Etsy is just one reason 2011 is the year of the artisan.  John Gerzema, president of Brandasset Consulting and Young & Rubicam’s Brandasset Valuator, recently interviewed Etsy founder Rob Kalin about the website  enjoyed by so many artisans and shoppers.

“Although Etsy is based on the Internet, Kalin argues that his success is based on the oldest form of communication—storytelling. ‘It’s part of human nature to want to know where you buy from, what you are buying,’ says Kalin.”

But Kalin is sensitive to the fact that the internet alone is not big enough to hold the creativity and creations of the artisans that populate Etsy.

“The next step for Etsy will take the company into cities, towns, and villages to help people meet together in the old-fashioned way: face to face. ‘We help them find people in their area who care about making things,’ says Kalin.”

It sounds like Etsy, like AHAlife, is building upon the importance of storytelling when it comes to brand identity and consumer engagement.  This is just more reason that 2011 is going to be a phenomenal year.