Elevating the Artisan Economy

The artisan economy is the second largest economy in the world after agriculture.

The Aspen Institute’s Artisan Alliance is a public-private partnership that brings together artisan businesses, non-profits, corporations, and governments to break down barriers commonly faced in the artisan sector.

The Artisan Alliance was seeking to raise global consumer awareness of the impact of the artisan economy and celebrate the value of “choosing artisan” handmade products. Launched with a public address by then-Secretary of State John Kerry, the #ChooseArtisan campaign engaged consumers, corporations, and policymakers about the potential of the artisan sector to empower women entrepreneurs in developing economies.

Project Highlights:

Campaign contributed to a 50% increase in membership and reached more than 2.5 Million in a single day

• Developed a two-year marketing strategy to elevate the artisan sector and attract new members to the Alliance

• Managed the design and launch of a global #ChooseArtisan marketing campaign, which launched a unifying hashtag for the artisan sector and garnered media coverage in the Washington Post, Forbes, and Refinery 29

• Launched a global multimedia competition which crowdsourced content from artisans in 42 countries. Designed competition website, promotional video, social media content, email, print materials, and paid social advertising.

• Led UX Design and marketing for the Artisan Innovation Workshop app that uses design thinking principles to connect artisan businesses with e-commerce leaders and suppliers to address issues in the artisan supply chain.

Source: The Aspen Institute