CORE CUSTOMER couldn ’ t wait to get his hands on the stuff to try it out .
Only he couldn ’ t . Because the company that created Vantablack had already signed an exclusive deal with a famous artist , a guy named Anish Kapoor ( the guy that created Chicago ’ s Cloud Gate , or the Bean as you might know it ). Anish Kapoor was literally the only person in the world allowed to use this revolutionary black paint .
Stuart wasn ’ t impressed . So he decided to strike back against what he sees as artistic elitism , and create his own — even blacker — black .
He launched a Kickstarter campaign and , thanks to the support of like-minded artists who agreed that no one person should ever own a color exclusively , Stuart raised over $ 620,000 ! Enough to help him create the blackest black in the world , Culture Hustle ’ s Black 3.0 .
Now anyone , any professional artist , any novice , you , me , anyone can get their hands on Black 3.0 .
ANYONE EXCEPT ANISH KAPOOR !
You see , when you go to Stuart ' s Culture Hustle website , and you add Black 3.0 to your shopping cart , you must agree to the following terms and conditions :
“ By adding this product to your cart , you confirm that you are not Anish Kapoor . You are in no way affiliated to Anish Kapoor . You are not purchasing this item on behalf of Anish Kapoor or an associate of Anish Kapoor . To the best of your knowledge , information , and belief , this material will not make its way into the hands of Anish Kapoor .”
Isn ’ t that hilarious ?
CAN YOU OWN A COLOR ?
But , before Stuart ’ s # sharetheblack campaign could become a short-lived marketing gimmick , he identified yet another anticustomer : T-Mobile . The telecom giant has tried to monopolize the color magenta , arguing that their brand so inextricably linked to that particular shade of pink , no other brand should be allowed to use it .
Well , of course , Stuart is having none of it so he ’ s started a # sharethepink campaign too . If you want to buy his Pink TM paint you need to agree to the following terms :
“ By adding this product to your cart , you confirm that you are in no way affiliated to T-Mobile , you are not purchasing this item on behalf of an associate of T-Mobile , and you do not hold a telephone contract from T-Mobile . To the best of your knowledge , information , and belief , this paint will not make its way into the hands of anyone associated with T-Mobile .”
It ’ s a great color , but I wouldn ’ t be able to buy it . Firstly because I ’ m a T-Mobile customer , but more significantly , because it ’ s completely sold out !
Ironically , it ' s Stuart ' s determination that no one should be allowed to own a color , and his clear and simple understanding of who his customer is NOT , that has united artists around the world . That has made them want to stand by him and his brand .
That one simple , clear idea has turned Culture Hustle , a small team of artists working in an art studio in Dorset , England , into one of the world ' s fastest-growing art materials brands .
And it ’ s making me wonder whether we ’ ve all been spending so much time crafting customer personas that they ’ ve just become meaningless . Maybe it ’ s time to focus on the people who should
NOT be buying our stuff ?
Andrew Davis is a best-selling author and keynote speaker . Before building and selling a thriving digital marketing agency , Andrew produced for NBC and worked for The Muppets . He ' s appeared in the New York Times and on the Today Show . He ' s crafted documentary films and award-winning content for tiny start-ups and Fortune 500 brands . Today , Andrew Davis teaches business leaders how to grow their businesses , transform their cities , and leave their legacy .
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