NICHE
In the context of the second semester Art Direction assignment in the Design Management master, we were asked by Luca Nichetto to propose and develop the complete strategy for his spin-off brand. We were given the task to come up with the whole story; creating both the corporate and visual identity, determining the correct positioning in the market, suggesting the categories and product lines, concluding with the communication plan.
As a result of this Niche Studio was born, the homonym creative and productive outlet for the Venetian designer. Through this new venture, Luca Nichetto will channel his decades of design, production and strategy experience into a series of limited series products meant to both solve common everyday problems as well as bring beauty into people’s everyday lives.
BRAND IDENTITY
STORY
Nichetto can develop Niche by drawing inspiration from his Venetian background and heritage, his Swedish life and experience as an expat.
NAME
The name proposed, Niche, is a shortening of the designer’s name, Nichetto. It is meant to express itself on one level as a part of Nichetto, coming from Nichetto. On another level, it aims to communicate its limited and exclusive nature when it comes to its targets: it is directing itself to a ‘niche’, a specialized segment of cultured design customers.
MISSION
To foster new conversations around the relationship between the object and the user in order to educate our users into the value of design and craftsmanship with special emphasis on the following concepts
VISION
To build-up the impact of design through a narrative based on the never-ending experimentation at the intersections of production, craftsmanship and culture.
MISSION KEY WORDS
VISION KEY WORDS
BRAND POSITIONING
DESIGNER-LED EDITORIAL
This approach refers to a methodology where a designer is responsible for conceptualizing1 and crafting the design of a product while also guiding the production process by outsourcing specific manufacturing tasks to skilled craftsmen.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Target: focusing on collectors allows you to tap into a specific niche market. Collectors are passionate about design and have a keen interest in acquiring unique, limited-edition, or one-of-a-kind pieces. By creating exclusive or collectible items we build a dedicated and loyal customer base.
PRODUCTS
PRODUCT BRIEF
For the product line, we advocated for Niche to design and develop collections of highly crafted products following concepts set by the team. It should include small decor objects, apparel, lamps, board games, home fragrances, tableware and small furniture pieces integrating handcrafted techniques and high quality materials. The selection of materials should be an essential part of the design process, having one or a mix of materials for each piece that’s representative of Luca Nichetto’s Italian and Swedish background, will play an important role not only in the brand identity but also in its communication.
BRAND COMMUNICATION
COMPETITION ANALYSIS
For the final section of the Niche strategy, we first took a close look at Niche’s nearest competitors which is vital to guide the brand and develop its own, distinguishable communication personality so to avoid possible confusions and comparisons. Analyzing the market competitors in terms of their communication helped us identify the characteristics that make them stand out and also the ones they could share in common, serving as a sort of land mine in which we could define Niche’s own specific positioning, differentiating it from the competition and Luca’swv own eponymous design practices.
MEDIA USE In order to create a convincing and successful media strategy for Niche it was very important to understand the kind of usage and time the targeted audience devotes to the different existing media. And so based on that analysis, the following were the chosen social media platforms that work excellently to reach and interact with Niche’s target audience and possible future customers.
LAUNCH STRATEGY By strategically releasing and promoting products over time, playing with anticipation, and leveraging design fairs as significant milestones, the launch strategy suggested for Niche aims to generate buzz, maintain interest, and drive excitement throughout the year.
DESIGN FAIRS It is imperative for Niche to be present in strategic design events around the world. Following the the seasonal calendar of the collection launches, it is suggested for Niche to be present at the following design fairs because of their connection to the values of the brand and the market and visibility opportunities they offer.
