Page 16 - TheDecorativePainter_DP4_Winter_2018

inside decoart with stan clifford
It was at SDP’s 1985 Chicago Convention that DecoArt launched its line of 64 acrylic colors, now called DecoArt Americana. My partner, Jim Miller and I were visiting the art deco area of Miami Beach, and the name DecoArt was born. The original product line was DecoArt Acrylics, but within six months we decided we needed sub brands, so we called the acrylic colors Americana, and the metallics were named Dazzling Metallics. Americana has now grown to 257 colors and 31 Dazzling Metallics.
DecoArt has over 65 paint product families - general craft painting, DIY home decor painting, mixed media, canvas painting, outdoor decor, and more. Additionally, DecoArt has a very wide array of stencils and artist brushes under the Traditions brand name.
New products for DecoArt come from trend changes. Watching closely for trend changes is critical to see what effect they have on new ways to paint, or it can be as simple as a new color trend. The success of our Chalky Finish program came about because we were closely watching Annie Sloan chalk paint sell in the UK and some here. DecoArt was the major U.S. company to launch a chalk paint
in the United States.
Developing of new products vary on the time it takes by the complexity of the product. A new Americana color is simple. The new formula for Chalky Finish paint was not as simple, as it has to work on so many surfaces and must have so many technical details. Our new paint for leather and vinyl is also very complicated as it must penetrate the leather surface rather than sit on top. The products then
must be tested under actual conditions of how they will be used. For example, with a paint designed for a shoe, we must paint the shoe and then wear it.
Product introduction is all about exposure and where it is exposed and to whom. The old way is to go to trade shows, run print ads, and give samples to our helping artists to develop teaching plans and magazine articles. The old way still works, but now we must also reach out to bloggers and engage social media, have education videos on DecoArt.com and customer sites. Our customers can help by giving new product more exposure at the store level or by running a sale as part of the product introduction. “Word of mouth” still works, but it’s different as it now includes Pinterest likes, YouTube views and Instagram likes.
Success is measured by the amount of sales in both placement sales and sales at retail locations and by engaging and listening to customer responses after using the new product. Just because you have initial sales to retailers doesn’t mean success. It’s a first step. The real success is repeat purchases by the end consumer.
We have been asked which colors in our product line are most popular. It is a interesting and complicated question. In most color palettes, there are old standards that are always popular. However, color trends can make some big shifts in what else is purchased. This is definitely influenced by the world around us. Metallics are still as popular, but our new Matte Metallic line is getting a lot of attention. You are seeing Matte Metallic finishes on automobiles, kitchen appliances and furniture, for instance.
Color choices do vary from country to country. Mexico and South America have always been brighter but now you are seeing brighter colors in fine art, including heavy glitter components. Modern decor is taking over traditional decorating as the younger generation are buying and decorating homes and apartments. Walking through a major mall 10 years ago and through a mall now is massively different. I like to walk through the Aventura Mall in North Miami as you see the best of two continents, North and South America.
Our Social Artworking program was developed after we saw two stores in Louisiana (Sips & Strokes) successfully teach beginners to paint on canvas, while letting them bring their own wine to these events. This established the painting party theme. Trends can be spotted and tracked in a number of different ways such as Pinterest, home decor shows, or through
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TheDecorativePainter • WINTER 2018