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Posts Tagged ‘Competition’

A real opportunity

June 18th, 2009 in Marketing by


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“Previously we were offering albums we knew our competitors were also offering, but we’ve realised we can use the album to separate us from our competitors.”

That quote from Nigel’s interview with the Youngrens reflects Queensberry’s key message to photographers and it got me thinking…

A while ago I posted about album companies in trouble – and not hitching your own wagon to dying stars. Today I’m suggesting you be wary of the latest and greatest too ;)

In the US and UK markets of 2000, Queensberry albums were revolutionary because we hand-made every album to order. That meant photographers, for the first time, could custom-design albums to suit their imagery … and actually get them made.

Another revolution quickly followed, what we now call digital albums, coffee table books, flush mounts, magazine albums, whatever.

Both these “revolutions” were fruits of the digital revolution, an impossible dream come true!

A constant stream of digital albums now progresses through our Bindery. Many of them are beautiful – and we feature some of them here.

But…

But a mindset has developed in some quarters that “digital albums, coffee table books, flush mounts, magazine albums” are all there is.

Check out forums like DWF and notice how infrequently matted albums are mentioned, and how badly most album planning software handles them (generally via drag and drop templates).

If you agree with the Queensberry Rules, that mindset represents a real opportunity for Queensberry clients and anyone else who believes in standing out from the crowd.

And unfortunately for professional photographers, press books may be great but they’re everywhere. What was unimaginable a decade ago is now commonplace. As you can tell from the number of start-ups and labs getting into the game, the downwardly spiralling prices, and the fact that any amateur and part-timer can now design and order the books themselves for very little money.

So be careful building your business around press books, indeed any generic presentation. It could be a bit like saying that you want to join the crowd, not stand out from it, that you intend to compete on price, not quality and service. A mistake, in our opinion, especially if your goal is to build a long-term career.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for press books. There absolutely is. We live and compete in the real world. If I was a photographer I would offer them. Probably.

But if they define your business you’re competing with the bottom of the market, not the top. And that’s a tough, crowded neighbourhood.

Cheers, Ian

 

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    • Feedback 3: Your competition

    June 12th, 2009 in Opinion by


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    More feedback on my email, Your next album company

    It’s hard to compete … We’ve seen a massive influx of photographers from Eastern Europe charging very low prices and supplying reasonable products.

    I understood the impact of this EU “migration” in British hotels and restaurants, but I honestly hadn’t thought about the impact on photographers (Jo and Kirsten will be shaking their heads!).

    Even so I feel that this kind of competition is always with us … in one form or other.

    The purpose of outstanding presentation is to add value to your photography. That’s why, whoever you use, your albums must help you stand out in the market.

    If you can’t think of five reasons why people should choose you, there’s probably only one: you’re cheap. Said differently, differentiate or drop your prices.

    But here’s the thing: if you agree with that sentiment, you’ve ruled out most suppliers in the market.

    Two final thoughts… If you’re interested I posted a series of emails early this year on dealing with the recession and album-based marketing.

    And as my last post demonstrated, QBY has exactly the same challenge.

    Cheers, Ian

    PS Comments invited!

     

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    • Sad for them

    May 22nd, 2009 in Opinion by


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    Sad as it is, it’s no secret that one or two of the traditional album manufacturers in the USA and UK have had serious problems, and not just because of “the economy”.

    It’s hard for everyone when a company struggles, hard for their staff, hard for their suppliers. Harder still when you know the people involved.

    Hard for their customers too, who’ve spent a lot of time getting to know their people, understanding their systems and foibles, making bookings with couples who will expect one of their albums…

    So why have they been in trouble?

    Because companies like Queensberry started eating their lunch.

    It’s easy to see, when the world changes, that previously successful companies find it very hard to change with it. It’s hard to let go of the old world because they were successful in it, because the market associates the new world with their new competition – and because their clients generally don’t want to change either.

    Unfortunately, when faced with needing to find a new supplier, many people look for someone offering a similar product at the same price. They could be hitching their business to another dying star…

    Sad for them, good for Queensberry clients.

    Cheers, Ian

    PS I first published this accidentally and I’ve edited it a bit since. Reading it back it still sounds a bit harsh, and it’s not meant to. I just wanted to make the point that this may not be the best of times to resist change. But many people do, and (indirectly) that’s good for our clients.

     

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    • Let’s be different together

    February 24th, 2009 in Marketing by


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    We’re not so different to you.

    I talked to a photographer who was at WPPI and he said, “More album manufacturers, less people attending.”

    You must hear that every day. “More photographers entering the market, less brides to go around”.

    A statement like that makes you realise how important what you’re offering is. And how you’re doing it. So I asked him how other album companies compared to Queensberry – anyone getting close?

    Nope. Everyone is going the other way. Cheaper albums and faster turn-around times.

    That makes us feel pretty good, because we know the trade-off. We’re not cheap and we’re not as fast as a machine-made product. But that’s what lets us be different. It’s who we are – and that’s key right now.

    More of the same isn’t going to get anyone anywhere in these tough times, so why follow the Piper? Let’s be ourselves. Let’s be different together.

    Cheers, Nigel

     

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