Thesis Research - Blog #1

What is your Niche?

1)  What do you consider to be your medium, style, and services of choice? 
Describe why you feel that is the case.

Branding - Helping to define the identity of a craft brewery or tap room. Creating a look and feel of each location while keeping in mind the clientele and expectation of the locals. Creating the whole package of collateral including apparel, glassware, menus, and all the paper needs of a brewery.

Illustration - Chalk art and hand-drawn assets. Option for this type of art to be used instead of only digital assets. 

Photography and social media - Presence of a brand is as important as how the brand looks and feels. I think having the knowledge to help a brewery get their name out there is important. Being able to join the community and be welcomed as a new family member is vital to the longer sucess of the buisness. 

2)  Conduct some research and identify and target potential clients and partners you hope to work within the future.  Provide links and write a few details about why you choose those individuals, companies, etc. 

Potential clients would be new or existing breweries. Links below are larger firms that specialize in branding for the craft beer industry. Both have specific attributes that make them stand out but both are varied in how they present each beer brand. I like that they take a lot of care in how personal each can, t-shirt, and logo comes across. Everything is unique which makes me think that there is a lot of conversation that happens. I feel that the research behind the beer, location, and owners is important to portray the craft that goes into making the product. 

3)  What common frustrations or needs do your services or products address?  How does your business solve a problem or find a solution for your customers? In particular, do you solve problems that nobody else can? Through your research create a list of the kinds of problems you are most interested in addressing after you graduate with some details as to why that is the case from both a skills and interest point-of-view.  

The problems that I wish to asses would be those of individual breweries that don’t have a huge budget being able to represent themselves in the community without having to break the bank. Being able to use my background in illustration, my passion for the craft brewing industry and my ability to create all assets would be different than most firms. I would like to keep a few breweries as continuing clients making new can/label art for individual beers and help to continue their brand for years instead of only being there at the start of a brand. 

4)  Conduct a bit of secondary research to see just how competitive your chosen market is.  Create a list of links with short sentences describing how competitors are approaching their niche to address the kinds of problems that interest you. 

The Brandit
A boutique graphic design, brand development, and marketing agency. Our creative talent and unwavering devotion to results allow us to create brands that are... Compelling.
Strategic. Powerful. Timeless. Awesome. We create brands that work.

Blindtiger Design
Our focus has been on craft for more than 14 years, working with everyone from nano to macro, malty to bitter. We partner with passionate craftsmen across the aisles and around the world.

Moxie Sozo

This company is in Boulder and could be a good resource for a mentor for thesis. 
They employ artists to do can and bottle art, they artists stay with the brewery brand until a rebrand happens. I like this level of commitment and passion they show for longevity. 

I had a hard time finding an individual that does what I am looking to do as a freelancer. However, that will not discourage me from taking on this industry as a freelancer and a team of one.