Assignment: Washington Apple Commission
When clients have more choices, they have more chances to choose your work. That could be why a group catalog mailing using ADBASE helped Norman Maslov pick up an assignment for two of his artists at the same time, on the same project.
Maslov is a principal with Agent Internationale in San Francisco. He represents a small group of nine creative commercial photographers from his office in a former candy factory. Agent Internationale also represents roughly 20 topnotch illustrators.
Both a freelance art buyer and the agency art director responded favorably to a mailing showcasing the distinctive body images of photographer Michele Clement and the digital manipulation skills of Skeleton Digital Art Studio.
Our mailing (using ADBASE) hit an art director at a perfect time and reminded an art buyer of two artists who could create the necessary images. We were able to produce this campaign as collaboration between our two artists.
Updating By Hand, Before ADBASE
"We use ADBASE quite a bit, especially for our direct mail campaigns. We do two large mailings a year, and then do anywhere from four to five collective mailings as well as some individual artist mailings.
"Up until the time ADBASE came along, our office and two other agents I know in San Francisco, used to literally cut the country into thirds and do our own research, contacting agencies to create our own updated lists. Well, you know the time that takes. Then we would trade with each other to have the whole country covered."
"By the time you input all this into your computer, it's already outdated. And it takes up all this wasted time when we should be promoting our artists and contacting potential clients."
"ADBASE has replaced that, because they do the updating so regularly. It's saved us a whole lot of time and money. Everything from manpower to phone time," Maslov said.
Maslov also uses ADBASE as an ongoing research tool to keep track of clients and prospects. "A lot of times I'll hear about something and just go on ADBASE. I can find out when someone's moved."
"Art directors seem to change jobs often. If I'm looking for someone I worked with maybe a year or two ago, and they're not at the agency anymore, I can input them into the database and see if they've turned up anywhere else. It's a nice resource for that."
Great Value
After 20 years in the business, Maslov understands the value of promotion and recommends ADBASE to artists just entering the business.
"The most frustrating thing when I talk to new artists, and new photographers, is that they're so hesitant to spend any money on promotion and marketing. And I really try to emphasize that with any business, you have to promote yourself."
"ADBASE is such a reasonable investment in the long run to get current names. We have advertised in the Workbook in the past and I like the Workbook for the imagery. But by the time they print it and ship it out, it's already dated."
"What's nice about ADBASE is that it cross-references the type of clients you have in many ways. It's so reasonable for the amount of information you potentially have."