Independent Study Jacoby Duckworth
Spring 2014
JRNL 490
Section 1 - Photography Business Overview .................................................................. 1 Market Research ................................... 2 Target Audience ........................................................ 3 Business Relationships ...................................................... 4 Business Costs ..................................................... 5 Pricing and Packages ........................................ 6 Advertising ........................................ 7 Branding ....................................................................... 8 Creative Marketing ........................................ 9 Client Gifts and Relations ........................................ 10 Design ........................................ 11-12 Offered Products ........................................ 13 Social Media ........................................ 14-15 “How to Win Friends and Influence People� review .................... 16
Section 2 - Animal Shelter Overview ....................................... 17 Non-profit case study reviews ....................................... 18-22
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In the past five years, I have been operating a photography business out of Central Illinois. Starting as a high schooler in a town that I grew up in, it was very easy to find clients from friends’ and family’s referrals and my low cost for services. In the past, I have offered photography services to anyone that would hire me; however, I have made the decision to focus exclusively on weddings and engagement photography in the future. I am moving to Nashville, Tennessee in mid-May, and I plan to continue my business once I establish residency. This time around, I will hardly know anyone and must force myself to step out of my comfort zone to meet new clients. This independent study will focus on my strategy to reach my target audience and build the clientele I had before in Illinois. This study also includes a complete re-brand of my business’ and thoughtful planning on how I will promote my business in the first year.
Market Research
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Most common photographer’s business model: The large majority of Nashville photographers use the “Shoot and Share” model. This is the model that I also use in my own business. This entails giving all digital files to clients for their own personal use, rather than holding them in hopes that they will purchase prints. This model includes charging more upfront for the session and digital files, rather than charging less for a sitting fee and then hoping to make print sales. This business model is becoming the most common in photographers all across the United States. More information on this business model: http://shootandshare.com/about
Nashville photographer’s average pricing: Photographers in Nashville do not post pricing to their sites. This practice ranges by region/area.
These photographer’s target audience: Twenty-somethings in the Nashville area and all throughout Tennessee. The specifications vary greatly for these photographers. Many are not as consistent with their target audience by putting out a wide range of couples and personalities in their portfolio.
My top competitors: Zach & Jody - zachandjody.com Rachel Moore - rachelmoorephoto.com Jordan and Alaina Photography - jordanandalaina.com Julie Paisely Photography- juliepaisley.com Joshua Gull Photography - joshuagull.com Him + Honey Photography - himandhoneyphoto.com
All competitors are based on photographic style and location.
Target Audience
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My target audience’s characteristics: Younger Women - These women will be between the ages of 23-32. In search of photography - Women that are looking for a photographer for wedding, engagement, or lifestyle photography. Women tend to have the purchasing power in wedding planning. Technologically savvy - Most often, these women are looking on social media, viewing other friends’ pictures to find a photographer, and looking for services on search engines like Google or Bing. Adventurous but laid-back - These women like to take chances, be outdoors, will take risks to get a good picture, and are spontaneous. Make between $40,000-$100,000 annual salary - These women or couples will have this salary range to feel comfortable paying a photographer with fair compensation. This is important to me because many couples will low-ball photographers, and I want clients who can afford my services. Artistic Eye - These women will have good taste, appreciate a classic look, and can identify quality photography artwork. These women will also not want editing styles that are outdated. Intimate/in Love - These women will appreciate intimate sessions and experiences with their partner. They will be comfortable being intimate in front of the camera. They also believe in infinite love and that marriage is a lifetime commitment. These women will also be laid-back and know the importance for the wedding day (AKA not be a “bridezilla”).
Business Relationships
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From my research and dialogue with other successful photographers, I’ve learned the importance of relationships with other local vendors. I would be able to depend on these relationships to transfer into referrals and great recommendations.
