Marketing Strategies: Rights Managed

Posted on 5/12/2009 by Jim Pickerell | Printable Version | Comments (2)

There are four basic strategies to consider when trying to decide how to market stock images. These are rights-managed, royalty-free, microstock and subscription. Most sellers favor one strategy and are often adamantly opposed to the others. Some, however, argue that there is merit in using several of these strategies. Starting with rights-managed licensing, this series of articles will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each model.

Get the Full Article (2 Credits)

Have an Account?

Access to this site is an exclusive benefit for you. Enter your username and password in the form above. If you don't remember your password you can reset it at any time.

Keep me logged in

Forgot your password?

New to Selling Stock?

Selling Stock is an on-line newsletter that reports on developing trends in the stock photo industry. It is updated at least twice a month. On-line subscribers receive e-mail notification whenever new stories are posted. Archives containing stories going back to late 1995 are fully available to subscribers.

Buy Credits

Copyright © 2009 Jim Pickerell. The above article may not be copied, reproduced, excerpted or distributed in any manner without written permission from the author. All requests should be submitted to Selling Stock at 10319 Westlake Drive, Suite 162, Bethesda, MD 20817, phone 301-461-7627, e-mail: wvz@fpcubgbf.pbz

Jim Pickerell is founder of www.selling-stock.com, an online newsletter that publishes daily. He is also available for personal telephone consultations on pricing and other matters related to stock photography. He occasionally acts as an expert witness on matters related to stock photography. For his current curriculum vitae go to: http://www.jimpickerell.com/Curriculum-Vitae.aspx.

Comments

Tim Mcguire Posted May 12, 2009
Jim,

You should break down your advantages and disadvantages for customers, distributors, and producers seperately. Some advantages for a customer may be disadvantages for distributors and / or producers.

The concept of Rights Managed (price based on use) needs a major overhaul and reinvention. The term "Rights Managed" needs to be tossed out the window and never used again but not the concept which it stands for, pricing based on how an image will be used. Many of the disadvantages you've listed (from a customers POV) could be overcome with some innovation that lets go of long held "sacred cows" of Rights Managed's past.

Anonymous Posted May 13, 2009
Just up until recently traditional RF sustained nearly 40%-50% of the commercial market, right? Is microstock's new claim of 70% due to the increase of new total buyers? If so, it would be interesting to see a chart breaking down the total number of traditional buyers represented in these percentages compared to new buyers. Meaning, of the 70% who is new and who is traditional and why has RF and RM decreased in commercial market share so rapidly - all due to the volume of buyers in the microstock space?

Post Comment