I’ve been commissioned to create image libraries for hundreds of education providers. Here are a few of the most common marketing strategies I’ve worked on for childcare centres. Every centre has a unique key message that differentiates itself from competitors. Those that are part of a larger chain will target the unique benefit that each … Read more
Back in 2006 I was on the education board of a private college. Later that year I was co-opted onto the board of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP), a not-for-profit association. The head of an organisation determines the culture They say a fish rots from the head down and that’s true in business … Read more
Austin Kleon wrote, “…validation is for parking, not for artists.” However I’m not referring to validation as a creative. Photographers need to regularly validate their image archive to ensure it hasn’t deteriorated. A lot of things can go wrong: file corruption, bit rot, missing images and more. In ye olde days of film we could … Read more
People sometimes ask how I scored such a great URL. Dumb luck and money would be the TL;DR. Email When email was established as a normal way for businesses to communicate in the mid 1990s I was using my ISP’s domain: something like: robertjedwards@mpx.com.au. Tim Pie, a client and financial communications guru, wanted to refer … Read more
Life is full of relationships. Foremost are our personal relationships. In business we have a variety of relationships. Relationships are long term, at least for me. Clients and customers Writing this article my first thought was client relationships. Customers are the centre of business. In making business decisions I first consider how it affects clients. … Read more
Yes I know, historically photography started with Niepce in 1826. What I’m referring to is the intent of photography: to communicate. We’ve been conversing with one another visually since year dot. Once refined into a formal language, artists used imagery to convey messages by those who commissioned them. That same language is used by commercial … Read more
Success depends on how you measure it. For my commercial photography clients a successful photography shoot is one that illustrates their key messages through strong images. Delivering results within budget and not disrupting their core business is a given.
I love black and white photography. Some of my favourite photographers, like Elliot Erwitt, are best known for their B&W images. In photography’s early years B&W was the only option. If you wanted colour it had to be hand painted onto the print. However colour photography has always driven the market for professionals and consumers. … Read more
COVID 19 has forced us to shop locally for many goods. Supply chains are broken. Shipment has gone from days to months. Support requests go unanswered as call centres are in lock down. Pundits say the pandemic has accelerated what would happen to business by a decade. I’ve also seen business models revert 20 years. … Read more
Propaganda is often considered in a negative light. Wikipedia describes it as: “Propaganda is communication that is used primarily to influence an audience and further an agenda” Millions Stand Behind Me, John Heartfield, 1932 Propaganda is frequently associated with political regimes, suggesting images of World War II or the Cold War. At uni I studied … Read more