Wedding and Reception Venues: Riverwood Mansion - riverwoodmansion.com Cedarwood Weddings - cedarwoodweddings.com Bell Meade Plantation - bellemeadeevents.com Timothy Demonbreun House - tdhouse.com/weddings/recent River City Company - waterhousepavilion.com/new/miller-plaza CJ Off the Square - cjsoffthesquare.com/weddings The Building - bldgnashville.com/#bldgnashville
Florists: Emma’s Florists - emmasflowers.com Rebel Hill Florist - rebelhillflorist.com/events The White Orchid Florist - thewhiteorchidflorist.com
Wedding Planners: Nashville Wedding Planners Group - nashvilleweddingplannersgroup.com A Delightful Day Events - adelightfulday.com Amber Housley - amberhousley.com/amberhousley-weddings Catalyst Wedding Events - catalystweddingsandevents.com Firefly Events - fireflyeventsnashville.com Kelly Dellinger Events - kellydellingerevents.com Jessica Sloane - jessicasloane.com
Videography: Chris Wheeler Films - chriswheelerfilms.com Complete Music Video Photo - nashville-photo.com First Dance Pictures - firstdancepictures.com
Business Costs
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Government Expenses: Limited Liability Corporation - $300 / year Davidson County Fees - $50 / year Doing Business As (DBA) - $20 / year
Insurance: Personal Articles Policy - $100 / year Business Liability Insurance - $1,000 / year
Equipment: New/upgraded camera equipment - $2,000 / year Equipment Cleaning - $200 / year Computer Backup - $60 / year
Marketing: Website - $100 / year Business Cards - $150 / year
Accounting: Hiring Accountant - $400 / year
Total: $4,380 per year of basic business expenses
Note: All business expenses are expressed as very basic necessities to operate legally and have very basic equipment. In the future, the marketing budget and equipment budget will be higher. I will also allow for an education budget in the future. Costs of photographing a wedding will be built in to wedding packages (gas, rental equipment, client gifts, etc.)
Pricing and Packages Wedding Packages
A la carte
Package 1
If one adds on the following products at signing, they will receive the price in italics.
10 hours of coverage Digital files and printing rights Online gallery for viewing Second Shooter Engagement Session Cost: $3,600
Package 2 8 hours of coverage Digital files and printing rights Online gallery for viewing Engagement session
Extra hour of coverage - $275 - $250 10� Leather album - $1,000 - $950 10� Linen album - $650 - $600 HH Boogie Nostalgia Kit - $650 - $600 HH Boogie Evan - $450 - $400 Second shooter - $750 - $700 Engagement session - $350 - $300
All packages include 60 miles of travel. 50 cents per mile will be added for extra miles. All products are made in the U.S.A.
Cost: $2,300
Package 3
Portrait Session
5 hours of coverage Digital files and printing rights Online gallery for viewing
1-2 hours of coverage Digital files and printing rights Online gallery for viewing
Cost: $1,375
Cost: $300
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Advertising
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Once I arrive to Nashville, I will use the following advertising strategies to promote my business. These won’t be traditional advertising techniques since my ideal clients will be more technology-driven and are driven by reviews/recommendations. Facebook Advertising - I expect to invest $50-$100 per month to promote and boost posts on Facebook after the first year. I cannot afford this at first since photo sessions will be harder to book, but I plan to implement this eventually. Social media - This medium is free, but I will update my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Foursquare profile. I am currently active on these platforms, but I will use them more strategically with ideal times to post and relevant hashtags.
Instagram and twitter hashtags: #nashvilleweddings, #weddingphotrapher, #nashvillebrides, #tennesseeweddings, #tennesseebrides, #southernbride, #weddingphotography
Pinterest: use keywords that will be looked up by women, such as popular color of dresses, types of bouquets, popular wedding venue settings (ex: barn wedding), etc.
Facebook: Utilize the option to tag clients so their friends will see my work.
Wedding contest - Have a wedding contest for people to enter for free wedding coverage. This will hopefully create hype around my new business coming to town. I will find a couple that is on social media frequently and has a lot of friends in Nashville, so in turn, they will spread the word. Advertise on greenweddingshoes.com - This blog/website targets couples that are my ideal clients. This is a very popular site for brides and photographers alike. I will advertise with them and also try to get on their preferred vendor list, which will help finding clients. This will also be implemented after the first year.
