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Posts Tagged ‘Quality’

Do you get it?

June 20th, 2009 in Marketing by Ian Baugh


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My last post said that press books are great but they’re everywhere. “And that’s the problem.”

Someone here was a bit concerned about me saying that. “Won’t it put you offside with a lot of photographers?”

Maybe. Although if you disagree I hope it’s something to think about rather than get upset about.

But the fact that many people do disagree is a good thing, at least for us and our clients.

If our albums were everywhere they’d have no value. To you or to us. For example see the comments here.

Does presenting your imagery in press books trumpet your high-end quality to the market? I don’t think so.

What we say to prospective clients is, “Do you get it?”

Everyone who doesn’t get it is an opportunity for everyone who does.

Cheers, Ian

PS And would our staff rather be machine operators than artisans? I don’t think so.

 

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    • Selling my album on quality

    May 14th, 2009 in Marketing by Johannes van Kan


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    Tom Waits has a cranky, croaky voice.

    I am listening to his CD ‘Orphans Brawlers and Bastards’ as I write this post.

    You could argue that his voice lacks ‘quality’ … The words are often run together, mumbled, and broken.

    That collection of imperfections is the quality that makes his work so unique.

    It’s a different type of ‘quality’ to the one we describe to sell our albums. We talk about the personal elements in the creation of the book. We talk proudly of the craft involved and the quality of the raw materials used in the album construction.

    We do this because we are proud of their perfections and attention to detail.

    Tom Waits, on the other hand, uses the imperfections of his voice/singing  to sell his albums.

    Cheers, Johannes

     

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    • Selling my album on longevity

    May 12th, 2009 in Marketing by Johannes van Kan


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    In their vows they used the word ‘forever’, or possibly ‘until death us do part’.

    Of course they weren’t talking about their wedding album.

    But as a reflection of that fabulous day, where they promised everything to each other, you would surely expect their album to align with their personal version of ‘forever’.

    We sell this idea to our clients. We tell them that this is why we use Queensberry.

    Longevity is a double edged sword. Longevity refers to the physical life of the album and its contents.

    It also refers to the enduring nature of the design and imagery. Read as ‘simple is good’.

    We talk about how we want the album to be appreciated now, and in ten, or twenty years time.

    We share these thoughts with our clients to explain what makes our Queensberry albums special.

    Hugs, Johannes

     

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    January 30th, 2009 in Marketing by Johannes van Kan


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    In our studio one of the things we say is that we don’t do cheap.

    Our albums are valuable.

    We talk about using the best.

    We talk about how only the best is good enough.

    Just as in a restaurant that only uses the highest quality raw materials, if the food is amazing but the delivery/service is poor the food will quickly be forgotten. If you excel at both you have something amazing  to offer.

    So why is it important to be amazing?

    At a time when, for many, the cost of doing something is being measured, and value is increasingly important, the value of doing our best cannot be forgotten, especially for the things that we want to last.

    Because ‘the test of time’ is not just measured over times of adversity, like now, we must ensure that the thing by which they remember their wedding, and all that it means, will also pass that test in times of prosperity.

    For us, therefore, it’s not about looking for a cheaper option, it’s about using our current ones more effectively, and optimising value.

    We have people possibly cutting down the size of their album but NEVER asking for a cheaper model.

    Don’t be cheap, be valuable.

    Best wishes, Johannes

     

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    • Pinky problem

    October 13th, 2008 in Products & Services by Ian Baugh


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    qbydigital6lge1

    Photography by David Jay

    Seth Godin said recently, ‘If you want to build a brand for the ages, you need to stand for something today, and tomorrow, and every day.’

    Among other things, we stand for quality, which is why the prints on our digital pages are split at the centreline, leaving a gap of about 2mm (about 1/16”). Some people might not like the look, but we can’t compromise products designed to last for generations.

    Actually, as our website says, there are two reasons for this: more flexibility as to what equipment you can print on, and because the fold in the print almost invariably discolours and/or cracks.

    We’ve seen enough “pink prints” to justify our position, and we don’t want to rely on photographic paper for the structural integrity of our books.

    We hope you understand.

    Cheers, Ian

     

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    • No sausages at Queensberry

    July 2nd, 2008 in Marketing by Ian Baugh


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    sausages_chidsey_sxc

    If you’re not vegetarian, chances are you like sausages. Personally I’d like these ones barbequed a bit longer and served with onions, mustard and sauerkraut. But we don’t sell them at Queensberry, and here’s why…

    There are other words to describe sausages – cheap or everyday for example, and we believe photographers should avoid the whiff of “cheap” more than almost anything else.

    If you want a long career in wedding photography everything about you needs to say, “I’m worth what I charge.” Photographers can almost never compete on price. Wherever you are, the chances are good that someone out there shoots weddings for a tenth of what you charge.

    It can take years to stake your claim in the market and you could lose it in months.

    Your choice of album is one (important) way to stand out from the crowd. Choosing an album because it’s cheap or everyone’s using it is dangerous to your health. Tempting yes, but dangerous.

    So our albums aren’t made in a sausage factory. No matter how you dress them up with herbs and spices, sausages are sausages. Differentiation is our reason for being. Our business isn’t selling albums, it’s helping you sell photography for the prices you deserve.

    And here’s the cool thing.

    Most photographers don’t get what I just said. Which is great. It means that our clients are different (differentiated) and so are we.

    That’s why we sell steak, not sausages. Top quality; fillet or rib-eye; corn-fed or range-reared; medium, rare or well done; in a pepper sauce or simply salted. Oh, and lamb and salmon and definitely – definitely – a spectacular range of vegetarian options.

    Cheers, Ian

     

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