Strategy Avenue

sinking decisions and sunk costs

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of time and energy spent on setting up the new studio I purchased for Laura Novak Photography.  Contractors, flooring refinishers, painting quotes, ordering furniture (including some great finds on ebay!) have been a huge part of my day in addition to my normal daily responsibilities at Laura Novak Photography.

A few people have asked why I am moving again, when I spent so much time and effort on my current space.  Emotionally, I love 1905 Delaware Avenue (where I am now).  I put my heart and soul into the building and our location plays a large part in we grew so fast.  The amount of effort I put into my current space certainly made it challenging when faced with the decision as to whether or not I should buy a new building.  In order to make the decision, I had to take into consideration the principle of sunk costs.

Wikipedia states sunk costs as: costs that cannot be recovered once they have been incurred. Economics proposes that a rational actor does not let sunk costs influence one's decisions, because doing so would not be assessing a decision exclusively on its own merits. The decision-maker may make rational decisions according to their own incentives; these incentives may dictate different decisions than would be dictated by efficiency or profitability, and this is considered an incentive problem and distinct from a sunk cost problem.

For example, when one pre-orders a non-refundable and non-transferable movie ticket, the price of the ticket becomes a sunk cost. Even if the ticket-buyer decides that he would rather not go to the movie, there is no way to get back the money he originally paid. Therefore, the sunk cost of the ticket should have no bearing on the decision of whether or not to actually go to the movie. In other words, it is a fallacy to conclude that he should go to the movie so as to avoid "wasting" the cost of the ticket.

Such is true in business.  How many times have you made a decision based on money or effort you have already spent?  It's important to try to separate emotion from these circumstances, as the costs are in the past and have nothing to do with decisions to be made in the future.  Such is the case with buying the new studio shortly after moving into one three years ago.  When I ran the numbers on buying the building and moving, versus staying in my current space and renting it made more sense to move based on long term benefits.  

So while I am sad to leave my current space that I spent so much time and money on, the theory of sunk costs tells me that those investments are sunk and they have no bearing decisions to be made on the future of Laura Novak Photography.  And because of what I believe about our vision and mission, buying a space provides us with the long term stability and room for growth I see in our future.

Consulting Case Study 2: Destination: destination

Although many of you may not have the opportunity to take part in my consulting services due to the waiting list, I thought it would be helpful if I shared some tidbits from the different observations I have had in the event it will be able to translate to anything you are struggling with.  Feedback, comments are always welcome!

One of the three recent consulting clients I had in January is a destination wedding and portrait photographer, located in a beautiful resort area with a lot of fast successes and a busy business in which both her and her husband work.  Her husband is an artist and over time it would be nice for him to pursue his creative endeavors but in the meantime is assisting his wife to get things moving along.  She has a strong average sale history, but wanted to think more about how to be more effective in her sales process when catering to people from a distance.

Destination portraits and weddings are always a challenge - for my own studio many of our clients are not in Delaware and we have to adjust to that with different ways of letting people know what is available.  Depending on the product line, we offer multimedia demonstrations, online galleries and print pieces that we mail out giving people new ideas of what they can do with the photos.  Overall, it's really important to let people know what you have to offer well in advance.  For weddings, many people spend their budget and if they know that there is this fantastic canvas or bridesmaid's gift they want to order - letting them know way ahead of time is a great way for the client to think about the product and have time to prioritize it in the budget.

'Destination: destination' also had encountered a little bit of trickiness that I can relate to very well - she feels fairly un-welcomed by the photographers in her town, particularly those who have been established for a while and are feeling territorial.  I love this industry for many reasons, but one of it's downsides is there is a lot of judging between photographers.  Some examples might be who think those who rise to a quick success in weddings haven't 'paid their dues,' while traditional wedding photographers who have been in business for a while might call a young talent inexperienced and under skilled.  Young photographers may look at long-standing traditional studios as stodgy and elitist artist type photographers look at good marketers and business people as not true artists (what bs!).  I have seen it, heard it, and even experienced it both while speaking as well as running my studio here in Delaware.  I just ignore the negativity of it all.

The reality is that the only person who is a position to judge is the customer.  They have to buy the photography, and they have to like it!  If a photographer has paying customers, they are clearly doing something right.  So if this is you - kudos!  If you are feeling judged or attacked, just know that is fairly normal, don't take it too personally... the attacker is jealous and isn't someone you'd want to spend time with anyways.