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Branding Words that describe my brand: Cozy, relaxed, and focused on light
Slogan: Photography for the enamored bohemian bride
Acceptable Logos: acceptable logos
acceptable logos
Jacoby
acoby
J
photo + design
acoby J acoby
Jacoby
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acceptable logos
acoby
J
Jacoby
baskerville regular
photo
Fonts and Colors: wisdom script +
c o l o r ds ew sa it cg hne s
J
color swatches
photo + design
y b o c a J
photo + design
jacoby photo + design
Displaying Photos on Blog/Facebook:
jacoby photo + design
color swatches baskerville regular
wisdom script
J
Creative Marketing
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In April, I attended a photography conference that helped me strategize with creative marketing strategies. For example, one of the key-note speakers at the conference reached her target audience (high-end families and high school seniors) by doing the following:
Using realtors as a way to reach high-end clients. The photographer would put together a thankyou basket for the realtor to give to all home sales over $1.3 million. She would provide a free session to the families and also include other local businesses. I thought this was an excellent and creative way to reach an ideal client.
Teaming up with local businesses. This photographer also joined forces with a local boutique to offer “Facebook Fashion Nights.” The photographer would be there to take Facebook profile pictures for a certain price, but she offered a discount if girls bought something from the boutique. They invited a makeup and hair artist to touch up make-up and also had personal shoppers available. This resulted in having other local businesses promote her business. In addition to this, the photographer also hosted “Clickin’ and Sippin’” nights for moms that would drink wine and then teach them how to use their cameras. She found this was a great way to reach the high-end clients that were looking to get their daughters’ senior pictures done, too.
Going off of these ideas, I would come up with the following strategy:
Rely heavily on social media to spread the word of my business. I would heavily use Facebook tags (tagging bridal party and bride/groom) to create a larger exposure of my photos.
Blog at least three times a week to create hype and readership. I would blog everything from my photos, personal topics, and articles/tips that are helpful to brides.
Since I am new to the area, I will need to be comfortable enough to go up to couples and ask if I can take their pictures or are looking for a photographer. I recently ordered business cards that listed Nashville as my home, so I will be passing these out frequently.
I would meet with wedding planners and venues that I feel my target clients are looking to book. This would be really rustic locations that are very artsy and primarily outdoors. Provide specials for those who promote my business on social media, such as checking in to Foursquare.
As I get more acquainted with the Nashville area, I will be able to come up with more creative ways to reach the community and potential clients like the keynote speaker.
Client Gifts and Relations
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After booking After clients book me for their wedding photography, they will receive a welcome packet that walks them through what to expect for the following: an engagement session, timeline of the wedding day, how to download and order their prints, products that I offer, etc.
Two weeks before wedding After my client’s engagement session, I will send them a Starbucks gift card two weeks before the wedding with details of “no wedding talk!” Since I know my clients will be really busy with wedding plans and stressed, I would be providing them with a mini-getaway and a reminder that I care about them.
After they receive their pictures After my client’s wedding day and once they receive their images, I will send them a 4x4 KISS album that is conveniently sized to fit in their purse and show off to all their family and friends. These miniature albums are great, thoughtful gifts while also promoting my business when displayed. I will also send a thoughtful thank you card for hiring me.
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Design 1. Website and Blog
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2.
3.
2. Comments section of blog
3. Facebook cover photo
jacobyphotoanddesign.com
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Design, Continued 1. Wedding giveaway graphic 2. Business Cards (The back side would include a variation of my images)
1.
J acoby photo + design
2. wedding + engagement photography www.jacobyphotoanddesign.com hello@jacobyphotoanddesign.com 217.433.6367 nashville, tn + worldwide
Offered Products
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KISS albums I will offer KISS albums in both canvas and leather. KISS is a great company that provides very easy design software built straight into its ordering system. Clients can also pick which colors they would like in canvas and leather. KISS also uses a very easy proofing system for my clients to view their album.
