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Author Topic: iStock's Agency Collection Pricing  (Read 29015 times)

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zzz

« on: September 27, 2010, 21:43 »
0
I don't think this has been posted anywhere yet, so here goes. From what jsnover posted in another thread, I can see from this file that the prices are as follows:

small: 55 credits
medium: 75 credits
large: 100 credits
xl: 150 credits
xxl: 200 credits


« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2010, 21:53 »
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I just posted on the iStock mega-thread that I think the two contributors whose content is currently coming through the queue have fine stuff - for the main collection. There's nothing there that's even Vetta IMO, let alone agency.

Look at some of the photos from SAKIstyle - nothing shows up yet in the portfolio, but give it 24-48 hours and it will:



There's nothing wrong with these, but they belong in the main collection, not commanding a premium price.

If buyers come and see piles of standard stuff at stratospheric prices, some may just go elsewhere, assuming the whole site has repriced. That's what happened when Vetta was introduced - they thought everything started at 20 credits just because the first things they saw did.

This has the potential to hurt all of us by turning buyers off.  I could live with some really special content getting added to the site - that might pull buyers in - although they really need to deal with the issues of exclusivity (Hulton Archive is sold on non-Getty sites, not just "family" sites, and is marked as "exclusive"). Flooding the site with ordinary content at high prices is just damaging, IMO.

zzz

« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2010, 22:01 »
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Honestly, do you really think there are stock images produced with finer content than Vetta? Yes, there are outstanding photos that we can see in our weekly Hot Shot emails, but I think Vetta is pretty close to perfect. So what I'm trying to say is that I don't really see a tier above Vetta.

SNP

  • Canadian Photographer
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2010, 00:12 »
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if these files are substandard in relation to Agency pricing...then what's the worry? a buyer might find them, and then find something similar in the regular collection and purchase that. it's not like these files are coming in, being priced lower than ours and given preferential treatment. they are priced well above reg and Vetta collections....so what's the big deal? assuming they are given any best match boost, which I suspect they will be, they will fall back like any other non-performing file does, which we know happens even with Vetta.

I think you're looking for reasons to be pissed off.

« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2010, 00:35 »
0
if these files are substandard in relation to Agency pricing...then what's the worry? a buyer might find them, and then find something similar in the regular collection and purchase that. it's not like these files are coming in, being priced lower than ours and given preferential treatment. they are priced well above reg and Vetta collections....so what's the big deal? assuming they are given any best match boost, which I suspect they will be, they will fall back like any other non-performing file does, which we know happens even with Vetta.

I think you're looking for reasons to be pissed off.

Are they at the front of the search? Will they give the impression that the cheap stuff has to be miles worse than this? Will it affect buyers' interest in the site as a whole?

zzz

« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2010, 00:42 »
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I think you're looking for reasons to be pissed off.

Huh???

« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2010, 00:45 »
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I see the pom poms are back. LOL

SNP

  • Canadian Photographer
« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2010, 00:46 »
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@ Baldrick:
did vetta? since day one, contributors (me at times too) have griped that Vetta files were getting in without a consistent standard. it would be impossible to apply a measurable standard to an entire collection of artistic commodities. IMPOSSIBLE. but you are suggesting that all files will be substandard. in JoAnn's example...those two files are clearly aimed at an Asian market (more specifically Japan, China, Korea etc.). I believe they are simply trying to globalize with regionally specific images in some cases. in other cases like the illustrations accepted, there's nothing wrong with those being imported and priced at a higher price point

obviously some of the Agency collection files will leave us scratching our heads, same as vetta. but overall, I think we'll see a similar outcome as we've seen with Vetta, without any eutrophication of the regular collection.
« Last Edit: September 28, 2010, 00:52 by & then... »

SNP

  • Canadian Photographer
« Reply #8 on: September 28, 2010, 00:46 »
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I see the pom poms are back. LOL

no one wants to read stupid posts like this. you're not contributing anything but sophomoric comments to a legitimate discussion

« Reply #9 on: September 28, 2010, 00:54 »
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I see the pom poms are back. LOL

no one wants to read stupid posts like this. you're not contributing anything but sophomoric comments to a legitimate discussion

Coming from the queen of sophomoric posts. And what makes you think anyone wants to read stupid posts like yours. :D

SNP

  • Canadian Photographer
« Reply #10 on: September 28, 2010, 01:03 »
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. again, not bothering, who cares
« Last Edit: September 28, 2010, 01:05 by & then... »

lagereek

« Reply #11 on: September 28, 2010, 01:10 »
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Honestly, do you really think there are stock images produced with finer content than Vetta? Yes, there are outstanding photos that we can see in our weekly Hot Shot emails, but I think Vetta is pretty close to perfect. So what I'm trying to say is that I don't really see a tier above Vetta.

Well I hate to say it but if you think Vetta is the ultimate in picture creativity,  man!  you should start to look outside the stock-world and see some of the stuff created for commisions by dayrate photographers.
Only then will you realize that this Vetta business is really just middle of the road.

