MEGAN AUMAN

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from one of a kind to micro-production

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I’m heading to cold and snowy Ohio today to give a talk about my work at Kent State University (where I went to grad school). 

I’ve been a little busy preparing (who knew it took so long to write a talk), so I’m a bit behind on the four weeks of marketing, but I’ll pick it up when I get back.
If your in NE Ohio, you should stop by – I’ll be speaking at 7 in the School of Art Building.

what’s in a name?

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cozy/cuff
A few comments on my last post prompted me to really think about the name cozy/cuff.  After all, for $300, I better be damn sure.
Here are the reasons I like cozy/cuff:
-I’ve always been a big sucker for alliteration, I think it makes something fun and memorable.
-I’m a big fan of the backslash.  I think it communicates that the object can actually be two objects – a cozy or a cuff.  (Yes, I technically realize that its not really a cuff, in the traditional open cuff format, but like I said, I like alliteration.)
-The no caps thing is something I do with my business name, so I’d like to continue it with the cozy/cuff (as well the font I typically use – century gothic) to have some continuity.  
So what does everyone think – go with cozy/cuff, tweak it a little bit, or come up with something new altogether?

copyrights and trademarks

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Note:  This post is part of my four weeks of marketing project.  I am not an expert on copyright law or trademarks, and I am definitely not a lawyer. 


I just filed for my first copyright with the US Government!  
Although copyrights and trademarks aren’t technically part of marketing the cozy/cuff, I wanted to make sure my design was protected, in case my four weeks of marketing pay off so well that suddenly everyone wants to copy the cozy/cuff.  (Dare to dream!)  So I started by researching both copyrights and trademarks, to see which was applicable to me.
Here’s a little summary of what I learned: copyright covers “original works of authorship” like books, screenplays, music, and visual arts.  Technically, your work is copyrighted the moment it is created – however, you can protect that copyright by registering with the United States Copyright Office.  If you have a case that would go to court, they will want to see proof of copyright through the US Copyright Office.
It turns out that filing for a copyright is pretty easy.  You fill out a form online, pay your $35 fee, and upload some images of your work.  Then you wait (apparently up to six months).
Now you may be wondering what exactly copyright covers – it basically covers the actual cozy/cuff – its design, materials, and derivations of those.  It does not cover the idea of the cozy/cuff (meaning I couldn’t sue every person who made a coffee cup cozy that doubles as a bracelet), just its design.  Copyright also doesn’t cover the name cozy/cuff.
That’s where trademark comes in.  In order to protect the name cozy/cuff, I have to file for a trademark.  The process is a little more complicated and a lot more expensive (to the tune of $300).  Basically, a trademark protects a name or logo as it pertains to a good or service.  That means if I were to file a trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the name cozy/cuff, then no one else could use it for goods in related categories.  (Or something like that, I’m still figuring it out.)
I think I am going to apply for a trademark, but I want to do a little more research first.  $300 is a lot to spend until I know what I’m getting into.
Does anyone out there have any experience with copyrights or trademarks they’re willing to share?

another shade of grey

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It was so dark here today, that taking pictures wasn’t really happening.  But I wanted to give you a sneak peek of today’s arrival – the cozy/cuff in a lighter, natural shade of grey.  Not in the shop yet, but soon.  Now I’m off to work on some of my cozy/cuff marketing stuff…

fun with gocco at FIT

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Back at the New York Gift Fair, I spoke with some students from the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Home Products Development Program.  One of them, Melissa, invited me to speak at one of their home product club meetings – so yesterday I head to Manhattan to give a little presentation.
I wasn’t quite sure what I should talk about, but Melissa told me the group responded well to demos.  Hands on is always better, but I knew we’d be in a classroom, not a studio with tools or equipment.  I also wanted to show them something that would be relevant to what they do.  And, the meeting was only an hour long!
In the end, I settled on a gocco demo – and it was a big hit!  I talked about gocco’s applications for prototyping and promotional materials and we printed the image below on a bunch of bags.  The students were already talking about buying one for the club (though they are sad that gocco stuff is getting harder to find) and using it for a packaging project they are working on.

Plus, being there inspired my new “promote the cozy/cuff” mission – so all in all, a great day.  (Except for the fact that after the demo, I tried to go to MAD.  Turns out the galleries aren’t open on Tuesdays – such a let down.)

four weeks of marketing

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Today I went to New York to present to FIT’s Home Product Development Club (more on that tomorrow) but I came back a woman on a mission.  I’ve decided – no more designing new objects until I properly market the ones I’m currently making!
And I decided the cozy/cuff is a great place to start – its simple, but has a clear purpose, and people seem to be responding well to it.  So tonight, I came up with a list of tasks I can do to better market/promote the cozy/cuff – and I’ll be sharing the steps with all of you as I work my way through them.  Hopefully, in 4 weeks time, the cozy/cuff will be a household name!

cozy/cuff in gray + featured seller!

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The cozy/cuff is now available in lovely dark gray felt from filzfelt, and will soon be available in a few other colors (which I’m leaving a surprise until they arrive).  It will be a couple of weeks until I can ship the gray cozy/cuff, but for now you can pre-order them in my Etsy shop.
And speaking of Etsy, I’m currently the featured seller.  I couldn’t be more excited (except for the part where I had to take a picture of myself – I hate that!).  You can read the full interview here.  Welcome to everyone who found their way here from the interview, and thanks to everyone for your support!

bye bye, Mia

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Just got a call from my bike shop letting me know that my bike is totaled.  (That’s the problem with carbon frames, there’s no way to know if the frame is stressed internally, so after an accident, you really have to replace them.)  You’d think I’d be happy about the prospect of getting a new bike, but I didn’t have mine that long, so its really sad.  And Trek doesn’t make that model anymore, so I’m looking at something different.  Sad.
RIP, Mia.

signs of spring

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Thanks for all your nice thoughts on my post yesterday.  I decided to take it easy today, and Grizzly and I took a nice walk to the post office this afternoon.  On our way home, I came across this little guy – one of the first signs of spring! 

damages

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I am going to try to refrain from making this a “my life sucks” kind of post, and instead keep it to a “things could be a whole lot worse” kind of post.  This weekend I had a piece come back from a photo shoot damaged.  And of course, I didn’t have a contract.  (If you haven’t seen Margaux’s post yet, now is a good time to read it.)  Fortunately, the borrower is going to reimburse me for the damaged piece,  so its not the end of the world.  I will remember to have a contract from now on.
This afternoon, my bank called to confirm some questionable charges on my debit card.  Turns out, someone had managed to steal my card number.  Now I have to get a new card, but at least the bank caught it right away, and I won’t be responsible for any of the theft.
Then I decided to go for a bike ride, to, you know, relieve the stress of the bank card incident.  As I was heading home, I came through an intersection.  I had no stop sign, and was going straight through, so I had the right of way.  Unfortunately, a driver stopped at the stop sign didn’t see me, and decided to pull out.  I managed to swerve, and he clipped my back tire, causing me to spin out onto the pavement.  I’m ok, other than some very scraped up knees.  My bike will definitely need a new rear wheel, other than that, I’m not sure until the shop looks at it, but the driver did agree to pay for the damages.  I do feel like the accident could have been much, much worse than it was – I feel fortunate to have been able to walk away.

I think I’ve had a full enough day, so its off to bed.  Hopefully your Monday was less eventful than mine.