I guess this is where I bow out. I could go on for pages about the very clear and strong brand that Google has constructed and how it has directly contributed to their market leadership. They have clearly publicized their roots (founded by 2 hipster tech guys made good). They have established one of the greatest workplaces in the world and publicized that too. It makes us view them in a favorable way because of who they are and where they came from. To say that the austerity of their website is an indication that they have no brand is crazy. They separated themselves from portals like yahoo and aol by having an austere webpage but they reinforce the fun, accessible nature of their brand withthe way that they alter their (incredibly well know) logo for different holidays - people know and look forward to that. Ultimately the biggest branding effort came from positioning themselves through articles and public outreach that searching=googling. They made the connection in the public mind that their brand represnts the entirety of the industry they operate in. To say that they have no branding is just ignorant of the way that business works.
The other thig I was thinking is that Sergio is o e of the prime and classic examples of branding wihin the photographic community. He satsifies every tenet of branding from having an origin story to devloping a recognizable look and a predictable public persona. The way people feel about him is not just based on his images, but also on the stories that he tells about himslef, the attitude that he takes in responding to his work, the controversy that he knowingly creates through his posts and the people who come to his defense. You can like his work, but the way you feel about him (at least on this forum) is influenced by so much more thanthe images.
I\'m going to make an assumption. If I\'m wrong, then i truly apolgize right now. I\'ll gladly apologize again later. I wod imagine that the OP is not as successful as he wants to be. What I don\'t get is why you would want to be dismissive of a fundamental business element that empirically successful businesses have been leveraging for years? Why dismiss it? Why not embrace it and use it and maximize it before you abandon the concept altogether? I have to say in the most positive and encouraging way that I can that you haven\'t researched or explored this concept nearly enough to dismiss it.
I wouldn\'t say that images don\'t matter either, nor do I think I have advocated social irresponsibility at any stage. What I have said is that the images do t vet it done alone. Plus, while I admire and ruthlessly advocatethat people improve their craft, this unfortunately isn\'t that best foru
for exploring that concept which I am very sorry to say. I have tried personally to act in non emotional way and constructivly critique and have gotten called on the carpet for it and written off for favor of far less insightful commentary and decries that whatever magic diets in our beautiful, unique snowflake hearts makes it art and right in th world of photography or whatever. Just know that I am totally on board with you wanting to be a better photographer. BUT, if you hav decided to be a professional you have the responsibility to tackle all the aspct that entails, including business/marketing/branding. As a full time working pro I can tell you that only 10-15% of my time is spent on photography. That\'s not necessarily a bad thing.
Oh, and the fact that you called me the go to guy for business advice is a direct result of me having branded myself that way. Cheers
- trr
Feb 06, 2010 at 02:19 PM
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