Bone promotion

The use of bone is targeted at two specific audiences: designer-makers and research scientists.  Each are tackling a different issues surrounding the material.

Designer-makers will be tackling the social stigma associated with the material; whereas research scientists will be investigating ways to apply bone at a large scale.  Both of these areas need to be addressed, if bone is to be accepted by the general public.

The logo was inspired by a jewellery design.

The symbol was chosen as it simultaneously referenced both the elegant (decorative) and cellular (scientific) properties of bone.

The bone logo was then split into two sub-brands, which better reflected the target audiences.

Brand Identity

Image boards were developed, based on the initial user profiles created.  These were designed to embody the brand values and identity of the individual sub-brands.

With ‘bone artisan’ the primary emphasis is on the elegant and beautiful aspects of bone. The ethical and environmental values are a secondary reference.

It was decided to place more emphasis on the emotional aspects of bone, as opposed to the ethical implications, in order to emulate the way the Smart Car is marketed.  Smart Cars are mainly promoted on the idea of fun, lifestyle and performance. Their efficiency and low emissions are presented as a secondary bonus, as they have less influence over purchasing decisions.

Integration Scenario

This is the initial integration strategy for bone. It is based around three entitities:

Bone Lab – Generating research into specialist or mass applications for bone.

Bone Farm – Creating a distribution network for bone.

Bone Artisan – Promoting the use of bone to the craft and design community, in order to raise the profile and value of the material

Gathering Interest
Generating discussion and interest within the science community.  This can be achieved through the creation of concept designs, which symbolise the properties of bone and highlight potential applications.  This will be accompanied by supporting web-based material.  These will be used to ‘spark’ the imagination of intellectuals and gather promotion through universities and magazines, such as New Scientist.

Capturing Government Funding
The economic and environmental benefits of using bone can be leveraged to attain government funding.  Funding will support further research into the chemical and mechanical properties of bone, as well as the development of potential applications.

Funding can also be used to develop an odour free bone, to allow for bones easier integration into the craft market.

Mass Application
If valid applications for bone are uncovered, commercial investment will need to be sourced.  This can be used to develop methods make bone suitable for mass applications, as well as a business model around the technology

Distribution and Promotion
A business model can then be constructed around the technology, as well as ways to promote and distribute the material.  Promotion could be achieved through integration with specialist publications like Inventables, as well as more mainstream sources like New Scientist.

Initially the supply of bone will be small scale, using boiling and chemical sterilisation.  However as demand increases the production of bone can shifted to the use of dermestid beetles, as this method will have lower running costs and will be less hands on.

Initial Campaign Material
Promoting bone, to the arts community, will begin with the creation of a consistent identity for bone. Bone will initially be promoted through a specialist website.  The website will primarily be used to convey the unusual and beautiful ways in which bone can be used.  It will also however, make secondary reference to the ethical implications of the material and its “green” values.

Capture Grants
With the identity and values of bone in place, the next stage will be to retrieve grants from funding bodies such as the arts council.  These can be used to promote bone in more pro-active ways

Commissioned Artefacts - Trendsetting
Part of the funding will be used to commission prestigious and upcoming designer-makers, to create objects which will highlight the ways in which bone can be used.  These artefacts will help tackle the stigma associated material, and promote its use to the arts community. 

Exhibitions and Exposure
The pieces created via commission can then be used to gain exposure for the use of bone.  This can be achieved through art galleries, university promotion and craft networks such as CraftScotland.org and Craftmaker.co.uk.  This in turn could generate spin-off promotion via magazines and forums.

Supply of Bone
During the promotion there will be a small scale distribution network in place.  Bone at this scale will be processed in limited quantities using a boiling processes.  As the demand for the material increases, this can be upgraded to the use of larger dermestid beetle colony.

Bone will be sold and promoted as a relatively high value material.  This is to encourage a high-end association and add an element of desire to it.

PR Supply 
A supply of bone will be distributed freely to a select group of designer-makers.  This is to help achieve further promotion for bone, through their work.

Odourless Bone
If an odourless form of bone can be developed by BoneLAB, it will be supplied and targeted at Universities.  Odourless bone will be more pleasant to work with, and will be more suitable for public workshops.  Targeting Universities will also help introduce upcoming designers to the material.

Additionally, the development, and patenting of odourless bone, will help maintain a unique market position, as bone increases in popularity.