There were many other aspects to the conversations I shared with "Destination: destinations?" but here are just a few that I thought might be helpful to you in your journeys.  Consulting services are available on a wait-list basis and have limited availability per month.

Consulting Case Study 1: I moved! Now what?

Although many of you may not have the opportunity to take part in my consulting services due to the waiting list, I thought it would be helpful if I shared some tidbits from the different observations I have had in the event it will be able to translate to anything you are struggling with.  Feedback, comments are always welcome!

One the three of my very first consulting clients is a lovely young photographer who moved from the east coast to the west coast, trying out new ideas and enthusiastic about her life ahead.  She is newly married, and looking for some general direction about how to get started with being successful as a wedding and portrait photographer.  Much of her work, so far, has been centered around weddings and that is where a majority of her revenue comes from.  Eventually, she would like to have a studio storefront in a cute area of her new hometown downtown and work full time as a professional photographer.

Sometimes when the landscape is wide open, that can feel as confusing as when your choices are narrowed down to just a few specific decisions.  I encouraged "I moved: now what?" to think about her long term personal goals, and helped her to break down those goals into specific things she can be doing now to be where she wants to be in 3-5 years.  Even something as simple as "I'd like to book 30 weddings at an average of $3,000 by the end of 2009" is a helpful goal to have as a sticky on your computer or near your desk, so each day you know what you are aiming for.   Remember that goals should always be SMART:

Specific
Measurable
Actionable
Realistic
Time-oriented

And I find goal-setting, in general, is something that most photographers forget to prioritize in the midst of web redesign, lightroom, branding, and new lenses.

Also, when moving to a new area it's always important to try to network with other local business.  A chamber of commerce, small business association, charity drive and even just getting out of the house with a laptop and going to the same coffee shop every day will help you meet more regulars.  The most important thing is to 'get out there' because you no longer have the family and friends network of your hometown, which most people underestimate but is very powerful to have as a business owner.

There were many other aspects to the conversations I shared with "I moved: Now what?" but here are just a few that I thought might be helpful to you in your journeys.  Consulting services are available on a wait-list basis and have limited availablilty per month.

Strategy Avenue Consulting Feb. now available

I have had such a great time with the fantastic people who hired me for consulting services this month, that I have decided to extend this offering into Feb.  I honestly am not sure how many months I will be offering consulting services, but for the time being it will be available month-to-month as long as I have time and it fits into my schedule easily.

For February I have changed this up a bit.  The consulting package is:

- two 60-minute consulting calls* with one week apart
- one Path to a Business Plan Strategy Avenue set if you do not have one already
- fee is $500 which must be paid before the first phone call

- not available within 100 miles of Laura Novak Photography
- please send me price lists, marketing pieces, and what you want to get out of the session before our first call

* please note you call me at the studio so I don't have to keep track of everyone's time zone!

I am very much looking forward to learning more about all of the amazing people out there!  The first four people to contact me in Feb. at info at strategyavenue.com will get the four slots available.

Laura

Imaging USA

I'm so sad that I won't be attending Imaging USA this year for a few reasons.  The first is that I have a really big celebrity wedding in Florida on January 10th, and trying to get from Florida to Phoenix to home within a matter of a few days in the midst of purchasing a new building is enough to make any sane person insane in the membrane.  Sometimes I find this business is a matter of recognizing that we can't always do everything, and being at peace with it.  

The second is that PPA is smart enough to rotate speakers from year to year, so there is always fresh material.  Because I gave a platform last year, I am off this year and will be back in action in 2010.  In the meantime, I have some wonderful friends giving great seminars.  A few of them include:

The Client Experience Workflow: Connection, Capture & Post Processing with Jesh De Rox and Tamara Lackey. This is a fantastic combination of two people with heart and soul and a great business to match.  

Sales and Customer Service with Julia Woods.  Julia is, hands down, the best instructor of sales I have ever met.  She is articulate, clear and FUN.  I am amazed by her every time I see her, and cannot recommend this class enough if you are having a tough time with selling.

The Joy of Pricing with Sarah Petty.   If you have ever met Sarah Petty you know how fun, energetic and just overall fabulous.  She is teaching several workshops at Imaging and if you can see her, I highly recommend it!

