Art Licensing: Avoid Spam Trigger Words in Emails

Corresponding via Email is the number one method in contacting persons in the art licensing industry. And, if those Emails end up in the recipients junk folder instead of their inbox, possible licensing consideration of art and important information may never be seen. Thus, it is important to know the words that should be avoided in the subject line and in the content of the Email that will trigger it as spam. Spam filters constantly change and depends on the recipients Email gatekeeper. As stated in "Spam Filters: The Truth about Email Marketing Gatekeepers", they block not only words but also symbols, writing in all caps, aggressively urgent language and especially trigger words in subject lines.

Some spam words are innocuous such as now, never, success, sample, deal, hello while others are more obviously as spam such as free, earn $, income, get, urgent. It is impossible to avoid all the words on spam lists when writing Emails. One word will not trigger it as spam but it will if the Email is over loaded with too many or the same word or phase is repeated too many times. Also avoid sending Emails with only a few words, or only a link to a website, or only one picture because spammers constantly do it. And, most importantly focus on the subject line of the Email. Avoid spam words but make sure it is engaging so that the recipient will read it. Below are links to lists of spam trigger words.

Spam Trigger Words
• "The Ultimate List of Email SpamTrigger Words"

• "Common words that trigger spam filters"

• "Spam Filters: The Truth about Email Marketing Gatekeepers"

• "A List of Common Spam Words"

Note: There are online tools that analyze Email content to test for spam trigger words. I have not used them because they require you to enter your Email address. I am leery that I may get spam if I give them my Email address since many are selling Email marketing services. But, if you are interested, checkout "Top Sites about: Spam Checkers."

Your comments are welcome. Click on the comments section (below) to write your comment. Note: Some people have a problem in leaving a comment. The most successful method is to comment as Name/URL (your name and website or blog with a "complete" URL address).

Art Licensing: The Importance in Knowing What Sells at Retail

It is important for artists to know what sells at retail to realize what art themes have the best chance in being licensed so that products sell through. But it is complicated because artists must create art that first please the manufacturers who think they know what the retailers want and the retailers think they know what consumers will buy. To find out what art sells, the artist must research, research, research by constantly walking retail stores, trade shows, trolling retail and manufacturer websites, blogs, Facebook pages, and asking questions of sales reps, manufacturer art directors, and shop owners/managers. It is a lot of work but it is an important part in the business of licensing art. Art licensing is NOT just creating art!

Way to find out what art sells at retail
 Manufacturers and retailers are always looking at their customer demographics (age, sex, where they live, income, etc.) to help them predict their spending habits. They survey their own customers, hire independent survey companies, and subscribe to newsletters and purchase reports on trends in consumer behavior from companies such as EPM Communications, inc. Artists can also purchase these publications to gain insight into the retail market but they are pricey.

A newsletter that I have found really interesting, helpful, and more affordable is Gift Beat. It tracks trends in the gift industry that is aimed at the retailer but also has very useful information for artists. It has informative articles, some top selling art on products, and lists charts of top manufacturers selling different products in the different regions across the United States. It is interesting to find out that if a particular manufacturer is a top seller in the Northeast they may be at the bottom or not listed at all for the Midwest or West. And it is interesting to see what type of products are top sellers for themes such as birds. Flags may be top sellers in the Northeast and South but figurines are the top sellers in the Midwest and West. All this information is useful when creating themes and knowing what manufacturers to target when submitting art.

More ways to find out what art sells at retail is to:
• read comments posted by retailers on manufacturer blog and Facebook sites

• ask art directors when talking to them on the phone

• ask managers and owners of small gift stores that sell licensed products. They are a wonderful source in finding out what sells. Managers and store owners have a surprising amount of knowledge about the artists and manufacturers of the products. And they love to talk about them when they are not busy helping customers.

• engage in a conversation with reps at wholesale trade shows.  It is sometimes possible to get information at regional shows but I have had a lot more success when walking the Atlanta gift show. One time I happened to approach a flag manufacturer when the traffic was dead and the owner was manning the showroom at Atlanta. He spent a half hour discussing with me the art on their flags, what were popular and what makes a great flag design.  Another time the owner of a melamine tabletop manufacturing company was helping to man the booth at a regional show and she made time to tell me what art themes are the most popular on their products.  That type of information is invaluable!

