Online marketplace Etsy is taking its goods into the offline world with a one-day, nationwide pop-event.
At Etsy.com, artists, curators and craftspeople sell their handmade and vintage products. The company’s first “Made in Canada” event, which takes place Sept. 27 in 21 locations, is designed to bring local sellers and buyers together in person.
“People who know Etsy love Etsy, but it’s important to get in front of consumers who haven’t yet experienced the brand,” said Erin Green, country manager of Etsy Canada. “Not to mention, it’s great to be able to meet the person who actually made the goods.”
Each event is being organized by an Etsy “team captain” and will reflect the individual culture and style of his or her own community. Etsy provided a two-day training session for all team captains last spring, supplied a PR toolkit on how to promote the event locally and offered tips on how to secure a venue and attract local sellers. Etsy will also be sending out a direct mail to more than 100,000 homes across Canada.
“We wanted to plan something offline that was really epic and community-driven,” said Green. “[‘Made in Canada’] will showcase Etsy’s independent creative businesses, and support the maker movement and domestic trade.”
In Toronto, the “Made in Canada” flagship marketplace will be held at Mars Discovery District. Toronto’s OCAD University will also hold a pop-up event, with more 170 sellers between the two locations.
As of Sept. 18, all Etsy items available in the live marketplaces nationwide can be found at Etsy.com/madeincanada.
“Made in Canada” is the newest addition to the company’s ongoing offline initiatives, such as this summer’s Etsy “Road Trip.” During the 10-day event, an Etsy-branded AirStream filled with goods made stops in Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto. In March, the company partnered with Indigo to sell a selection of Etsy goods at Indigo’s Toronto Centre Locations as well as through Indigo’s website.
Green said Etsy is currently planning a “mini-version” of “Made in Canada” for the holiday season, with pop-up shops in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Winnipeg.
PR for the “Made in Canada” event is being handled at Etsy’s agency of record Rock-it Promotions, as well as Rev Communications in Montreal and Carine Redmond in Vancouver.