I a sure that there are many others on the bill who are excellent, these are just a few people who I have seen speak personally and believe that they have a lot of wisdom to share.  Take lots of notes from Anne Geddes for me and I'll see you at WPPI and Imaging in 2010!

Laura

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Engage 09 : something blue

Last year I made a last minute decision to go to a little symposium called Engage 08 in Orlando and met some of the most wonderful people in the wedding industry I had ever met.  Not only were they incredibly successful, but also incredibly genuine and approachable as well.  Through that one day I have formed great relationships that I am positive will last a long, long time.  

What is really different about this summit is not only the great relationships the organizer, Rebecca Grinnals and her lovely associate Kathryn has.  But it's also the positive energy, can-do attitudes, humility and genuine concern for others that they offer - which as you know can be rare in this competitive world we live in.  They inspire me so much.

So... I'm thrilled to be part of the next Engage and am incredibly honored to be a speaker.  Check out Engage 09 for more information!

1to1 consulting from Strategy Avenue

In the past year I have gotten a lot of requests to assist people with individual consulting services and have often turned down the offer, wondering what I would charge, how to fit it into my schedule and how it would function.  I really do enjoy assisting other photographers but am a pretty planful person and like to do things well, so I really didn't want to get on the phone with someone and 'wing it.'  

After some thought I have decided, as a trial run, to offer the following Strategy Avenue individual consulting services during the months of Jan-March.  Here is the deal:

- The package will consist of three phone or ichat/isight meetings three weeks in a row.  After each meeting you will have homework (don't worry it will be fun!) to complete for the next week.

- The first conversation will talk about goals/vision, the second one will talk about marketing and the third will talk about costs. The Strategy Avenue path to a business plan is not required but helpful to have.  If you have specific problems you are struggling usually they will emerge to the surface from a bigger overall problem related to these topics.

- The cost for all three individual consulting sessions is $500 paid up front the day of the first 'meeting'

- Session availability excludes those living within 50 miles of Wilmington, DE

- Your progress will be showcased on this blog as a short 'case study' so that other people can learn from what you did.  If you want me to use fake names in the case study, I have no problem doing so or you can use your real website.  Either way is cool.

I have intentionally priced these on the lower side of things (in my photography business I charge about three times as much an hour for my time) but I wanted to make the pricing accessible to a photographer who needs help.  With that said, I am only taking on three people a month so the first three to contact me at info at strategyavenue.com will be eligible for January. 

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Laura

UPDATE: I JUST FILLED OUR THREE PEOPLE FOR THE JANUARY SPOTS.  PLEASE EMAIL TO BE ON THE WAITLIST FOR FEB.  THANKS!

buck the trend

I know I haven't posted here very much lately, simply because my focus has been on some new and exciting things for Laura Novak Photography. But I wanted to share a few tidbits of what I have been up to, and my reasoning for it in the event it might help others who are struggling with expansion vs. the economy right now.

I remember my first job was as a consultant the Bose Corporation out of Boston, and at each executive board meeting Dr. Bose would say "when the world goes left, we go right. When everyone goes right, we go left." I always remembered that in my business and throughout my career as a photographer I have intentionally always tried to buck trends.

This carries on to today, when just last week I bought a brand new two-story building for our studio just down the block (pictured above). Despite all the work I did on our leased space just three years ago, which you may have also remembered it featured in Professional Photographer and Rangefinder, I am thrilled to make the move this March. 

Just as people are cutting back, and sitting tight we'll be making a big splash with the building purchase. If you have the means and nothing to sell (because you are renting), I highly recommend considering a building purchase because:

- This is a great time to buy. I ended up purchasing the building well under asking price, and the sellers were glad to have a buyer.

- All the building, painting, flooring contractors are very slow right now, and they are willing to negotiate for work. This has saved me quite a bit.

- The US govt. is under pressure to lend to small businesses to stimulate growth so I applied for and easily got a 504b small business loan with a lower interest rate, smaller amount down and longer loan terms (for a lower monthly payment). Every bank has the ability to partner with the government for a 504b loan so be sure to ask your bank rep. about the program.

As a result I am safely expanding with minimal increase in my monthly payment into a new building I could not afford to purchase under 'normal' economic conditions. Obviously I would not recommend going into debt if your business as failing, but if you have a busy thriving profitable operation it's something worth considering.

