001: Free Game from Virgil Abloh
This week's editorial is focused on hustle-hacks, tools, and resources for brand architects, marketing strategists, marketing managers and hustlers living at the intersection of creative and commerce!
Today’s Hello Hot Corner is brought to you by…
To sponsor the next Hello Hot Corner editorial, contact D. Jack at HotCornerCreative[at]gmail[dot]com
Peace and light good people,
It’s Tuesday!
Last week I had the honor of moderating one of the multifaceted dialogues in front of a live audience at the 2nd annual black business month celebration focused on the business of music with a 12x platinum super-producer with 2 Billboard number ones.
I hung around after the event to connect, mix and mingle. And several business owners across various industries approached me with questions around a similar stuck point in their aspirations in brand building/entrepreneurial journey. While each individual that approached me were in different spaces on their journey, the reoccurring theme appeared to be:
“Building the brand/endeavor/product or service on a solid foundation that connects and resonates with the target audience.”
So, this week, I’m going to reference some of the most important archives left behind for all of us by arguably the greatest brand architects of our time, the late and lamented Virgil Abloh. The archive is a wealth of resources for creators/brands in their earliest phases, created to summarize frequently asked questions.
Keep top-of-mind, Virgil’s original archive is mainly aimed at brand creators in the world of fashion. However, the general how-to is applicable to anyone aspiring to create a brand or level-up their brand.
So take what you need and leave the rest!
Let’s go!
“Free Game” For Brand Architects In Their Earliest Phases.
Third-eye Virgil Abloh design by Westside Gunn & Isaac Pelayo
1) “HOW TO MAKE A BRAND” or “NAMING YOUR BRAND”
Paraphrasing Virgil’s words, the brand name is the most important part and it should be an endless reference point to why your brand exists. It’s important to note that there is no place for fear. Do not be afraid to stop and come up with the new brand name out of nowhere if it makes sense. Also, don’t do that just to do it without strong reasoning. Too often, people are married to old ideas that just don’t make sense for where they’ve arrived at a particular point and time.
Ultimately, your brand name is the most powerful asset you’ll have.
Here is a powerful video that serves as a great how-to guide in naming your brand and the steps you can use to assess and come up with a strong brand name:
2) “HOW TO OBTAIN A TRADEMARK”
This might be the most important aspect of each and every brand. However, protecting the Intellectual Property (IP) is one of the often overlooked factors.
Yes, filing a trademark sounds like a mountain of a task. But here is a high-level overview you can use to get the process started:
3) “HOW TO USE ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE”
When it comes to artwork, I will personally suggest hiring a professional if you have the means to do so. For a couple reasons. Firstly, this allows you to spend more time working on your brand instead of working in it. Secondly, it allows you to establish the communication rapport with other creatives who will help you succeed in areas you may be less strong. Also, you can use free or more budget conscious creative art solutions like Canva, Visme, Easil…etc
However, for the more ambitious DIY’ers, Adobe Creative Suite brings all these programs together via: Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign and more. Here is a how-to guide on how to use these programs to complete your tasks:
4) “HOW TO MAKE A SCREEN PRINT”
Brands usually begin with screen printed garments as the foundation. For brands, this is relevant because it is an effective way to promote your brand, products and services as a wearable billboard or art piece that provokes thought and interests. You don’t have to be a tee shirt brand to make tee shirts!
Of course you can pay all types of up-charges and service fees to have a screen printing company provide their services.
But again, for the ambitious DIY’ers,
Here is a guide to understand what goes into the screen printing process — along with the tools, techniques and materials to screen print posters:
5) “SOURCING BLANKS TO PRINT ON”
As you spend time sourcing blanks to print on, use this this guide to understand the differences between blanks and help you choose yours. Learn about three of the top blank tee shirt companies that will save you money and time:
6) “HOW TO SHOOT A LOOKBOOK”
Now that all the product has been produced, you need to showcase them! This is your marketing content created and curated by you. The following videos is Virgil’s guide to understanding the necessities you’ll need to produce a strong lookbook:
7) “HOW TO MAKE A WEBSITE”
This is how you distribute and bring your products/services to the marketplace. Typically, Squarespace or Wix is the go-to platform. Use the video below as a guide through the process:
8) “HOW TO ADD SHOPIFY”
When your website is functional, you’ll need a platform to help you sell your products/services. Shopify will help you develop and organize your backend for shipping and general logistics. The video below will help you understand the ins and outs of a successful Shopify e-commerce store and how to apply what works best for your brand:
The base foundation is covered. So, I’ll wrap here.
But of course in true Virgil Abloh fashion, there is definitely a deep dive into more inspiration if you’re interested.
If there are topics you want covered, follow @HotCornerCreative on IG and drop a comment on a reel.