Crafts of Character Branding Program

The Crafts of Character Branding Program promotes high-quality, distinctive Newfoundland and Labrador craft, gift and apparel products. The brand is promoted through product tags and labels and point-of-sale materials, online at www.craftsofcharacter.com, and through advertising and promotional activities undertaken by the department. The brand assures consumers they are purchasing products which reflect the uniqueness of the people, culture and character of Newfoundland and Labrador.

A comprehensive document detailing the Crafts of Character Branding Program including the product eligibility and evaluation criteria is available at the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development website.

Eligibility

Applications will be considered from craft, gift and apparel producers, as well as retailers and galleries.

To be eligible, craft, gift and apparel producers must meet the following criteria:

Permanently resides in Newfoundland and Labrador and has done so for at least six months prior to the date of application to the program.
Newfoundland and Labrador-based business or organization (profit or not-for-profit) with a significant majority of employees or members residing in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Sells or intends to sell their work on a consistent basis through commissions or at venues including retail, craft and/or gift shops, studios, galleries, and craft fairs.

In addition, craft, gift and apparel products must meet the following criteria:

Fit the department's definitions of a craft, gift or apparel product.
Be high-quality, reflecting the intent of the brand.
Where possible, produced in Newfoundland and Labrador. If production is completed in an out-of-province facility, the producer must demonstrate that the capacity and/or expertise do not exist within the province to execute the production.
Be designed or made by the applicant producer, or by employees under the direct supervision of the producer, or by a contractor using the explicit specifications of the producer.
Be in a fully market-ready state, including packaging.

Other product criteria will also be considered in the application assessment process.

To be eligible, retailers and/or galleries must meet the following criteria:

Be in business for at least one year prior to the date of application.
Consistently stock at least five (5) separate Crafts of Character approved product lines in their product mix.
Do not carry products that, in the judgement of the evaluation committee, are demeaning to the brand image.

Ineligible Applicants

The program is not available to hobbyists, wholesalers, distributors, or agents. Retailers are not eligible to apply to brand products by producers whose work they represent.

Program Benefits

For craft, gift and apparel producers, the benefits of participating in the program include use of hang tags and labels to identify products as brand approved, as well as a producer profile on the Crafts of Character website.

For retailers, the benefits of participating in the program include official designation as a Crafts of Character retailer, with a window decal and information cards to highlight branded product displays, as well as a retailer listing on the Crafts of Character website.

To support the efforts of both producers and retailers, the department has ongoing promotional campaigns to encourage consumers, both tourist and local, to look for Crafts of Character products. For the tourist market, the Crafts of Character brand is being promoted through advertising in the Provincial Travel Guide and the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador's Studio Guide, brochures in all the Visitor Information Centres in the province and posters on all Marine Atlantic ferries. This fall will see a print ad campaign encouraging local consumers to seek out Crafts of Character products.

How to Apply

Applications forms for producers and retailers are available at the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development website. For further assistance, please call 1-800-562-2299 or (709)729-7071.