Taking Packaging Tips from the Big Dogs

Posted on February 27, 2007
Filed Under Packaging = $$$$ | 12 Comments

By (Guest Contributor) Greg Stangl M. Photog Cr., CPP

Packaging Tips from the Big Dogs America’s consumers are becoming increasingly interested in purchasing upscale products. From automobiles like BMW to lingerie at Victoria’s Secret, the middle market consumer is willing to pay a premium price for goods and services that reflect quality and innovation. This trend is fueled by the real rise in discretionary income in certain population segments and can also be seen as a sign of conspicuous consumption.

According to Michael Silverstein and Neil Fiske in their book Trading Up, “Consumers today are willing to pay a significant premium for goods and services that are emotionally important to them and deliver the perceived values of quality, performance and engagement.”

However, independent portrait studios have been slow to receive this message. In a article in Shutterbug magazine, Maria Piscopo wrote: “The retail outlets continue to devalue the portrait experience and the perceived value of the product. The average portrait photographer must either turn toward the upscale market or the mass market.”

Many photography studios try to offer a product that has neither a price nor an emotional benefit. Today’s upscale consumers are simply not motivated or interested in the middle of the road studio.

One real way to add value at the end of the portrait experience is through the use of upscale packaging. Premium packaging is a combination of both form and function. It is a marriage of aesthetics and functionality that works and promotes the images within. Your choice of packaging is the link between the customer and the portraiture.

Although today’s sophisticated consumers will not succumb to the packaging only, it is often the packaging that puts the studio and the images over the top. There is a saying among marketing professionals, “It’s the package that will get you there, but it’s the product that will keep you there.”

The world is full of companies that have remade their brand with upscale packaging. Maybelline Incorporated unveiled its “Revitalizing” range of make-up packaging whose white, black and gold color theme conjured up visions of Chanel. The brand is priced about 35% higher than its traditional offerings.

Gosling’s Black Seal Rum introduced new packaging that highlights the increasing importance of shelf and back bar presentation. There is a renewed emphasis by this brand on elegance and the need to visually communicate their upscale personality.

Even restaurants are getting into the trend by offering upscale doggy bags to their clients. Today more guests are opting to take home leftovers from their restaurant meals according to a survey by American Demographics magazine. They discovered that 62% of diners leave restaurants carrying a doggie bag. As more guests choose to take home leftovers after a meal, operators are offering customers unique packaging to prolong dining enjoyment. Glastones Malibu has their waiters wrap leftover foods in gold foil made to look like crabs or handbags. The Cheesecake factory offers its leftovers in reusable plastic bags that prominently display the company’s logo on the front and back.

Leftovers!?! These companies, these very sucessful companies, are investing money in packaging leftovers. They are doing this because they understand the value of packaging and we should take a few notes from their book.

Get a little creative. Be a little fun. Make your packaging memorable. Most importantly, pay attention to how you package. The results will pay off in dividends.

Creating a Logo for your Photography Business

Posted on February 23, 2007
Filed Under Marketing Yourself | 5 Comments

Drawing your logo One of the most important parts of developing a brand identity is coming up with a logo. A logo says so much about your company.

Developing a consistent, clean logo will not only differentiate your company from amateur photographers, it will bring together a foundation on which the rest of your brand identity will be built.

A logo does not need to be anything very fancy. What you are looking for is consistency more than anything else. Your logo can be as simple as your studio name in a particular font or your actual signature. Or you can go to a graphic design firm and have one designed for you. A logo created for you by a graphic design company may cost up to a few hundred dollars but it can be well spent money if you are uncomfortable using graphics programs.

But before you even think about what you want your logo to look like, you should think about what you want your logo to say about you and your studio. Do you want to portray your studio as modern, traditional, edgy or fun? Is your photography style bold and flashy or sweet and subtle? Sit down and write a sentence on what you want you logo to convey.

Once you have a clear idea of what you want your logo to convey, then you can start thinking of the design. One key thing to remember about the design of your logo is to keep it simple. Don’t have too much going on in the logo. Keep the number of colors to one or two. Don’t try to force the world into your logo. A simple logo will serve you much better, trust me.

