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Author Topic: iStock | 15 Year Anniversary  (Read 39179 times)

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B8

« on: April 22, 2015, 01:06 »
+19
Quote

Its hard to believe that 15 years ago, a small team with an idea about changing the world of royalty-free imagery, would evolve into what we know as iStock by Getty Images today.
 This April marks a significant milestone in iStocks history, a history that has been largely based on an insatiable love of imagery, an appetite for disruption, and an irreverent affinity for change.
 
Even with our long history of evolution, the past year has brought more change to iStock than the previous decade and a half combined. Over the past 12 months, we have we have completely repictured the business, updating and simplifying the search and purchase process, removing barriers at every step.
 
The biggest change is our launch of a full subscription product. This has significantly shifted the business economics, but has also given iStock access to a new customer base that was simply unaccessible before with our singular credit model. Make no mistake, this shift in our core business has not been without challenges, but it is vital to the long-term growth of the business and will pay dividends in the future. High volume customers who have long wanted access to our premium quality, exclusive content, but have been limited by our credit model, are now free to leverage our content for their creative projects.
 
On the topic of content In an industry where our competitors continue to push quantity over quality, one fundamental ideology that has not and will not change, is iStocks a philosophy of Exclusive Artists providing premium content that you cant get from anyone else. We are proud to represent your content, and defy the race-to-the-bottom trend in pricing by rewarding talent, investing in our artists and paying higher rates for our Signature tier product. We continue to share the passion and creativity each that each and every exclusive artist puts into their work. It is these shared ideologies that separates us from the competitors, and has made iStock by Getty Images the leader in the market.
 
As one of the original founders of iStock, I have enjoyed many exciting experiences and challenges in the past 15 years, yet I have never been more excited for the future of the business.
 
From myself and the entire iStock and Getty Images team we thank you for 15 amazing years, and look forward to the next 15 as we work together to maintain our position as the leaders in the industry.
 
I invite you to watch this short business update video from Derek Snyder, Sr. Director of Product and E-Commerce for iStock by Getty Images, as he details the strategies and impacts of the RePicture project, and frames the business for the years to come.
 
Sincerely,
Brad Ralph
Senior Director, Content Development / Co-Founder iStockphoto

PS. If you are having problems viewing the video please ensure you've recieved your log in credientials for the Getty Contributor Portal. If you haven't recieved your credientals please send a quick email to the Content Manager.
 



What a bunch of bullocks Brad. Another unknown name pops out of the woodwork with the usual Woo-Yay rubbish. Who was it last time that sent one of these emails? I can hardly keep track of the list of one-hit wonders.

Quote
On the topic of content In an industry where our competitors continue to push quantity over quality...
- Now that's a complete oxymoron.

I think I will stop my rant here or this could go on for hours...
« Last Edit: April 23, 2015, 02:48 by B8 »


« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2015, 01:12 »
+18
I think I just threw up a little in my mouth...

Semmick Photo

« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2015, 01:22 »
+20
What a bunch of nonsense. Lol. They really have a distorted self image. Anyhoo lets us all take comfort in the fact they won't last another 15.

« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2015, 01:57 »
+7
I'm not sure if I understand it - is it some scam or iS really sends that email to people?  ???

« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2015, 02:05 »
+19
"....we work together to maintain our position as the leaders in the industry....".

This cant be real. They are not able to acknowledge they are no longer in that position and thus, they will never recover. This is just sad  :(

« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2015, 02:14 »
+21
They really are deluded if they think they are still at the top.  I find it quite sad.  I loved Istock as it was my first and best selling stock site and had a great community spirit.  I rarely go to the site now and never to the forums.

Justanotherphotographer

« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2015, 02:52 »
+20

...defy the race-to-the-bottom trend in pricing by rewarding talent...

what really? Do they really think this when they pay the lowest rates in the industry? Is there no one on staff who can figure that if you pay half the commission of the competition people will happily sell their work for half the price elsewhere and make twice the volume of sales for the same RPD?

Arghhhhhh I think my head is going to explode.

Semmick Photo

« Reply #7 on: April 22, 2015, 04:12 »
+12
I have to add, I dont wish anyone losing their income, it would be better for all of us if IS got their head out of their rear end and turned it around. I just meant that at some point its better to rip off the band aid quickly than slowly try to pull it off. It hurts more and longer. I just wish for anyone on IS, that the misery ends sooner rather then later.

Justanotherphotographer

« Reply #8 on: April 22, 2015, 04:25 »
+1
Where is this announcement from by the way? Is it on the forum or a Getty blog somewhere?