I also have a new twitter series starting called 'adventures in buying a building' so if you twitter, be sure to follow along @lauranovak.

Laura

Learnfest 09

After a hugely successful Learnfest '08, I am thrilled to announce Learnfest '09 with my fabulous co-presenters, Audrey Woulard, Lena Hyde and Tamara Lackey. This will be the *only* workshop that each of us will teach next year...so if you love these talented ladies like I do, you may want to jump on this opportunity.

You can view more details on the learnfest website and be sure to see "the buzz" section for what our '08 attendees are saying!

The program was aptly named, built as a true learnfest for portrait photographers who are ready to take their business to the next creative and strategic level.  Join us for an amazing 3-day/3-night learnfest that runs from April 6-9, 2009 at picturesque, Chateau Elan, located in the serene and picturesque Georgia countryside, just 40 minutes from the Atlanta airport.

Experience in-depth instruction on shooting, post-production, marketing, business strategy, revenue generation, and studio and daily workflow.  Redefine what success can mean in the portrait photography business.  Interact in small groups of 15, meeting with each instructor throughout the course of 3 days as part of an overall program that is tailored to deliver a comprehensive leaning experience for the portrait photographer.  Network with other photographers from around the world, in addition to the hosts, in an environment built to encourage sharing and connection.  And offer yourself the opportunity to completely focus on improving your skills, your business, and your future in photography in an environment that fully encourages you to step away from the pace of every day work/life.

Given the high level of interest we've received to date, we expect all spaces to sell our quickly again this year, so if this does sound like a fit for you, we'd encourage you mark yor calendar for November 15th when we open registration!

PPA Charities

As imaging professionals, we touch the lives of others every day…by being part of someone’s wedding day, capturing a child’s personality, helping businesses succeed and so on. Extend that personal touch with PPA Charities and become a force of positive change.

To learn more about family portrait month, click here!

The economy

It's been a while since I have posted here on Strategy Avenue, mainly because I have been busy speaking at wonderful sold-out like Learnfest and ImageX and focusing on the photography business.  But don't unsubscribe your RSS feed because from time to time when I am inspired by something I will be coming back here and create a new post!

At my workshops I am being asked the same thing by every participant.  "What about the economy?  Should I be worried.  My sales are down, what should I do?"  Fortunately at Laura Novak Photography we are busier than ever and since I am a glass-half-full kind of person let me talk a little bit about why I am not as concerned.

1. People living within their means is good for photographers.  There was a time when people who were making a combined household income of 100k could get a mortgage for a 800k house and be house-poor.  Right now we are seeing a temporary shakeup but after that people will be forced by the banks to live in a home they can conservatively afford.  This is great news for non-necessities such as vacation resorts restaurants, spas, home decor and of course photography as this will result in more available discretionary income.

2. Quality trumps price.  The photographers I see struggling the most right now are once that have tried to compete on price.  If you have ever gone to one of my workshops you know how strongly I feel that is a bad idea and a fast-track to going out of business!  The ones that are still doing well have great relationships with their clients, and that relationship continues to drive sales.

3. If you have good credit, banks are still lending. The news reports are very doom and gloom but if you want to purchase property or expand your business, now is a good time to do it!  It's a buyers market for real estate and the small credit and savings banks with no sub-prime mortgages on the books are still lending with low rates.  Right now we are in the process of purchasing the building I leased three years ago.

Most of all, try to turn off CNN or the Today show - I try not to psyche myself or my staff out by the doom and gloom media reports.  I am a big believe in that whatever you expect to happen will become a self-fulfilling prophecy so be sure to keep your mind positive when you are navigating this tricky economic landscape.

Laura   

what makes an artist timeless?

Last Saturday night I joined my husband, John, along with about 18,000 other Neil Diamond fans packed in at the biggest concert venue in Philadelphia called the Wachovia center.   There were so many people there, fans were sitting behind the stage to which Neil quipped "I heard a nasty rumor that people actually paid for those seats."

Neil's management team actually had to add on a second concert on Sunday night because of how quickly he sold out the Saturday.  When we arrived I looked around us to the full stadium of people ranging from young kids, to college students, to elderly couples hobbling by me with their walkers, and then next to me where my beyond thrilled husband (a life long Neil Diamond fan) was clapping enthusiastically.  The first question that came to my mind was "what makes an artist timeless?" 