HH Boogie albums These boxes are hand-crafted unbound albums for clients to preserve wedding memories. This can include photos, flowers from a bouquet, or perfume. I personally love the quality of these products and it being so unique.
I will offer prints and canvases through my online gallery - I will not need to personally fulfill these orders.
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Social Media Pinterest
I will use Pinterest as a tool to promote my images after every session. I will use my favorite photos with unique features to strategically find new clients. I will use phrases that are popular, like I stated before, to reach those searching popular wedding trends. Examples of these search terms could include: barn wedding, tiffany blue bridesmaid dresses, vintage wedding, etc.
Facebook Facebook is a huge part of the promotion of my photography business. Since posting is free to utilize and this social media platform has the majority of my target audience on it, I will be posting to Facebook 3-4 times per week. On my page, I will be promoting photos I took, links to my blog with recent posts, and even personal stories of my life. I’ve noticed in my previous posting that people love a balance of being personable and professional. I will create a larger reach for my page by friending my clients after the session and tagging them in the photos. This way, their friends will see them, and in turn, promote my business. By also suggesting that people could miss out on updates if they don’t “like” my page, I will also see a large increase in my page’s fan base.
Social Media Continued
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Instagram Instagram will also be an integral part of digital campaign to reach potential clients. Unlike Facebook, I can reach many tech-savvy users that aren’t connected to my profile in any way. By strategically using hashtags that associate with my services and the photos I am promoting, I can reach users that are searching these same interests. Hashtags used will include: #jacobyphotoanddesign (to simply keep track of my photos), #nashvilleweddings #engagementphotographer, #weddingphotography, #southernweddings, #tennesseeweddings, #nashvillebride, #tennesseebride, etc. I will post a combination of personal photos and weddings and engagement photos at least four times a week. Like I have stated before, I believe it is important to show a combination of personal photos and professional portraiture to make myself relatable and easy going to my clients.
Foursquare
I currently use Twitter under my personal name, but I do still promote it on my website to connect. Since I put it on my website, I haven’t seen many clients or Facebook fans following me. I still mostly have friends connecting with me on Twitter. However, I continue to post information on my business on my Twitter profile at least twice a week. I do plan to promote photography session specials on Twitter when they take place.
I plan to also set up a Foursquare account for my clients to receive special deals on their session price. The deal I plan to promote is the following: “Checkin to Jacoby Photo and Design on Foursquare and share on Facebook to receive a free 5x7 print after your session!
When posting anything related to my photography business, I will hashtag #jacobyphotoanddesign and #nashvillebrides.
I will promote this special via email when a client books with me and on my website.
Book Review As a member of many photography support groups on social media, I came across a common theme. This theme was the recommendation to read Dale Carnegie’s 1936 book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” This book may not have standard business practices or the leading marketing tricks within its pages, yet I found that the leading photographers in the industry were reading it. They were getting clients, they were constantly busy in their work, and they were running very successful businesses. I knew there had to be something to it. In Carnegie’s book, he focused ways to handle people and their personalities, ways to make yourself liked by others, strategies to make others agree with you, and how to be a leader. Some may think this book wouldn’t be helpful for a business owner, but this is the direct opposite. As a photographer, I am dealing with different personalities all of the time; I am constantly trying to make myself likable and relatable to my clients; I have to handle crisis management on wedding days and, at times, convince people that my business practices are correct; and I am constantly needing to lead people on sessions to where they trust me. I learned the following practices from this book that I feel will help my business:
Be a good listener and encourage people to talk about themselves. This will make my clients feel important during their sessions and that I am genuinely interested in hearing their story. When talking with them, speak about their interests, not mine.
Let my clients feel that everything is their idea. Clients want to feel that they are in control, especially in wedding planning, and I will need to adjust my communication to persuade them to think things are their idea.
When photographing sessions, always start with praise. If there is anything I would like clients to change about posing or the way they are acting, call attention to it indirectly.
