Ten Thousand Villages
How do you go from ‘flea market’ to trendy maker boutique?
Ten Thousand Villages was in trouble. I helped revive this cause-driven brand and build relevance for the next generation of shoppers.
We started by researching recent market shifts and trends affecting their recent decline. We combined this with a deep look inside the Ten Thousand Villages brand.
Ten Thousand Villages is a retail chain that creates opportunities for artisans in developing countries to sell their products to North American markets through long-term, fair trading relationships.
We discovered that the brand purpose and vision weren’t the problem. Millennials prefer cause-driven brands. On top of this, they were well positioned to join in the growing “maker culture”.
We rebranded “artisans” as “makers” and put their stories in the forefront. We modernized the retail experience to reflect a contemporary maker boutique.
To build an even more ownable niche, we decided lean into gift-giving. We set out to make Ten Thousand Villages the destination for gifts that aren’t just trendy - but meaningful. Along with our “give meaning” launch campaign, we added an eye catching gift-wrapping station to the flagship store.
Results
Our rebrand resulted in a 30% increase in sales in the first week after launch.
My Services: Brand Strategy, Customer Experience Strategy, Launch Copywriting
