First Martha, Now Marie

It was a big coup when the company that manufactures Singer, Husqvarna Viking, and Pfaff Sewing machines got the endorsement of Martha Stewart. She had never endorsed a brand other than her own, so it was a really big deal.

Read about it here: MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA, INC. ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENT OF SVP WORLDWIDE PRODUCTS

So today, as I'm browsing through the web, I discover this:



I read this article on Comcast:Sewing Up Marie Osmond's Endorsement

Then I read a few more details about it on Business Wire.

So, whaddya think of that? It's interesting to see who the endorsers are and what they are endorsing. I mean, Martha is known as the queen of all domestic goddess stuff, so having her endorsement on anything, especially something that she didn't put into production for herself as her own brand, is a big deal. (Just give it time-- you know there will be a Martha Stewart model someday.) But America's sweetheart, Marie, is also known as a rather crafty person in her own right, dedicating a lot of her business ventures to crafting stuff, like her dolls, so I'm sure she is a quilter, even though I didn't know it before.

From all the research I have done, both the SVP brands and the Janome brands are really good one-- they aren't junk machines. I know Threadbangers is sponsored in part by Janome, which I'm sure was a big boost to them, since I'm guessing they started out just on their own, and Janome gave them THEIR endorsement by becoming a sponsor. And I'll admit, that between SVP brands, Janome and Bernina, and yes, even Brother, I was looking at all those brands when I was searching for a machine, and then went with a Singer. (A big part of it was price point for me.) But I have to say that it's also interesting that Marie is hawking this really expensive model, the Memory Craft 11000 computerized machine. While I'm sure it's great for quilters and others who was to be free with their creativity, it's a machine that sells for upwards of $6000! I found one on eBay that was selling hers for about half the price, which is still really expensive! I supposed if you are a professional and are REALLY into this, that's a good investment. But really Marie, as cool as the machine is, do you expect your fans, who are pretty much Middle America, to spend that kind of money on a sewing machine if they are not professionals themselves? That's a pretty expensive toy. And don't get me wrong-- I'm a big Marie fan. Bigger fan of her brother Donny, but we won't go into that here. ;-)

For once, I have to tip my hat to Martha. She endorses a line that has a little bit of something for everyone, from those who are watching their budget (like me), all the way through the machine's like Marie's. There's bound to be a machine that fits every budget and need with the SVP brands. (I'm not necessarily endorsing it, although I will admit that I am enjoying my Singer Inspiration 4206 so far, and hopefully someday will be able to upgrade to a "fancier" machine.) Martha presents to the masses-- and the masses respond. So it was more responsible for her to endorse a reputable brand that had a wide range instead of just one specific machine. If Marie could learn anything from Martha, she would've been better off endorsing the Janome brand as a whole, rather than just the one specific, out of most people's price range machine.

Getting off my soapbox now....