputation are more important to me than selling a product.

ken

[tg lucas]

Ronflmao, I guess sarcasm isn't big in Ken's world but it just goes to prove my point. Leather from cattle by any means acquired is still a byproduct.

In twenty years of working with leather in various forms I have never had a potential customer ask how I got the leather. They are interested in the end product only.

I illustrate this by a conversation I overheard while behind a couple of women in a checkout line at the grocery store the other day. One woman was chiding her companion because of the various meats she was purchasing and how she could never eat any thing with a face. Remembering this post, I started paying a little closer attention to what this woman was saying as insight is always valuable. So I listened to her expound as to the virtues of the vegetarian lifestyle and how it made her feel closer to Mother Earth.

Turning around to finally take a look at this woman, I almost laughed out loud. Standing there, skinny as a rail wearing a woolen sweater dress, a wide leather belt, a pair of Ug boots and a Coach purse, the only thing that she was wearing that didn't come from something with a face was her tights (they could have been silk for that matter, but do silk worms qualify as having faces?). By her conversation she really believed in what she was saying whether or not it was this week's fad of enlightened lifestyle changes or a long held belief, but it struck me as rather shallow given the circumstances. Normally, I would not say something but I had to really bit my lip to stay quiet as she was very vocal about her ideas, but being in NW Arkansas we have an abundance of neo-hippies due to being surrounded by several colleges and the university and you can normally just ignore them. I paid for my purchases and left out of the store to the parking lot and guess who was parked next to my truck. Thats right, veggie and friend getting into a big SUV with a really nice leather package from what I could see.... and I kid you not a bumper sticker from GreenPeace and one from PETA. Well, the devil in me won out and I put on my most charming smile and approached her driver side window. As she smiled and rolled down her window a bit, I said "I heard what you were saying about about vegetarian diets and that how you would not anything with a face. It really got my attention". Bigger smile and down came the window a little more as she leaned out a bit. "Yeah" I continued, " But it makes me wonder about the five sad faced ones". She looked at me with a look of serious concern and questioning asking " Sad faced ones?" Keeping a straight face as best I could I replied "Yeah, you know, the sad faces of the cute little wooly sheep that made your boots and at least five of the big brown-eyed cows that made your belt and the seats that you and your pretty friend are sitting on". Then I just turned around walked back to my truck. As I opened my door, I flashed another charming smile, tipped my hat and got in. As backed out, she was still just staring blankly, eyes and mouth wide open as if hit in the back of the head with a 2x4. I laughed all the way home as I envisioned her on the cell phone frantically calling Daddy or maybe her husband, demanding that he sell this vehicle immediately and get her a Volt or a Leaf.

Bottom line is you are more likely to get hippie protesters at your booth or show than anybody asking for leather that was "Naturally Selected". But if you ever did, would it not be nice to say "Ya know, I do have a source for just that kind of thing, it's expensive but available"

Edited January 25, 2011 by Johanna
Removed humorous remarks to prevent flaming.

[Johanna]

tg lucas- I would have loved to see the look on her face!

I think part of the problem (at least here in the US) is that the average consumer is so removed from what was once normal common practice for 10,000 years- kill the meat and eat it. Only the rancher and farm kids have ever seen an animal slaughtered and served. The rest of the kids think it comes in pretty packages at the grocery store. They purposely hide the butcher shop in most stores now- blood turns people off. 200 years ago, ordinary people knew how to kill and pluck a chicken or slaughter a hog, now almost no one does.

Johanna

[tg lucas]

Omg it was hilarious, I was still laughing when I made it home and it took me 10 minutes to explain to my girlfriend what I thought was so funny. She kept interrupting me asking me which Coach bag it was and what style the Ug's were, lol.

But you are so right about the disconnect of people, food and it's sources. I just recently sold my Boer goat farm, I think it was the only no-kill meat goat farm in Arkansas mostly due to my significant other making pets out of every one of my stock, lol. But she was raised in San Francisco so I do not need to say more. Of course, I have always believed as a society develops a higher consciousness they seem to develop a lower I.Q.

Edited January 25, 2011 by tg lucas

[Timd]

" I have always believed as a society develops a higher consciousness they seem to develop a lower I.Q. " Very profound, and very true.