Smelt Co.

[SmeltCo]

Im new to the candle making community and I am so excited about my brand. 

 

I wanted to ask advice from more experienced candle makers. What was your biggest challenge starting out with candle making. I think mine is probably finding the perfect pour temperature and avoiding air bubbles. Im learning that so many waxes perform differently. 

[NightLight]

Hate to say this looks like a promotion or ad rather than getting information from the community.

[KrisS]

3 hours ago, NightLight said:

Hate to say this looks like a promotion or ad rather than getting information from the community.

 

Yup.  I'm also questioning the marketing choice of that orange candle with the uncentered wick.

 

[TallTayl]

1 hour ago, KrisS said:

 

Yup.  I'm also questioning the marketing choice of that orange candle with the uncentered wick.

 

Self promo fixed. Both The orange and the blue are far from centered. That will likely present some burn issues.

[KrisS]

10 hours ago, TallTayl said:

Self promo fixed. Both The orange and the blue are far from centered. That will likely present some burn issues.

 

Ha. I didn't make it to the blue one. That one was bad too.

[NightLight]

Off center wicks. Marketing name. Smelt is also common fish. So brand name can be interpretation as Get Smelt fishies.

[ShelleyF]

I clicked the link and looked at the website. I had to see if they were really selling those crooked wick candles and they are for $26. It says they're sold out. That is insane. I get so upset when people do not learn how to make candles and just sell them. Candle making is an art and so many people cheapen it. 

 

[Candlefriends]

I'm just gonna say this... Yes, this brand does need some work and they DID ask for advice.  

 

Smelt - Before you start selling, I would work on centering your wicks and doing some more testing. I don't think you are quite there yet. 

Since you use Wooden Wicks I would reach to out them and see if they have tools and tips to perfect this. 

 

Otherwise, it's great that you're proud of your brand, you should be! Just be careful of self promoting anywhere if it's not invited. As you can see it can be ill received given some of the nasty comments here.

 

Kindness is free - that's all I have to say.

Edited April 27, 2022 by Candlefriends

[KrisS]

On 4/27/2022 at 4:00 PM, Candlefriends said:

As you can see it can be ill received given some of the nasty comments here.

 

Kindness is free - that's all I have to say.

 

Please don't confuse "kindness" with "being nice".  I'm personally okay with it being considered nasty to tell someone their wicks are off-center, which is going to create burn issues, and they need to reconsider using pics that showcase those flaws. It's in a similar vein to telling someone that using botanicals on top of a candle may cause a fire and they should invest in purchasing ASTM standards, insurance, and testing.

 

Is it nice? No--that would be telling someone they're wonderful and perfect to gain friends and internet points. Is it kind? Absolutely--you're pointing out common issues that you may have had yourself along with the potential ramifications. You risk upsetting someone because they've worked long and hard to get to that point, but you have your own conscience to deal with if you don't speak up.

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by KrisS

[NightLight]

The help was given. Off center wicks, possible issues with brand names

[Candlefriends]

Excuse me, how are the follow comments "being nice"?

"Ha. I didn't make it to the blue one. That one was bad too." 

or "So brand name can be interpretation as Get Smelt fishies."

 

These specific comments were made with no help or guidance which I thought was this forum was about. There is a way to be critical without being cutting or with mockery. That is kindness.

 

And the sad part is do you think this person who needs lots of help and trustworthy advice is going to come back? Probably not.

 

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by Candlefriends

[Cross-stitch]

I don't make candles, so I can't really criticize.  However, I do know that your first post promoting/selling your items is really bad taste.

 

If he/she did come back there are a few questions that could be asked of them.  One important one would be what help/info they were wanting to obtain.  But, until then I'm afraid there's not a whole lot that can be done from this end...

[TallTayl]

I often wonder on the obvious self promo posts littered with links  if the person is not looking for instructions, but instead validation with a side of free advertising.

 

the members of this board are generous to a fault. Some might come across at times with a bit of a sharp edge if read wrong. 

[Candlefriends]

I completely agree TallTayl there are a lot of generous people here and I myself am grateful for it.

 

And yes while their screen name and self promo appears to be more of a manipulation tactic v. seeking help it  

may have also come from a  person who was overly excited or zealous as they said, "I'm so excited about my brand" and simply a made mistake in their approach. 

