MicrostockGroup

Hi Lisafx,

 Thanks for the kind words but unfortunately no prophecies just been around the block a couple of times. I do think we can all help each other in steering our boats through changing waters. Lets keep up the chatter and share what we experience in this industry.

Best,
AVAVA

I still say they should introduce a 'Premier collection' that features exclusive images from both exclusive and non-exclusive contributors, that way they would have a real scoop amongst the microstock world.

The way they've announced this leaves me thinking that some exclusives are going to lose out if they have their images in the top tier, by that I mean that a buyer may select an image from a non-exclusive at a regular price of which the quality of the shot would render it legible for the premier collection if the contributor was exclusive.

If I were an exclusive I would also be wondering, if an image is worthy of the new premier collection why not just put it on Getty anyway.

Although it would appear to be too late, but I would advise anyone to put their 'woooohoooing' on hold until the scheme's been in place a while.

I wish they would give nonexclusive a way to earn more, like 2% increase per level.

Hi All,

 Always exciting to see someone come in and kick it up a bit just when everyone was a bit sleepy. New stuff to share info and different perspectives of what the future might hold in Stock. Have some of you noticed since you started Micro that you think more about the future than you did when you started. Kind of interesting how our brains process information.
 I can share from info I have on my Mid and Micro stock that you will see less downloads in Mid but the cost is offset and actually more money is being produced at my Midstock images right now of the exact same product or style ( separate shoots ) than from Micro. Same quality images like my regular Micro just higher pricing at Midstock. The data is to early for me to be confident but after two months that is what I have for you.
 To early to know what to make of this yet but still fun to try and strategize. One concern I see comes from the Micro competition more than within just IS buyers. This is a tough year to raise prices anywhere. As much as I think Micro is undervalued I feel that images available on competitors that keep their price down and there content strong could benefit from this decision at IS.
 The new Istock sales numbers I believe if not affected by the economy, will show promise after a while. I would expect a wave of new photographers wanting to be exclusive after the buzz gets around and the sales improvement spin sets in. If Istock can pull it off and become the Getty of Micro ( hasn't happened yet due to existing competition as a whole ) that those that get in early will do the best. That is always going to be a roll of the dice.
 This is such an interesting business. The more time I am in it the more time I spend looking further down the road.
I always like to see changes like this because they produce all kinds of new data and it gets things stirred up a bit. I often ask myself why from the position of the company or person for that matter. What is their motivation. What do you think made them make this change. I can think of a few ideas.
  I don't think many saw this coming. Breaking up the collection into pricing tiers through quality of imagery. Can anyone show me where we have been talking about this elsewhere on another post. This is not like every winters price raising this is another animal completely.


Best,
AVAVA
 

Hmm,

This is a real stroke of genius! IS can have their cake and eat it here. Keeping the exclusives happy and undercutting the competition by putting the non-exclusives images (that the compeditors have already) into the "new" dollar bin.

The question is will the big non exclusive ex macro players be tempted to go exclusive? I can see IS sweetening the pill by  removing upload restrictions for this expanding collection in the next 6 months so whole thousand+ collections can be put into it by a select group of premium content providers.

They are maturing the MS market in the same way RF did in the early years of the 21st century.

Or maybe not....  like AVAVA  says who knows what's coming down the road!

Cheers

NS

well lots of sites do have a 'premium' area, EVO for 123RF, Fotolia's infinite collection (+ emerald and above photographs raising their prices), Lucky Oliver (one of the first sites to have this) had the sideshow (with price it yourself pricing), Other sites like snapvillage, cutcaster and feature pics, who let your price your own work also create a sort of tiered system of image ranking, and lastly dreamstime raises prices on popular images quite a lot from the first to the top tier  - so essentially it is not really a new idea at all - they are in a way one of the last companies to finally get on board, but they are going about it in perhaps a different way.

Hi SJ,

 Back from vacation yet. Remember to drop me a line when you get back.

Best,
AVAVA

This only works if IS is the only microsite carrying images that buyers perceive they must have - today that is not the case - most of the top micro photographers are not exclusive to IS and hence IS cannot control the price market anymore .... there is too much choice for buyers among the different sites - why would a buyer spend $25 (for example) on a "top tier" level image when they can buy it for $5 at another site?

IS must be well aware of this fact .... despite some strange strategic decisions I still believe they are savvy and not idiots -
so the only way this new pricing structure makes sense at all is if IS changes their exclusivity program and introduces image exclusivity .... then this works - but only then .... and I for one believe they are about to do this as their present exclusivity system has come back to bit them in the b-tt ...

Hi Hoi Ha,

 I guarantee these guys are anything but idiots. Smart guys for sure.

Best,
AVAVA

They won't be able to buy it (the same image) at another site. The higher prices apply to the Exclusive only collection. However they could buy an equivalent image. I guess it depends on how much better istock exclusives are than anyone else. And whether buyers want more exclusive content.

Hi Jonathan - I agree with you they are not idiots - I also say we are witnessing the birth of "mid-stock" here as well .... do I think it will work? I am not so sure - have the buyers become too dependent on bargain basement images? Or are there enough buyers from the trads that see mid-stock as a bargain especially given the huge jump in quality these last 2 years...? Will there be room for that middle level? I really don't know .... fun to watch it play out though no?

You mean like the price of $250 for 750 images?

An istock admin has confirmed that the Premier Collection is for istock exclusive contributors only.