Eva Goicochea works with clients to build brand identities, websites, and strategies that align with their brand ethos. She is also the designer and cofounder of Tinker Watches. Eva has put all her talents together to create a wonderful brand experience for her companies’ customers. Not only that, this process has created an unbelievably exciting career.
TINKER BEGINNINGS
15 years ago Eva came to New York to study advertising and marketing. She always knew that she would end up in some sort of creative field. Just a few years after moving to New York, she ended up moving back to California, where she was born and raised. She decided to finish her degree in organizational communication . While spending time in Sacramento, Eva initially took interest in politics. She worked in the political field for a while and was on the path to starting what she believed was her ultimate career. Suddenly, the tables were turned when she decided to pick up and move to Los Angeles. “I moved to LA, and I realized I wasn’t engaged in enough creative work. I craved more artistic and strategic creativity in my work. I decided it was time for me to somehow bridge the gap between my love for politics and my need for creativity.” This led Eva to begin looking into a new career. She set out to create her own business.
Just a few years after starting her own business, she met a couple of people who were looking to create their own product line. Together, they combined forces to create Tinker Watches. With Eva, her creative team, and Eva’s husband (who is a mechanical engineer) Tinker Watches was up and running.
CREATIVE COMFORT
Eva has always enjoyed the creative process. ” Even when I was working as a legislature, I always felt connected with my creative side,” Eva says. She also suggest that working through the small agencies helped increase her creative essence. She often provided a source of creativity for the companies she worked with. “When I finally launched my own thing, I felt really comfortable in creative direction. In the past few years, I’ve grown even more as a creative director.”
Creating her own brand has definitely been a working progress. Eva uses her creativity to guide the way. “Sometimes it’s hard to be deep into your own brand and be innovative. It forces me to have to look at things more objectively. Its kind of like being a lawyer and trying to argue you own case!” Yet, Eva has been willing to step up to the challenge. What makes the results even better for the company is that she’s not alone. Her partners make their creative contributions as well.
BRANDING
In the world of fashion, creating a brand that sticks out is definitely key. Eva and her team have taken that into consideration while building their Tinker Watches brand. “I think the first thing to consider is how to create the framework and foundation for your brand book. Brand books include things like the logo and helps to create your brand’s identity.” But before they could take off with building the brand book, they had to decide who they wanted to be. They took into consideration where the product would sell, who the buyers would be, and most importantly, what were they going to sell. “We decided to go with watches because its unisex and universal.”
They built their brand to incorporate humor. They wanted the brand to be approachable and to be interactive, like a friend. They wanted it to have familiarity but still have edge to standout from other competitors. “The brand falls somewhere between aspirational and your best friend.” The humorous side of the brand is a huge contrast from other watch brands that they are in competition with. They use this distinction as a key part of their brand identity to establish a relationship with customers. Looking at watch ads, you will always be able to point out the Tinker Watches.
If you could compare watches to any other accessories and jewelry, Why are watches better?
I think watches are different. People have their different reasons for having watches. Most people say watches make them feel more prepared or if you go out a watch can make you feel more dressed up or if you’re in a business meeting you might want a watch so you don’t have to keep looking at your phone to keep track of time. It becomes a part of centering how you’re feeling and what you’re doing, more so than any other accessory.
What are common suggestions you hear for pairing watches with outfits?
I noticed that for alot of people, it is a status symbol. In a day and age where we have smart phones that will tell us the time, it’s easy to dismiss the need for a watch. This is why we felt it was important to create a watch at a reasonable price because it doesn’t have to just be a status symbol. We have different colors that you can switch out the straps for to match your outfits. It should feel like it adds something and make you feel good. I just think it’s interesting that most people either think of it as a status symbol or don’t think of it at all.
watchesDo you think it’s possible to center a whole outfit around a watch?
Maybe if you don’t have alot of things going on with the outfit. To me it feels like a finishing touch, not the beginning of an outfit. But I think if it’s going to be really visible and the only piece of jewelry or accessory, then yea sure!
