Studio Snap-Shot: An Under The Radar Launch
I’m just after finishing launching brand new product, Porcelain Roses and I can’t explain how humbled and grateful I am after the Porcelain Rose Launch - a near sell out on their first ever outing!
But, you’d barely know I was launching anything online, because I focused on what I call an ‘Under The Radar Launch,’ which basically means putting all efforts into sharing with your mailing list and not worrying too much with the Noisy Land of Social Media.
For example, on this launch, I posted 7 times over 5 days on Instagram/Facebook, which was an invitation to join the mailing list, rather than a sales call and I ran no Social Media Ads.
On email, I ran my yearly giveaway in December/January of Porcelain wall-mounted roses, casually mentioned I was making the roses twice in January/February and sent 5 emails over 8 days in March about what inspired the roses and when the mailing list early bird discount was opening/closing.
This short launch was for a few reasons - I wanted to get the flowers out before UK Mother’s Day and so had a very short turnaround time of 2 weeks from when they were ready to fire and to include a buffer of shipping times . But mainly, I wanted to gauge their viability and see people’s reaction to them before investing another few months of time, money and resources into developing them. (Pssst! If you want to learn more about email, there’s a free course and blog posts over on my Email Marketing for Creatives site: Design.Create.Market )
I love Under the Radar launches for the ease of understanding all these points and more, but also because my mailing list is always my highest priority. I am so humbled that they join me on this mad creative journey and as such, I send my best and most vulnerable content to them, like how these Porcelain Flowers came to be.
But, in an effort to be more transparent on my website with the New Studio Snap-Shot Series, that gives a glimpse into the studio, I’m going to share how the Porcelain Roses were born below…
Here’s the honest truth of about making the Porcelain Roses…
If you've been with me for a while, (which you’d only know if you were on my mailing list) you may have noticed that it's taken me quite some time to bring my ceramic practice back to life. Following consecutive sad personal events, grief, new caring roles, a house move and renovating a garage to a home studio, the slog of starting making again began back in September 2021.
And slog is the only word to use.
It felt like I was dragging my heels into that garage and fighting with every new piece I made. I was showing up each day only to be battered and bruised in what felt like some kind of punishment. But I know from so many years doing this that the real fight is not with the work, but is with showing up, over and over again, even when you don't feel like it.
Then, something started to click when I unboxed my ceramic wedding bouquet and brought it back into the house. A physical token of one of the happiest times of my life when all my most loved ones were close, happy and celebrated being together was present each morning when I woke up.
Seeing this bouquet daily with the flowers and the happy memories they hold frozen in time, niggled and prompted me to recreate the roses. Perhaps as a subconscious way of recreating/rebuilding that sense of joy.
And with each new rosebud I created and each new petal added, my art mojo gradually and tentatively began to grow and bloom back to life.
And they're finally ready to share...
I’m looking forward to expanding this new product with new variations, vases and in getting some fancy photos of them in the upcoming months to share with you.
And, If you want first pick of the bunch then Studio Notes, my the mailing list, is the best place to hear updates, get exclusive discounts and a dose of inspiration for your art.
Why you should Stop and Smell the Roses, and how it helps your art.
Plus, The Porcelain Roses Collection