« Reply #9 on: April 22, 2015, 04:33 »
+7
It was sent as an email to Exclusives and links to a video on the Getty forum. I get the impression it wasn't for general consumption.

dpimborough

« Reply #10 on: April 22, 2015, 04:40 »
+18
"...On the topic of content In an industry where our competitors continue to push quantity over quality...."

Is he for real?? When iStock have been accepting everything including the kitchen sink for over a year now!!

Stack it high sell it cheap should be their new motto!  >:(

« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2015, 05:42 »
+6
I wish I'd had the nuggets to set up an agency back then - I might have been in the Bahamas quaffing boat drinks with Beyonce by now.

Justanotherphotographer

« Reply #12 on: April 22, 2015, 06:59 »
+12
It was sent as an email to Exclusives and links to a video on the Getty forum. I get the impression it wasn't for general consumption.

Makes a lot more sense now. Must just be for the consumption of the diminishing number of exclusives that don't have an overview of the market. They wouldn't have the gall to send that out to contributors in general.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2015, 07:09 by Justanotherphotographer »

Semmick Photo

« Reply #13 on: April 22, 2015, 07:12 »
+2
IS had the gall to pull off a lot of re.tarded stuff. This is no different. Maybe they finally understand to expect  a backlash when they talk cra.p.  I don't think exclusives are gullible either.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2015, 07:15 by Semmick Photo »

« Reply #14 on: April 22, 2015, 07:30 »
-3
While they blew a little to much smoke I do see things improving at iStock. I feel that a lot of these changes are needed and will help. Interesting times ahead and now back to stick my head in the sand :-)

« Reply #15 on: April 22, 2015, 07:38 »
+7
While they blew a little to much smoke I do see things improving at iStock. I feel that a lot of these changes are needed and will help. Interesting times ahead and now back to stick my head in the sand :-)

Like what and for whom?

« Reply #16 on: April 22, 2015, 07:50 »
+2
Video sales are good this month and Getty was very strong. The new ADP is good and search is getting better, my subs are up month after month and my regular Dl's have not gone down much. My new content is selling now and I am spending my time focusing on content.

fritz

  • I love Tom and Jerry music

« Reply #17 on: April 22, 2015, 07:55 »
+5
iStock used to be a nice place ago when an owner....

« Reply #18 on: April 22, 2015, 07:59 »
+18
"This has significantly shifted the business economics"  You bet it has........man do I hate this corporate talk. Just say how it is " This has destroyed many photographers -business economics-"...... :P

« Reply #19 on: April 22, 2015, 08:17 »
+17
I'm not seeing any improvement, other than rising subs which will have to multiply by 10 times to make up for falling credit sales.

I'm going to make less from credit sales this month than I used to make in a week.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #20 on: April 22, 2015, 08:28 »
+6
I'm not seeing any improvement, other than rising subs which will have to multiply by 10 times to make up for falling credit sales.

I'm going to make less from credit sales this month than I used to make in a week.


That's my experience too, but maybe video is going better. Fair enough, but by the time I'd bought the equipment and acquired the skills, that market will be oversaturated too, so I'll pass. I'm certainly not going to 'speculate to accumulate' the way things are now, anywhere.

Still, if jjneff is doing well, good for him, he can only post as he finds.

I found the new ADP to be pretty bad, and hate that the descriptions have gone, but all my browsers show me the old one ATM, logged in or out. Maybe it's changed for the better since I posted my screenshots, but my issue was reported yesterday: http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=366249&messageid=7098097, except that I see a totally random order of keywords in the old ADP on new, unviewed files also (and that has been the case for many months, maybe over a year). I find this to be of great concern, as allegedly the iStock reordering of keywords is very important for search.

« Reply #21 on: April 22, 2015, 08:28 »
+12
I'm not seeing any improvement, other than rising subs which will have to multiply by 10 times to make up for falling credit sales.

I'm going to make less from credit sales this month than I used to make in a week.
Yes, more or less the same here. I'm afraid that as far as I'm concerned it's a business arrangement, and the Dollars in my pocket speak far louder than any words can.

« Reply #22 on: April 22, 2015, 09:03 »
+7
On a more positive note my video sales were horrible last month! The value I find in iStock is the Getty connection, I do not have to do any extra work for my files to go over to Getty. Yes they are slow getting there but they make it eventually. My iStock/Getty income is paying the bills so I see no need to jump out of the boat yet. 

« Reply #23 on: April 22, 2015, 12:02 »
+3

I'm going to make less from credit sales this month than I used to make in a week.

TRUE THAT!

« Reply #24 on: April 22, 2015, 12:41 »
+1
Sonds like the Exclusives are getting featured not exterminated. Dropping cash sales might be less fraud sales and clawbacks. He shows as co-founder of IS. Video aimed at Exclusive. Give it time.


 

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