A simply designed logo serves two purposes. The first purpose is that a simple logo will be much easier on your pocket in terms of stamping and printing. A single color print is much cheaper than, say, a four color. Plus, many places that will stamp or imprint mounts and albums can only do so in single colors, so a multi colored logo would still be displayed in mono color, which then makes your logo inconsistent.

The second purpose is that, much like photographs, if there is too much going on in the logo, the main message you wanted to convey will be lost. You want your logo to quickly state who your studio is and give an impression about what your studio is like. Too many colors, curves and corners and that simple message will get muddled.

Once you have your logo, send it to your favorite photo packaging distributor and have them make a die of the design. This will most likely cost $20 - $100, depending on what size die you choose to have made.

Once you have a die, have them use it every time you place an order. Remember, nothing should leave your studio unless it has your name or logo and phone number on it.

And that is all there is to it. Creating a logo can be just that easy and it is the first step towards making your studio a memorable experience for your customers and a more profitable endeavor for yourself.

Creating a Brand Identity for your Studio

Posted on February 20, 2007
Filed Under Marketing Yourself | 16 Comments

Have you created a brand identity? Do you know what a brand identity is?

Let’s start with what brand identity is. Brand can be defined as “The outward manifestation of the essence of a corporate brand, product brand or branded environment.”

I bet you are saying, “Hold on, Jamie, I am a photographer, not a corporation. Why do I need a brand identity?”

The short answer is because it will help you make more money. Read on, if you want the long answer which explains why it will make you money.

One of the best ways to create a memorable experience for your clients and potential clients is to create a consistent experience.

Your brand should be as uniquely identifiable as your written signature. Your brand should carry through every point of contact with your clients or potential clients. It starts with the signage, goes through to the décor and layout of your studio, carries on into the way you package your products and ends with the bags or boxes that you put your finished product in when the client leaves the store.

A clear brand identity will help you sell your services. When you have a defined brand identity, the rest of your marketing efforts become much easier. Business cards are a cinch to put together. Ads are a breeze. Signs will never be simpler. Your packaging will suddenly look professional and stylish. All you need to do is refer to your defined brand identity and the work in these efforts is 90% done.

Developing a brand identity will help to not only sell your services but will help put your clients at ease. A clearly defined brand identity will convey that you are a professional and not just a fly by night operation.

I won’t deny it. Developing a complete brand identity will take work to accomplish. There are many details involved with successfully putting a complete brand identity together. But the good news is that you don’t have to put it together all at once.

If you are at a loss as to where to start, it is best to start small. Start with a logo. Yes, a logo.

In my next article, I will go over what a logo can mean and how you can find the right logo for you. In the meantime, think about whether or not you have a brand identity. Can you find parts of your business that have become a part of your brand?

Name Dropping: Packaging that Promotes You - The Photographer

Posted on February 15, 2007
Filed Under The Basics | 18 Comments

State your name Do you remember the 5 P’s of photo packaging? Let’s talk about the one that is most likely to make you money in the future - Promoting the photographer.

Do you promote yourself? I am not even talking about taking out ads or making sales calls. What I am asking is do you make sure that every piece of work you create leaves your studio with a clear indicator of where the photo came from and more importantly, where someone can go if they would like to get one for themselves?

If there is one thing that is consistent in the world of selling it is that given enough time, a customer will forget your name. Some clients can go years between sittings. It doesn’t matter how wonderful your work is, or how much your client loved that photograph when they left your studio, chances are that eventually your name will slip from their mind. And, even if they remember your name, I would be willing to lay Vegas odds that they won’t remember your phone number or how to easily get in contact with you.

In light of this, you need to take steps that will help your client refresh their memory when the critical moment comes where they are asked to remember who took the photo. Why is it important to make sure that they can answer that question? Because chances are that question shortly precedes or follows the statement “That’s a beautiful photograph. I think I would love to have one done like that.”

There are a few very simple steps you can take to make sure your client can find your name and phone number at that critically important moment.

Every bag that leaves your studio should have your name, phone number with area code and web address stamped on it.
Every box that leaves your studio should have your name, phone number with area code and web address stamped on it.
Every photo mount you put a picture in should have your name, phone number with area code and web address stamped on it.
Every frame you put a photograph in should have your name, phone number with area code and web address stamped on it.

Are you seeing the trend yet?

