Cast your mind back to 2020 (zoom quiz, anyone!?) and how your Instagram joyously changed to a technicolour craft mosaic. Didn’t it seem like everyone had a crochet hook in hand?

‍So many people turned to making in the wake of newfound time on their hands, from knitting to quilting; this surge of creativity came from a need to anchor to something during unsettling and uncertain times.

Esty doubled its sales in 2020—the handmade became important not just to do but also to own.

These projects shared on the gram did something amazing. They drove genuine and wholesome connections—deep connections to each other in times when we couldn’t be physically together. 

But most of all, it showed the work it takes to create something from scratch, emphasising small businesses with honest hearts and hands behind them.  

So, fashion, jewellery, and lifestyle brands, take note. These two outcomes are why your brand should actively promote DIY culture, a way to show that sustainability is part of your brand DNA, and we want to help you with the how.

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Brands can benefit by letting consumers into their thought processes and stories

Take the free mending service offered by TOAST. Why would they offer this? Wouldn’t getting the consumer to buy a new shirt or jacket be more economical? 

Instead, the mentality they are promoting is that clothing holds memory, and we should cherish it. Emphasis is put back on the journey and the storytelling of a piece:

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“Mending is about the journey travelled, not reinstating the impossible perfection of the new.” 

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It is an ‘antidote to throwaway culture,’ and the visible mending promotes a DIY mentality, showing the consumer that they can invest in pieces. A hole won't stop the jumper's life, and mending it will enhance it and add to the story. 

TOAST understands that this is a trend with longitude. DIY culture has been prominent throughout history and has symbolised many different attitudes—ranging from a stand against mass consumerism to creating from genuine need due to economic reasons. This feels very relevant today. The clothing industry makes 450 million items per year. It’s time for that to change.

TOASTS repair service is a wonderful example of a step towards a circular business model. They keep their pieces travelling around, breathing fresh air into them rather than leaving them destined for landfill. Storytelling and sustainable values are woven together here with something useful and special.

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Read more about circular business models here.

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The importance of storytelling in marketing

You can share this type of content in many ways, from TikTok to Instagram, Pinterest and even email.  

PS- Let's chat if you don’t know where to start. 

Take Roka Brings Flowers, a French florist based in London. They deliver fresh flowers by bicycle and live on a very cute narrow boat. 

Her 131K Instagram followers actively engage with her content, which ranges from making bags out of vintage boat sails to aesthetic shots of her towed mini greenhouse, where she grows flowers and vegetables. 

Overlaid by her poetic speeches on the need for creativity and DIY for mental well-being, she authentically promotes sustainability without having to sing and dance about it; it is engrained.

This is something we at Claddagh Creative know the value of. This community engagement appeals to Gen Z through to Boomers and drives up her sales both online and in real life. 

Authentic content with a love of craft and DIY at its core is building Roka’s brand in person and online. Her sustainable values create this buzz, and you can transmit the same.

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Can DIY culture be an asset to brand sales?

Okay, let’s be honest here. The cost of living is rising, and consumer habits are changing. In the very relevant words of legendary Vivienne Westwood, ‘Buy Less, Choose Well, and Make it Last.’ 

We can understand why brands would be threatened by not being needed and sharing too much. 

However, creating community by showing an insight into your process will only enhance your brand image and create a want for what you are selling. It goes back to that word…

Storytelling.

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How can a brand grow authentically? 

The sharing of knowledge is an invitation to your brand, ethos, and personality. Take Tom Daley; he didn’t start knitting to create a brand centred around the joyful community act of knitting. 

He got to that point by accident, and what a brilliant way to get there! It shines through that this story wasn’t made for as a sale tactic; it just was. 

His brand, Made With Love, has a tab dedicated to the community, where everyone shares their love for knitting and the connection at each stitch's core. 

This shows that it isn’t a threat. Sharing and promoting craft helps someone see the work in each piece. From colour choices to assemblage, each garment has a story. It all adds to storytelling, to that beautiful aspect of being human: the why. 

It enters the consumer into the bigger picture and creates emotional connections with your marketing—another example of the butterfly effect of storytelling.

So, by weaving compelling stories around their brand ethos, heritage and efforts towards sustainability, brands can captivate and foster loyalty. 

Making an effort to share process videos, tutorials, or even your passion and hobbies outside of your brand can work absolute wonders. 

Let’s weave that innate narrative of your brand together.

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