2024 Finalists - Ink Balm
We caught up with the fantastic Fiona from the Ink Balm to discuss her vegan range of tattoo balms and moisturisers, How the awards have helped them think about their products and have given them exposure to new audiences with enquires coming in even before the full round of judging had been completed.
Company Name: The Ink Balm
Product(s) in the Finalist: The Ink Balm Range
Can you tell me a bit about your business and the inspiration behind your products?
Everyone knows someone with a tattoo (or has one themselves!) We are thrilled to introduce a new line of vegan skincare products tailored to nourish tattooed skin. Departing from conventional tattoo care offerings, our products promise a fresh and exciting approach.
Our balms are presented in eco-friendly cardboard tubes, featuring labels crafted by renowned tattoo artists. We take pride in showcasing their exceptional talent and creativity - and they have wonderful shelf appeal!
A tattoo themed product will definitely tick a gifting box for the often quite tricky person to buy for...
It's an exciting, different product that we hope will be embraced by the gifting community.
In what ways has being a finalist of Gift of the Year affected your business?
We have loved the excitement around, firstly being chosen to be shortlisted, then as finalists. It has been a great way to gather support and feedback from our customers and on social media. We have had enquiries from new stockists after the judging process at Spring Fair - exciting times!
Which are your favorite products throughout the rest of the awards?
I absolutely love the Peaceful Pond Needle Felting Kit created byThe Crafty Kit Company Ltd - contemporary and something you would be proud to show off as your handiwork! I have to admit to having bought a few of the absolutely beautiful Paper Theatre pop up cards from All Joy Design to send to friends in the theatre.
Would you recommend a business to enter the GOTY awards and why?
The process of entering the Gift of the Year competition has been a great one for the business as it helped us stop for a moment in time to consolidate our brand's progress. It's been a great way to introduce a young brand to the market with the support of the team at the Giftware Association.
Would you be able to provide us with a brief testimonial about the awards and why businesses need to enter?
The Gift of the Year competition is a terrific way to gain recognition for new brands and products and to launch them into the gifting community. It has helped us put our range in front of more eyes than we would have been able to do in the formative stages of The Ink Balm - and are very excited to see where it takes us!