• check-out the best sellers on manufacture and retail websites. Some manufacture and retail websites allow the viewer to sort the products into different categories including best sellers. Look at websites of your favorite retailers and manufacturers to see if that capability is available. Below are a few.

– Kohl's (retailer)
– Lowe's (retailer)
– Evergreen Enterprises (manufacturer)

Suggestions from artists:
• Jill Meyer –  I always like to glance at what is on sale as well.  Often it is just seasonal that is on sale, but when there are other things, I try to notice if there is a theme to what is put on sale, then I make a mental note to avoid that theme!  

If you have other methods in finding out what sells at retail, please share the information. Click on the comments section (below) to write your comment. Note: Some people have a problem in leaving a comment. The most successful method is to comment as Name/URL (your name and website or blog with a complete URL address).

Art Licensing Editorial: What can artists, designers and cartoonists learn from the creator of Garfield?

Most people are aware of Garfield the cat comic strip character created by Jim Davis and that it is wildly popular and continuously earns many millions of dollars from movies and licensed products each year. But what many people do not realize is that Garfield's success did NOT happen by chance. Jim used a strategic plan by thoroughly researching the cartoon and licensing industries and applying what he learned to fill a niche. Jim admits that his Garfield cartoon is "static," is “essentially a formula,” and his intention was to "come up with a good, marketable character".

Creative director Caroline Zelonka who worked on advertising for Petsmart stores in the mid-90s recently commented in "Is Garfield Supposed to be Funny?" about the true story on why Garfield was created. In reading the article, it became apparent to me that using a strategic plan to license art is very important now more than ever because of lower licensing revenue and more competition in getting deals. Using what I call the "shot-gun" method of indiscriminately sending art to manufacturers for licensing consideration is not effective.

What learned from the article
Below are a few points on what Jim Davis did to bring Garfield to stardom and how his strategy can be used by artists, designers, and cartoonists to increase licensing potential.

• Research what is popular and why
– what Jim did: He thoroughly researched the cartoon industry and used the popular Peanuts cartoon strip as a model. He discovered that
1. the most popular and licensed character was Snoopy and not Charlie Brown,
2. there was no popular licensed cartoon character for cat lovers, and
3. the more mundane the character that does not offend anyone is the most popular and licensable. For reasons why, read "Where popularity never meets critical acclaim: Why bland entertainment is worth a fortune."

– what artists can do: Artists should target particular product industries (greeting cards, jig-saw puzzles, decorative flags, art prints, etc.) and decide where their art is a good fit. They should learn everything they can about the industry they plan to contact such as what art themes are popular. Whenever possible, contract licensee art directors and ask questions. For more information on licensing strategies, read "Eight Steps to Become an Art Brand".  Note: If you are new to licensing or have trouble in getting deals, hire an art licensing consultant to get constructive criticism of your art and suggestions on what manufacturers you should contact.

• Spend more time marketing than creating
– what Jim did: Jim spent 13 or 14 hours a week writing and drawing the strip, compared with 60 hours a week on promotion and licensing.

– what artists can do: Obviously licensing your creations are not a 40 hour work week. Jim spent four to five times the amount of time promoting Garfield than he did creating the comic strip. Spending a lot of time promoting it sure worked for him. Most artists spend more time creating their work than promoting it - including myself. The Garfield story is a good reminder that we artists should spend more time promoting our work to gain visibility and increase the potential in getting more licensing deals.

• Have visibility
– what Jim does: Jim uses the cartoon strip and Garfield movies to keep Garfield in the public eye to sell licensed merchandise. But he is very leery of over exposure and controls it as much as he can. For more information, read "Garfield: Why we hate the Mouse but not the cartoon copycat".

– what artists can do: Artist can gain visibility of their art by submitting press releases, advertise in trade magazines, exhibit at SURTEX, have a website, use social media such as blogs, Facebook etc., have online stores such as Etsy, Zazzle, Cafe Press etc. Also read, "Art Licensing: Marketing Art Outside-the-box". Artists can also gain visibility by constantly submitting art to manufacturers and by following-up. Read "Art Licensing Tip:What does follow-up really mean?"