I tried to think about how some musicians may have a hit record and then never be heard from again (or show up on E! Hollywood stories fifteen years later) and others have a fan following that allows them to tour to packed out audiences for forty years.  Throughout the concert some of the conclusions I came to were:

a defined, unwavering style that isn't based on trends

Back when Neil first started out, he didn't try to copy what the Monkees or the Beatles were already doing.  Instead he found his own voice based on his Brooklyn, immigrant upbringing filled with soulful lyrics about who he is and who he is not (I am, I said).

evolution of songwriting, but maintains the core classics

I remember watching a recent 60 Minutes interview with Bruce Springsteen where he was asked 'do you ever get sick of playing Born to Run?'  He laughed and responded that whenever he does, he reminds himself that it was that song that made him a success and that it's what his fans want to hear.  So he reminds himself that it is his 'money song' and that makes him enjoy to still play it.  I think that is a lot like us in photography, we might get sick of taking that signature shot or tired of our style but the reality is that our clients hire us for the consistent images that we market.

reinvention based on personal exploration

After years and years of top hits, Neil Diamond released his first number one album just this year called Home Before Dark.  He says himself in this interview that he rarely listens to other music "(doesn't) like to pollute his brain with other people's stuff."  Instead he defines what is happening for him personally through his music.

good at business

I would imagine that one of the biggest aspects to a timeless artist is also being a good business person.  Neil Diamond belongs to that group of a small number of performers who have their name as the copyright  owner on their recordings, such as David Bowie, Paul Simon, Michael Jackson , Ani DiFranco, Pink Floyd, Queen, Genesis, and Van Morrison.  I'm sure staying in business helps when you don't have to share your profits with copyright licensing.

What do you think - what makes an artist timeless? (musical, visual or any other kind)

Image X: "meet Laura Novak"

I recently recorded a fun little interview with Julian, one of the organizers of the Image X workshop which will be taking place this October. I love doing interviews and webinars because I can share information without ever leaving my studio! It's amazing to me how I can share with photographers across the world and still be home in time for dinner a few hours later - technology is such a wonderful thing.

Feel free to enjoy this snippet as a freebie from all the great folks over at Image X.

Laura

making your hobby a business

I recently recorded another webinar... but this one isn't just for the wedding photography industry. This was part of my friend Jen Groover's newest project called Launcher's Cafe. Launcher's Cafe is specifically designed to help people who have a cool idea, make that idea a reality. While a lot of the podcasts and webinars I have done focus very much on the wedding or portrait photography industry, this recording significantly speaks to those who generally would like to see something they love to do work as a career. Personally, I like to mix up my professional education experiences with both courses designed to help professional photographers along with information that is general enough to applicable in any situation and not necessarily industry-specific.

Tune in as Jen and I talk about passion for what we do, our fear of regret and the kind of hard work that is required to make a new venture succeed.

The wedding report

When teaching target marketing at workshops and conventions, I always recommend performing an industry analysis to learn more about whether or not the consumer environment can support your business before starting a new venture. A question I often hear is 'well... how do I know about what is happening in my local market? How can I find out the number of weddings, at what price point, and determine how accessible the market is to me?' Up until this point anyone wanting to learn how many weddings were happening in their area and what the average couple spends needed to visit several different locations to research census data. But recently I came across the Wedding Report which will tell you - for free - the exact trends in weddings by industry, ethnicity and the volume of weddings occurring. It also provides information about predicted trends in the future and what to expect and for a $39 fee you can search your specific geographic area.

There are a lot of hypothesis of what is happening right now in the wedding industry, if people are spending less or even hiring wedding photographers. And while I will say that I have spoken to many retailers who are down right now, this research will tell you for certain what is happening in the current wedding economy - empowering you with the right information to make strategic decisions about your business.

more webinars!

I am so very excited about the webinar I'm offering through PPA on July 14th! I've been working hard on the webinar, taking great photos of our studio samples and promotional pieces. It's such a great deal to participate - I'm looking forward to seeing you all there!

Tips on Moving a Studio Operation

This morning I came across a very cool surprise in my inbox! An interview conducted right after I opened my studio opened in 2006 appeared in this month's Rangefinder newsletter. It was so fun to read about all the thoughts I had back then, and would love to share with you some additional ideas I would offer to those who are considering a retail space.

