As part of my degree I have to write a 12,000 word dissertation, related tosnip
marketing, on a subject of my choice.
Over the past 11 years I have witnessed a growth not only in the number of lace-makers around, but also the number of suppliers. I have also been reading 'Lace' magazine published by the Lace Guild, whose aims include the promotion of lace-making. Hence I thought it would be interesting to investigate the growing importance of branding to suppliers, and to investigate how marketing techniques can be applied to the effective promotion of lace-making as a hobby.
I have searched the Internet and read copies of 'Lace' magazine dating back to the year dot, however I am still having trouble finding enough relevant information. I specifically need figures, such as the first lace group was formed in... the numer of suppliers has doubled over the past ? years... There are now ?? more lace groups than ten years ago... etc.
Julia
In my experience lacemaking, in England, has passed it's peak and there are less suppliers around than there were ten years ago. The fall in Lace Guild membership numbers; the lower numbers of people attending lace Days,
the decline in numbers of groups and the difficulty in finding new lacemaking students for the remaining lacemaking classes all bear this out.
I'm pleased that I have just one beginner student this term, and delighted to hear of a Young Lacemaker like yourself who has continued to make lace into aduldhood.
Having said that it's not all doom and gloom although the market has changed. Whilst lacemaking in UK and western Europe generally seems to declining; in USA and Australia it seems to be on the increase and many of the traders in those countries still get a lot of their supplies from UK.
The biggest change in recent years has been the enormous growth of the internet. It's as easy now to write to someone across the pond or downunder as it is to write to the next town. My own little book about lace threads sells as well in USA as it does in UK - and the publicity generated through Arachne has been greater than any ads in lace magazines.
It's also true that without support from lacemakers all around the world who have been generous enough to send me little bits of thread I couldn't have gathered all the information included in the book together.
Any interesting websites? Suppliers out there willing to help? Other magazines, maybe for suppliers in the industry, that may be of use?
By far the lacemaking website is Lori's http://www.lacefairy.com/
and also the Lace Guild's http://www.laceguild.org
My own website includes links to most of the major threads manufacturers http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/paternoster/Threads/manufacturers.html
Hope that helps Brenda
http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/paternoster/ Supporting the [EMAIL PROTECTED] campaign
- To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