Make sure your name or business name, phone number and web address are stamped on EVERYTHING you sell.

It doesn’t even have to be an obvious place. On the back or unobtrusively in a corner will do just fine. When you hand your finished product to your client, point out that the name and phone number are there in case they have any questions. This will have reinforced in their mind that if they need your phone number for any reason in the future, it is right with the photograph.

So when they are ready to have another sitting or when a friend asks where the work was done, they will know exactly who to call, even if you did have to remind them.

Time will Tell - Packaging for the Future

Posted on February 13, 2007
Filed Under The Basics | 17 Comments

By (Guest Contributor) Greg Stangl M. Photog Cr., CPP

Vintage Photograph My wife and I recently came in possession of a small collection of antique family photographs taken by area photographers in the mid to late 1800s. I was amazed at the quality of the mats and portrait packaging and how wonderful the images looked after spending 100 plus years in these mounts. Most of the portraits were individually signed, wonderfully presented and were still in great shape.

What type of packaging should you use to guarantee that your images still look great 100 years from now?

At my studio, we have chosen to deliver our portraits in a classic folder-style mount offered in a variety of colors. We chose this particular packaging, not only because of its unique look, but also how the packaging feels to the touch. Weight and texture were also given consideration. We hand sign every folder to individualize each customer’s images.

Making sure that your packaging is high quality will go a long way towards giving you lasting clientel. Most photography clients are not going to be coming back to you month after month. It may be years, even decades between sittings, and in the meantime, your photographs, their packaging and how well both of them stand up to the test of time will be a testament to the quality of your work.

Think of it this way, 100 years from now will your photographs be considered valuable and treasured artifacts from a bygone era? Or will they have become worthless victims of the ravages of time?

Talking about Tissue Paper

Posted on February 6, 2007
Filed Under Tools of the Trade | 39 Comments

Tissue Paper = Money Can we talk a little about tissue paper?

I know it is not something that you would normally give much thought to but today we are going to take a look at what tissue paper can do for you.

Have you ever noticed that expensive men’s dress socks have a piece of tissue paper tucked inside one? If you haven’t, pay close attention the next time you need to buy men’s dress socks. I promise it will be there. As a matter of fact, lots of high end pieces of clothing will have a sheet of tissue paper tucked inside or around them in the box.

So what purpose does that sheet of tissue paper serve? It’s not to protect the clothing or make it fold easier. That tissue paper is there for one reason and that is to add an auditory element to the experience of buying the piece of clothing.

We humans are sensory creatures. We love to smell, taste, touch, see and hear the world around us. Good marketers have discovered that the more of these senses they stimulate during the purchasing process, the more indulged a person feels and thus the more value the person perceives in whatever they are buying.

Back to the socks. Normally socks are not the most vocal of clothing pieces. The dress sock manufactures tuck that piece of tissue inside so that when you are looking for a new pair of dress socks, you pick it up and it crinkles. They have added an extra layer of interaction with the socks and this sound, combined with the fine quality of the cloth and the rich color of the thread used to make the cloth, sends a signal that these socks are the best darn socks that money can buy.

So what do socks have to do with photo packaging? It is all about that tissue paper. Once the garment industry started to add tissue paper to the inside of items to make them seem more luxurious, a strange thing happened. That tissue paper itself, not just the sound of tissue paper, became subconsciously linked to the idea of luxury and quality. These days, it seems like everything is wrapped in tissue paper. No one gives a gift bag that isn’t overflowing with voluminous peaks of tissue paper. Every gift shop on the planet will take extra time and cost to make sure whatever you are buying is neatly wrapped in a piece of tissue paper. They may claim it is to protect the item, but how much protection can a flimsy piece of tissue paper really give?

Whatever the claimed reason for this explosion in tissue paper use, the result is that the public is now fully conditioned to understand that when something is wrapped in tissue paper, it is something special and valuable.

The question now becomes are you using tissue paper with your photographs? This small, inexpensive step can help add the feel of luxury and quality.

In other words, are you handing your clients pictures that are shoved in a plastic bag like trash or are you handing them pictures that have been wrapped in soft, crinkly tissue paper like the treasures that they are?

Information about the tissue paper in socks and clothing was found in the book “Why do Pirates Love Parrots?” from the Imponderables Series by David Feldman