Novel Creations Pop-Up Market
St. Louis County Library
Innovation Synopsis
The Novel Creations Pop-Up Market Series is an immersive, eight-week marketing accelerator designed to equip entrepreneurial artists, artisans, and crafters with the vital business strategies and supportive community needed to transform their creative work into thriving enterprises. The program dives into the realms of visual merchandising, direct and viral marketing, brand construction, and promotional material design. Participants connect with other small business owners and entrepreneurs and are given mentorship from industry experts. The series culminates in a public holiday market where the participants--now vendors-- unveil their enhanced marketing skills and sell a selection of handmade crafts, unique gifts, and local artisanal treats in a real-world marketplace.
Challenge/Opportunity
The Novel Creations Pop-Up Market series addressed key challenges faced by artists, artisans, and crafters in turning their hobbies into sustainable businesses. These challenges included:
- Lack of Business and Marketing Acumen: Creatives sometimes lack the skills to promote their work. This program served as an eight-week marketing accelerator, teaching essential business skills including visual merchandising, brand construction, direct marketing, and promotional material design.
- Limited Access to Sales Opportunities: Finding or affording venues to sell products can be difficult. The program hosted a public holiday market where participants could showcase and sell their work, gaining valuable, real-world sales experience.
- Isolation and Lack of Professional Networks: Working independently can be isolating and limit professional growth. The program fostered a sense of community by connecting participants with fellow artists and local businesses.
Key Elements of Innovation
The Novel Creations key elements of innovations were designed to move participants from learning to earning:
- Incubator Model: A structured, multi-week curriculum covered topics pertinent to marketing and advertising a small business.
- Methodology: The program used a mix of interactive methods:
- Interactive lectures and workshops led by Library staff and industry experts
- Group discussions, brainstorming, & feedback sessions
- Hands-on activities & simulations for practical learning
- Mentorship & guidance throughout the course
- Partnerships: The Library collaborated with community partners & industry experts to provide specialized knowledge in areas like merchandising & promotion.
- Unique Culmination: The program culminated in a real-world, public pop-up market, allowing participants to immediately apply their learned skills & receive tangible feedback & sales. It effectively transforms the Library from a place of learning into a platform for business and community engagement.
Achieved Outcomes
The Novel Creations Pop-Up Market demonstrated clear success through tangible outcomes:
- Attendance & Sales: The market attracted over 1,400 visitors, and every one of the 59 vendors made sales, a few of whom sold out their entire inventory.
- Participant Feedback: Participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the program's impact on their business skills and confidence. Participants expressed gratitude for the resources, networking opportunities, and practical tools provided, with comments such as:
- This program exceeded my expectations. I learned so much. This program helped give me the resources I needed to feel confident in moving forward with my business.
- It was great to see how our library is evolving into a place of business, enlarging its mission - priceless!
- New Programs: The program's success inspired the development of a version for budding teen creators, expanding the Library's entrepreneurial education offerings.