So I'll add on two more tips to the article, to round out the number to a nice and even 10 tips!

9. Plan for growth When I moved into my studio, I planned for the amount of business I had at that time, and did not think about where I would put an additional employee or two if the operation would continue to expand. Earlier this year I actually moved the camera room out of the studio and put enough desk space for two more employees where the camera room was located. I am currently sharing a commercial shooting space with two other photographers which is working out great, because I only pay for the space when I am actually photographing.

10. Make sure you have enough storage Never over-estimate your need for storage, especially during the busy season! I keep adding on cabinets, drawers, and desk storage to accommodate the need to hold shipping supplies, framed deliveries, client files, gift certificates, print boxes, printer paper, printer toner... you get the idea!

Hopefully these add-ons in addition to the article will help you in growing your photography business to a new location!

Warmly,

EVENTS@marathon

Lately I have been asked to be part of several new and exciting projects, all aimed at helping photographers become better business-people. This upcoming Monday I will be part of Marathon Press' online events and education seminar which you can register for here! It is so interesting to me because when I first started learning how to become a professional photographer, there were very limited educational resources that I had to travel significantly to be part of. Now people can get great information about how to make what they love to do a profession simply by logging in. Isn't technology great?

See you on Monday!

are you a slasher?

Are you a slasher? No, I'm not talking about the guitarist from the 80's hair band Poison. I'm talking about people who have multiple careers, usually entrepreneurs, that create a new evolutionary model for work/life success. I learned about what a slasher is this morning while listening to one of the podcasts I subscribe to called Hip Tranquil Chick on my morning walk. Marci Alboher is a columnist and blogger for the New York Times small business section and speaks to people with multiple interests and as a result create a career around a variety of activities. Her blog can be found at Hey Marci where she speaks to making a living while wearing many different hats.

When teaching and speaking I find that many photographers are living the "Slash Effect," probably without realizing it. Many photographers I am friends with are also teachers, product developers and entrepreneurs. Starting out photographers might be working a full time job, while also building a photography business. I thought that Marci's blog and facebook group might be good for those who are pursing multiple careers as she addresses practical aspects to these situations such as finances and time management. Marci also provides examples of people who have many different interests and how they pull those interests together into an overlapping myriad of multiple careers.

Are you one person with multiple careers? What are the common threads between them? What else other than photography contributes to your income and time? If you answered yes to the first question, you are probably living the "Slash Effect" without even realizing it!

booth fair idea

it seems like lately most of my energy has been directed in Laura Novak photography, which seems to happen based on the season. when the conventions and speaking commitments are happening in the wintertime, I'm thinking more about Strategy Avenue and during the spring and fall I'm thinking more about the photography business. which explains the recent absence on this blog but know that it means I'm just busy creating more cool ideas to eventually share with you :)

for example, last week our entire staff packed up the office and set up a booth at a local mother's day market in a very nice neighborhood in our area. normally I'm not a proponent of these things but based on the demographic attending the show and our target market I felt as though it would be excellent visibility. fortunately I was right and the attendance booked us several very qualified customers each day.

because a percentage of the fair's proceeds go to charity, we ordered several lower-priced retail items such as frames and albums as well as having photography packages available as gift certificates. postcards were placed inside of the frames and albums so that when the items were given as gifts the recipient saw our marketing materials.

in addition to small tables of retail items, i strung fishing wire between the tent poles and hung 16x20 prints back to back to show off our photography. finally, volunteer clients staffed our booth along with our employees in order to have walking testimonials in the event an inquiry came about.

overall, it was a great turnout over the three days despite one day of rainy weather. We went well above expectations with both retail product sales as well as bookings!

simple simply sells better

One of my resolutions in turning 30 this year is to spend more time living a fun life, enjoying my friends and family and meeting new people. This past weekend John and I traveled to NYC to do just that, spending time with old friends while meeting new ones as well.

While walking through Greenich Village, we came across Pinkberry - which I have heard of from many different people on buzz blogs, magazine articles and TV shows. I really didn't know what it was but decided that with all the press on it I needed to find out.

Come to find out - Pinkberry is a much simpler concept than I thought it was going to be. It's basically plain frozen yogurt with toppings. That's it. They are really yummy, fresh toppings and the yogurt is quite good. But its plain frozen yogurt. With toppings.

