APA|NY Presents
Ian Summers

What if Everything You Have Been Taught About the
Marketing of Creativity is Wrong?

Tuesday, February 24th
6-9 PM
Calumet Photographics
22 West 22nd Street, NYC

Not the Twenty Minutes I’ll Tell You What to Do Portfolio Review

Spend an Hour with Me on February 25th

One Hour Appointments Beginning at 10 AM

APA|NY Offices, 27 W 20th Street, Suite 601, New York NY

$200.00 Payable by Credit Card

Call or Write Ian Directly to Register

iansummers@heartstorming.com

610-438-5707

This is not the Twenty Minute — I’ll tell you what do — rushed portfolio review. Instead, each participant will receive a full hour of Ian’s time. He feels that it is more effective when there is at least a half hour of questions and answers to build a context for what a photographer will show him. As a result of the time allotted for each session, only six portfolio reviews will be possible. So sign up as far in advance as you can. Bring your portfolio. Send Ian your URL so that he can look at it in advance of the meeting. And if you have work that is not in the portfolio or on the website bring it with you. Once your appointment is made Ian will call for a brief interview and tell you how to prepare for this session.

share this

Collaboration is the act of working jointly. A collaboration may happen between two people or a group. In either case, it is important that each member of the collaboration brings something to the process that the other does not have, however the contributions do not have to be balanced or equal. It is vital to respect others’ contributions.

In certain political contexts (such as a state of war) the term “collaboration” (ism) or “collaborator” may refer (pejoratively) to individuals who are claimed to have been working with an outside entity, such as an occupying hostile power, against their own societies (as during the Nazi occupation of France during World War II).

It is in this context that some believe that the commercial art buying public is waging a war against photographers. If that is so, commercial photographers who are not following industry accepted business practices may be considered as collaborating with the enemy.

I agree that education of artists and buyers around copyright and intellectual property protection is very important. However it can be no less important than growing your product, marketing and sales. I believe that successful creators understand the concept of business relationships. It is difficult to build them if you see the other as the enemy.

Many commercial artists call themselves good collaborators; just look at commercial photographers’ claims on their websites. But, if you are wearing a sword at every client or prospect contact point, you will not be thought of as a serious potential collaborator.

Collaboration requires shared objectives, a sense of urgency and commitment, a dynamic deliberate process, a sense of belonging, open communication, mutual trust and respect, diverse skills, knowledge, and intellectual agility.

All parties work together and build consensus to reach a decision or create a product, the result of which benefits all parties. Competition is a possibly insurmountable roadblock to collaboration, and the relationship among parties must continue beyond the accomplishment of the task in order to assure its viability. The goal is dynamic. (pertaining to or characterized by energy or effective action; vigorously active or forceful; energetic)

share this

Myth:

If I send out an email marketing blast,
I better hire someone to answer the droves of phone calls
asking me to bid on their next campaign.

Of course, email may be an effective element in a photographer’s marketing plans.
Before you begin to create a marketing plan, ask questions like:
Who am I? Where am I going? How am I going to get there?

What Do You Want Your Promotions to Accomplish?
“I just want to keep my name out there.”
That is not enough!

A series of great promotions are most effective when they engender
the full Oh Yeah! response which may go something like this:

Oh yeah! Joan Jones. I know who she is.
I know what she does and how she sees.
Her promotion is pinned up over my desk.
I am hoping to find an application for her work next time an opportunity arises.

Sales Promotion

Why does the commercial arts industry use the term self promotion when the action is intended to increase sales. If your marketing doesn’t contribute to increasing sales, why do it? Why do so many people in this industry believe sales is a four-letter word. Promoting without sales energy may make your marketing impotent. Sales promotion may help create positive perceptions and increase desire for your services.

Remember that you are not the only one promoting. Since the proliferation of email, art directors and art buyers receive an average of 100 email solicitations a day; not all from photographers. That is 500 a week. Let’s say the art director or buyer was off on a shoot for a week. He or she came back to an overflowing mailbox filled with email. What do you think happened to most of those promotions unless they were different from all of the others in message, form, concept, and of course the quality of the photographs themselves.

(more…)

share this