Premium brands all have stories to help endear their customers to them. Whether you are a global luxury brand or not, a story will help drive a premium for your product. BMW has long history of creating performance vehicles that started with the production of engines for early airplanes. They then built record-breaking fast motorcycles, and used this engineering know-how to develop some of the most fun cars to drive on the road today.
Hea-Sook Yoo, an artist in LA, knew this fact. She is internationally renowned and her paintings hang in residences, businesses and art galleries on three continents.
Hea-Sook has a particular passion for innovative, multi-media, abstract paintings. From 1996 to the present, Ms. Yoo has been evolving a series of expressionistic pieces entitled “conversation.” These works are multi-layered with the artist’s materials, colors and designs and they provoke a wide range of visceral response and imaginative interpretations. (At least that is what her bio says.)
But the real story begins when you get to talk to her about her artwork as I did at a recent LACMA Art Rental Sales Gallery. You will find that for the past 15 years, she has been painting with the palm of her hand, in addition to using paper towels and brushes to mix paints and apply the color to canvas.
It’s no surprise Hea-Sook quickly realized that she needed to use rubber gloves in this process. But she did not want to just discard the gloves; she knew someday she would find a use for the paint-smeared gloves and paper towels.
That day came a couple of years ago when she started cutting the gloves into sections, stuffing them with the paper towels and making little square pillows of color. She then pieces these squares together to make a collage or quilt-like image that is then framed.
It may not be a BMW, but fine art is not inexpensive. Ms. Yoo has a great story about how her artwork has evolved, which includes the green aspect of re-use, which is very admired in her home state of California. It’s a great story to re-tell. All of her customers can be proud to buy this artwork and tell their friends and family the back story.
What is the story your customers can tell about you and your product? When you have a good story, you have a way to endear your customers to your brand. The best stories are the ones that people re-tell. It’s the best endorsement you could ask for.
photo used by permission from Katrina Snaps
Good point about stories, here.
It’s great to have people retell your story.
It’s super to have your own story to tell, also. Follow the Yoga teaching of “always being in the moment” and capture your own stories.
It’s the “back story” that makes Hea-Sook’s artwork different.
Fred – Thanks for your comment. I agree – a back story is powerful and does a lot to enhance Hea-Sook’s appeal!