While I ate my frozen plain yogurt with coconut and fresh pineapple I began to think 'does simple really sell better?' One might be tempted to think that the store would only do well with 20 different flavors, but with one simple concept Pinkberry was able to really brand itself by being unique.

It seems to me that the simpler you can make your product or service, the easier it is for people to understand what you are selling and purchase it. This applies to:

- overly complicated price lists
- elaborate logos
- wordy marketing pieces
- cluttered looking advertisements
- websites that don't communicate the photographer's strengths right away

What are you doing in your photography business that could be simpler, cleaner, and as a result - easier for customers to buy?

Marketing The Story

The other day I received an email message from a former ad agency (Paragraph) that I used to do some work with....I thought it was worth sharing....

"Marketing isn't about the media. Marketing is about the message. If marketing were just about media, all brands would thrive equally.

The key to thriving in this day and age comes from knowing who you are, doing what you do best, and crafting a compelling story that defines your difference. Your story is your foundation. It's what makes you authentic, and what allows others to believe in and identify with your brand. And when the story is good enough, unique enough, and the experience lives up to it, the story gets passed on. You see; good stories are what resonate. They spread themselves sustainably, with little facilitation or force. And when channeled appropriately, they move within their target audiences, motivating action, and taking your brand further, faster.

With all the tactics to choose from, it's easy to be tempted. Resist. Be deliberate in your every action and interaction. Say no when it doesn't make sense for your brand. It's the most important thing you have.

So, as we say time and time again, focus on your brand, its story, its offering, and its audiences. Then, develop an effective communications strategy that supports your foundation, and select only the tactics and channels that build your brand and strengthen its bond, favorably, not fashionably. And when you do that, you'll find that your story spreads, your momentum builds, and your brand succeeds.

Are you working on developing your story?

ShootQ wants to give you $10,000

I'm very excited to be part of the judging panel for the ShootQ Grant. This year the awesome people at ShootQ be awarding a $10,000 grant to a photographer to fund a project that raises public awareness about an important social, environmental or economic issue.

Click here to learn more information on how to apply!

reality marketing

So yes, I will admit publicly that every now and then when I need to kill some brain cells I pay a little visit to Perez Hilton. There, I said it.

So now that we have that out of the way - I was reading Perez Hilton's website the other day when I saw, for the tenth time, a banner ad that says "I hate Sarah Marshall." So I take the bait, click on the ad and at first it seems to lead me to a spiteful blog written by a very bitter, heartbroken man wealthy enough to buy banner ads on Perez Hilton. As I'm reading this very convincing, blogger designed blog complete with ameture youtube videos and bad photography, I'm thinking things like:

- well no wonder she dumped him, he seems like a total jerk
- I hope he learns to manage his finances better in the future than buying expensive ads out of bitterness
- how humiliating for Sarah Marshall
- this guy needs some serious mental help
- and probably some grammar and spelling help as well

Fast forward a few weeks and this morning I was watching TV with an advertisement for a movie called "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

So. Brilliant.

As we enter into a time where Reality TV ratings soar higher than most other television options, I wonder if this movie advertisement will begin an idea of reality marketing. Some characteristics of 'reality marketing' would be:

- it's cheap: no reason for a copyrighter or expensive website
- it's engaging: there is a reason why people love reality TV - it's very interesting!
- word of mouth: doing something different gives people something to talk about
- it's targeted to a group of people who already love reality TV

So a big kudos to the advertising agency behind "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" for creativity and thinking outside the box into reality marketing.

Image X Workshop

Attention all photographers! This fall I am going to be teaching at a very cool workshop called Image X: a one of a kind photo workshop experience with a group of the world’s leading wedding and portrait photographers set in the historic city of New Orleans. The workshop is a great new concept where a group of photographers get together over a period of two days to offer one-day classes.

So you can choose from myself and anyone from the following list:

Boutwell Studio
Jessica Claire
John Michael Cooper
Gene Higa
Joe Photo
Victor Sizemore
Cherie Steinberg
Jeff & Julia Woods
Lena Hyde
Tamara Lackey
Audrey Woulard

to learn from over a period of two days. There will be very cool events going on in between the classes so you can meet different people and instructors.

The dates are Oct 6th – 8th 2008 and for more details and to sign up, visit the Image X workshop site!