 

Personally, when I see a newbie post like this where they need lots of help, to me, if we can offer some advice so that they feel comfortable enough to ASK ANY QUESTION or "show-off" without a feeling of embarrassment than so be it.

There is no place for cutting, mocking or "sharp" remarks like the some of the ones here.  I've been around them by far too often in my other profession to know that they fall way short of their intentions or long term effectiveness. 

 

Again, it's the goal of this forum for new people (no matter what) to stick around so that they become great and SAFE candle makers - yes?

 

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2022 by Candlefriends

[TallTayl]

21 hours ago, Candlefriends said:

I completely agree TallTayl there are a lot of generous people here and I myself am grateful for it.

 

And yes while their screen name and self promo appears to be more of a manipulation tactic v. seeking help it  

may have also come from a  person who was overly excited or zealous as they said, "I'm so excited about my brand" and simply a made mistake in their approach. 

 

Personally, when I see a newbie post like this where they need lots of help, to me, if we can offer some advice so that they feel comfortable enough to ASK ANY QUESTION or "show-off" without a feeling of embarrassment than so be it.

There is no place for cutting, mocking or "sharp" remarks like the some of the ones here.  I've been around them by far too often in my other profession to know that they fall way short of their intentions or long term effectiveness. 

 

Again, it's the goal of this forum for new people (no matter what) to stick around so that they become great and SAFE candle makers - yes?

 

 

 

 

I appreciate your thoughts.  
 

We are assuming the OP was seeking help. I’m not convinced one way or the other. 
ETA-data from the admin panel doesn’t look like the OP came back at all after dropping the post, so it’s unclear if they read any of the replies.
 

this thread could become an excellent discussion about testing branding - if we let it.  Part of creating a brand is seeking feedback from strangers to see if we are hitting our target. Sometimes things we think as clever don’t hit quite the way we expect. It can be a neat segue into a conversation, or an embarrassing moment. 

my first thought as a person who has had 50 something trips around the sun was fish.  Specifically sardines. I am not likely the OP’s target market. 
 

I wrote the word “smelt” on a blank piece of paper and then asked  my 18 yo daughter the first thought that came to mind.  Her first response: melting metal, smelting. Then fish.  She could see it as a play on words with smell and melt when given the idea, but it took a while to get there. 
 

Granted my daughter  is probably not the target market either. but who is?
 

As we build a brand it’s imperative to know who we are aiming for, and what they think when a brand name and logo are presented. You have one chance to make a first impression. 
 

then think of the old elevator speech.  If you have 10 seconds to speak of your brand to someone in an elevator how clearly does the brand name and imagery come across? do you have to explain the concept? 
 

it took an awful lot of school years and hundreds upon hundreds of hours observing silently as consumers spoke candidly while shopping - or worse passing shops choosing not to even stop. People like to comment to their friends about random things they see while shopping. Those unsolicited comments are gold. When listening we learn many very valuable marketing and branding lessons.  Businesses are always evolving to better reach the target market.
 

We all need to learn to accept feedback in order to continually improve. The few comments here were super valuable to someone like me who sincerely wants to improve their product, branding and pitch. 
 

But first, SAFETY. 

[bfroberts]

I think the brand name is problematic for obvious reasons, but that's neither here nor there if OP doesn't actually stick around for feedback.  That leads to a certain assumption as to the motivation for the post. People DO shamelessly scatter links all over the internet just for backlinks and exposure. IME, if that's what it looks like, that's usually what it is.

If OP genuinely wants to be a part of the community, she will be welcomed. 

[NightLight]

@Candlefriends. I do a lot of branding, and graphic design. Smelt is a fish. I would immediately discourage the use of that word for a brand especially when this has do to with fragrances in candles smelling nice.

Because Smelt definition does include fish I would avoid using it as brand name.

 

 

Smelled or Smelt? | Grammarly Blog

For North Americans, smelt usually means (1) to melt or fuse ores, and (2) any of several small, silvery fishes of the family Osmeridae found in fresh waters of the northern hemisphere. Smeltas a form of smell is not unheard of in North America, but it is rare (see the Ngram below), appearing mainly in the rhyming jocular expression whoever smelt it dealt it (and its variants).

 

• Smelled is the past tense of smell in both North American and British English.
• Smelt is also used as the past tense of smell in British English. Brits use smelledand smelt interchangeably, but speakers in North America rarely use smelt.
• Smelt also has meanings unrelated to smelling. Its other meanings have to do with metalworking and fish.