SNP

  • Canadian Photographer
« Reply #12 on: September 28, 2010, 01:17 »
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+ 1

« Reply #13 on: September 28, 2010, 01:17 »
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. again, not bothering, who cares

And yet, you still can't stop yourself. :D

SNP

  • Canadian Photographer
« Reply #14 on: September 28, 2010, 01:19 »
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FWIW, the files in JoAnn's example do not, however, even have any references to any Asian cultures in their keywording. that's a pretty silly oversight if they are aiming these at a regional market...

helix7

« Reply #15 on: September 28, 2010, 07:32 »
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Seems to me like the Agency collection is just adding yet another layer of complexity to iStock pricing. At least with Vetta you could sort of see why an image cost so much more. But as mentioned with the Agency images posted so far, the value isn't obvious. These images are middle-of-the-road general collection at best, not Vetta and certainly not worthy of a higher tier than Vetta.

All I see this doing to buyers is leaving them more frustrated in searches, finding these over-priced images among regular results and wondering why they cost so much, and then just filtering out Agency and Vetta.

« Reply #16 on: September 28, 2010, 08:08 »
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So, iStock decides to put images like these into the highest pricing category.

Let's have a look at the keywords for the "adult woman" with laptop:


People
Enjoyment
Cushion
Horizontal
Book
Window
Laughing
One Person
Color Image
One Woman Only
Adults Only
Setting The Table

While a couple of keywords probably slipped through inspection I was surprised to look at an adult woman.

I thought this is an 8 year old girl reading a book.

Wouldn't it enhance sales by using keywords like "female" or "young adult" instead of "one woman only" and "adults only"?

One would think that iStock would pour more effort into this project rather than just dumping Vetta files into this overpriced collection.

« Reply #17 on: September 28, 2010, 09:08 »
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. again, not bothering, who cares
apparently the 16 folks who have blocked you  ;)
« Last Edit: September 28, 2010, 09:11 by anonymous »

SNP

  • Canadian Photographer
« Reply #18 on: September 28, 2010, 10:57 »
0
So, iStock decides to put images like these into the highest pricing category.

Let's have a look at the keywords for the "adult woman" with laptop:


People
Enjoyment
Cushion
Horizontal
Book
Window
Laughing
One Person
Color Image
One Woman Only
Adults Only
Setting The Table

While a couple of keywords probably slipped through inspection I was surprised to look at an adult woman.

I thought this is an 8 year old girl reading a book.

Wouldn't it enhance sales by using keywords like "female" or "young adult" instead of "one woman only" and "adults only"?

One would think that iStock would pour more effort into this project rather than just dumping Vetta files into this overpriced collection.


the keywording on these images is terrible. it strikes me as an oversight, since so many useful keywords are missing. I just attempted to wiki the file, and its status is listed as 'needs review' and I was unable to wiki it. so clearly they were brought in with existing keywords or something, and will be wikiied
« Last Edit: September 28, 2010, 10:59 by & then... »

lisafx

« Reply #19 on: September 28, 2010, 11:14 »
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Is anyone besides me bothered by the amount of time and attention it will take to get these Agency images ready-for-prime-time, and how little time that will leave for administrators and reviewers to run the other aspects of the site? 

Is it any coincidence that image inspections for contributors have ground to a snail's pace, people are reporting support tickets going unanswered, F5 site bugs still haven't been fixed, and hardly a peep from admins in the forums?   

« Reply #20 on: September 28, 2010, 11:19 »
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^^^ I strongly suspect that many Admins and inspectors at Istockphoto are expressing their own dissatisfaction at events with a go-slow or worse (some have walked out apparently).

« Reply #21 on: September 28, 2010, 11:23 »
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^^^Doesn't bother me, I have nothing in the queue.  Anything that makes more buyers want to look elsewhere has to be good.  Istock keep adding to their own problems and I wonder how bad it will get if all these changes don't get them to their profit target?  That seems to be their only objective and if they miss that, what will happen?

« Reply #22 on: September 28, 2010, 11:25 »
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if these files are substandard in relation to Agency pricing...then what's the worry? a buyer might find them, and then find something similar in the regular collection and purchase that. it's not like these files are coming in, being priced lower than ours and given preferential treatment. they are priced well above reg and Vetta collections....so what's the big deal? assuming they are given any best match boost, which I suspect they will be, they will fall back like any other non-performing file does, which we know happens even with Vetta.

I think you're looking for reasons to be pissed off.

In a way, I agree. I don't think anyone really knows how this will play out in the long run. And some us won't be sticking around to see it play out anyway.

« Reply #23 on: September 28, 2010, 11:57 »
0
^^^ I strongly suspect that many Admins and inspectors at Istockphoto are expressing their own dissatisfaction at events with a go-slow or worse (some have walked out apparently).
Do we know that any admins or inspectors have actually left (besides Rob, of course)?  Just wondering as I haven't heard much from them.

« Reply #24 on: October 14, 2010, 20:12 »
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So they've started moving existing exclusive content into the Agency collection today.

As far as I know there has been no announcement to buyers at all that these price increases will occur (small jumps from 5 to 55 credits; large from 15 to 100 and so on). Smaller jumps for those files moving from Vetta to Agency.

The buyer reaction at Vetta launch when files in their lightboxes suddenly increased in price was predictably angry. For any of you who purchase from IS, have you received anything that warned you about this?

For anyone who wants to take a look at what's in the Agency collection as a whole, you can search like this.

IMO the IS exclusive content is in general vastly better than the Getty derived stuff, but comments about that have been greeted by admins with admonishment to focus on what we can control :)

So has anyone seen any sort of buyer communication on this?


 

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