One of my favorite quotes in Carnegie’s book is to be “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.” This basically means to make my clients feel AMAZING all of the time. I want to create an amazing experience for my clients - with genuine appreciation, kind treatment, and being gifted!
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In the past two years, I have worked for Wright-Way Rescue, a no-kill shelter located in Murphysboro and Morton Grove, Illinois. My position entails marketing, brand design, public relations, and social media management. After graduation, I will move from my current part-time position to a full-time position, being promoted to Wright-Way Rescue’s Director of Marketing and Communications. In this independent study, I will research tactics and strategies employed by other successful non-profits. I am hoping these case studies and informational articles will assist in my strategy to promote Wright-Way Rescue in the best way possible.
Case Studies & Articles
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Embracing DNA, Expanding Horizons: The Panda Turns Fifty Sherine Jayawickrama December 2011 WWF, a longstanding nonprofit organization that promotes wildlife preservation, is featured in this case study. As the case study featured on WWF’s successful branding, it highlighted the interesting fact that its brand recognition was high, yet the understanding of what the organization did was low (saves endangered species, but that’s it). This case study talked about the following strategies implemented by WWF: WWF approached Coca-Cola to implement water conservation information to help with the company’s sustainability. They found that Coca-Cola’s employees enjoyed the information because WWF appeared to be experts, rather than being approached as information from headquarters. WWF has found success by approaching other corporations with information on how to improve their environmental footprint. WWF in the United States’ revenue comes from: $1.2 from their members; government grants; foundation contributions; corporate contributions; and in-kind donations. What I found amazing is that WWF draws in $50 million per year with FREE advertising, primarily by approaching corporations to create partnerships. Coca-Cola is one company that really got into the organization. WWF and Coke’s partnership “aims to conserve seven major river basins in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, improve water efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in Coca-Cola’s global manufacturing operations, and promote sustainable agriculture practices in the company’s supply chain.” They partnered for a marketing campaign called Arctic Home, too. WWF also implements the following strategies into its brand: • Knowledgeable (conveying scientific expertise)
• Determined (conveying passion, urgency and commitment)
• Optimistic (conveying a solutions-orientation)
• Engaging (conveying openness and accessibility)
Amnesty International: Branding an Organization That’s Also a Movement Christopher Stone December 2011 This case study focused on Amnesty International, a non-profit organization that focuses on human rights. This case study focused on the evolution of Amnesty’s global identity. Markus Beeko explained that Amnesty and its staff avoided using the word “brand.” It seemed that the members of Amnesty didn’t want to focus on the “brand,” and rather wanted to focus on the organization itself. The article explained, “Some people think the cause is the whole thing, so people think the brand gets in the way of the cause—whereas we know the opposite is true.” This explains that the brand actually is what portrays the mission of the organization. Amnesty International used to believe that they didn’t need a brand and they had little-to-none awareness of how a brand could make their mission more clear.
Amnesty International also explained the idea of a democracy within the organization, making everyone in the nonprofit take ownership of the brand. Instead of having strict guidelines, Amnesty has a “Little Yellow Book” to guide its basic set of ideas so that those associated with the brand could express further.
Ultimately, there will be other people in the community who branch off an organization’s identity, but it’s a waste of time to try and stop them. It’s important to realize that organizations can’t keep control, but ultimately it’s the most important thing that they have a larger voice behind them.
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The Secret To Managing Nonprofit Brands Rahim Kanani January 2014
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In Kanani’s article and interview with Nathalie Laidler-Kylander, co-author of a new book titled The Brand IDEA: Managing Nonprofit Brands with Integrity, Democracy, and Affinity, I found her insight to be especially revealing in my work with Wright-Way Rescue.
This article talked about the following important aspects of a non-profit brand:
It is important to implement brand integrity. With this said, non-profit organization needs
to portray itself by describing its mission, what it does, and why. Kylander emphasizes the
importance of having the internal identity matching with the external identity.
It is important to implement brand democracy. This means that non-profits, very much
like Wright-Way Rescue, should encourage communication with our followers and
employees to define the organization’s brand. This will help create power on social
media and let us loosen the control on branding.
It is important to implement brand affinity. The authors encourage organizations to
collaborate and partner with other non-profits that align with our mission and goals. This
will show our goal to our audience.
A few other helpful hints to run a successful non-profit brand: Focus on the mission, not on customers. Encourage participation in our goals with our followers. Keep an eye on the Special Olympics - Laidler-Kylander states their branding is successful. Good branding can attribute nearly 221% in new donations. A brand that doesn’t convey the mission and values can cause confusion or distrust.
The Role of Brand in the Nonprofit Sector Nathalie Kylander & Christopher Stone Spring 2012
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This article, The Role of Brand in the Nonprofit Sector, focused on the same idea as Kanani’s previous article about the IDEA framework of nonprofit branding. However, this article went more in-depth of the ideas and success behind the process. This article also highlighted The Brand IDEA: Managing Nonprofit Brands with Integrity, Democracy, and Affinity’s background. The authors conducted interviews with 73 nonprofit executives, communication directors, consultants, and donors in 41 organizations. I feel that research is fairly strong and evident. I took away the following from this article: Increased visibility, good positioning to competitors, and being popular among our target audience does not always result in large donations or successful fundraising. Branding is not only a tool to manage the outward appearance of an organization; it can help a great deal with the inside of an organization, too. Branding should not only be managed by a marketing director, which is the position I hold, as it should be a topic for the entire organization’s management team.
Branding can really create support and help an organization remain focused on the “why?”
Note: I definitely plan to pick up this book and read further on how it can help Wright-Way Rescue.
Developing Effective Media Relations Best Friends Animal Society Wright-Way Rescue is partners with Best Friends Animal Society, which happens to be one of the leading animal rescue organizations in the United States. Best Friends’ organization puts out information for its partner rescues to utilize for marketing success. In this article, it features on a few ways to help with media relations and ideas. I will highlight a few ways to promote WrightWay Rescue that I plan to implement, yet they are ones we don’t use already. Ways to get our information in the news: When promoting an event or national day, such as National Homeless Animals’ Day, always try to find a local angle and make a connection with community events. In press releases, always promote the event with local statistics. This could include the increase of adoptions in the Chicagoland area or by fewer animals euthanized in Illinois. Always look for milestones to celebrate. If Wright-Way Rescue is celebrating its 500th spay or neuter surgery or 5 years of its low-cost vaccination clinic services. Put a spin on it, such as “1,000 lives were saved because Wright-Way Rescue stepped in to provide vet care!” If Wright-Way is focusing on spay and neuter surgeries and donations, it may be beneficial to highlight how much money the city of Chicago/Morton Grove will save because of these surgeries. Take advantage of PSA announcements while providing information that is beneficial to the community. This content should not be self-serving.
Write a letter to the editor at a popular local newspaper to educate the community about Wright-Way Rescue. We haven’t done this yet, but Wright-Way has many strong connections with local newspapers.
Look into writing a guest column at a newspaper. We could have a volunteer writer do this weekly or monthly to get the word out on Wright-Way Rescue.
Links to Case Studies & Articles Embracing DNA, Expanding Horizons: The Panda Turns Fifty — Sherine Jayawickrama http://www.hks.harvard.edu/hauser/role-of-brand/documents/wwf_brand_case_study.pdf Amnesty International: Branding an Organization That’s Also a Movement — Christopher Stone http://www.hks.harvard.edu/hauser/role-of-brand/documents/amnesty.pdf The Secret To Managing Nonprofit Brands — Rahim Kanani http://www.forbes.com/sites/rahimkanani/2014/01/18/the-secret-to-managing-nonprofit-brands/ The Role of Brand in the Nonprofit Sector — Nathalie Kylander & Christopher Stone http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/the_role_of_brand_in_the_nonprofit_sector Developing Effective Media Relations —Best Friends Animal Society http://bestfriends.org/uploadedFiles/Content/Resources/Resources_for_Rescuers/Resources_for_ Organizations/DevelopingEffectiveMediaRelations.pdf