Summary
All the above points have been made many times before. But how many artists actually implement them? Do you have a strategic plan on what products your art should be on? Do you spend more time marketing your art than creating it? Do you consistently contact your licensees and follow-up? If you do not, maybe by doing so you will get more licensing deals ;)

Your comments are welcome. Please click on the comments section (below) to write your comment. Note: Some people seem to have problems leaving a comment. The most successful method seems to comment as Name/URL (your name and website or blog complete URL address).

Art Licensing: Is Adobe holding Artists Hostage with Creative Cloud?

Last May there were many irate Adobe software users when Adobe announced that they will no longer upgrade their boxed version (software owned by the purchaser) of Creative Suite (CS) software. Upgrades will only be available via their subscription based Creative Cloud (CC) membership. Adobe plans to continue selling CS6 software that can be downloaded from their website but it is already out-of-date because CC updated versions of Photoshop and Illustrator have already been released on CC. For more information about the controversy, read:

• "Adobe's Creative Cloud Move Causes Outcry And Confusion"
• "Adobe's Creative Cloud Sparks Thunderous Revolt"
• "Dislike Adobe's Creative Cloud subscriptions? Tough beans"

Because Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are considered the standard software used in the art licensing industry, this has a HUGE impact on artists that license their art. The yearly cost of the subscription membership is much greater than periodically upgrading existing software applications. Artists that use the software to only manipulate scanned images of their work in Photoshop can get along fine with older versions. The problem will be later when computer operating systems are updated and possibly no longer recognize the old CS6 version.

But, artists that create art digitally have a decision to make because they depend on robust software. Should they use CS6 applications and no longer get updates that could enhance their art and speed up their work flow OR pay the subscription fee for CC membership? Below are some facts to help them make that decision.

Note: If you plan to subscribe to CC and already own CS software you need to decide soon because Adobe has a reduced first year membership price that ends shortly.

What is Creative Cloud
Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) is a subscription membership plan to use Adobe's creative software. It may be paid month-to-month or individuals can commit to a yearly membership at a savings. There are several levels and different pricing structures available. See the below section on "Creative Cloud United States Membership Price".

CC Misconceptions
There are many misconceptions on how a person uses the software after subscribing to CC. Below are a few but read "5 Myths About Adobe Creative Cloud" to learn more about CC. Also listen to the podcast with Adobe Senior Product Marketing Manager Terry Hemphill and children’s market illustrators Norman Grock and Wilson Williams, Jr. on "Once Upon a Sketch Podcast Episode 5 – Conversation with Adobe about Creative Cloud".

• Myth 1 - Operating the applications (Photoshop, Illustrator etc) is done on the internet and you must be connected to the internet to create files.
Truth: Cloud is really a misnomer because applications are downloaded onto a computer from CC and the computer does not have to be connected to the internet for the individual to create images.

• Myth 2 - File must be stored on the internet.
Truth: Files do not need to be stored on CC. It is an option.

• Myth 3 - You cannot access your files once you leave Creative Cloud.
Truth: Files belong to the individual BUT the individual will not have access to CC applications and cannot edit the files with CC if she/he quits their CC membership. However, files can be edited in owned Creative Suite (CS) applications IF they were saved in a compatible format with the caveat that any CC tools and functions not available in CS will not be useable.

CC Membership Pros
• You do not need to be connected to the internet to use the applications because they are downloaded from the CC website.
• You can use all CC applications if you subscribe to the annual membership plan. The membership subscription plan could be cost efficient if you use many Adobe applications.
• You can use all edge tools and services for web designers and developers.
• You can use all online services for file sharing, collaborating, publishing apps and websites.
• You can store 20GB of files (for most plans) that can be shared with clients and colleagues.
• There is no waiting for software updates.

CC Membership Cons
• You must pay subscription membership fees to use software.
• There is no guarantee that the membership fee will not be raised substantially after the first year.
• You do not own the software so if you stop subscribing to CC you will no longer be able to edit the files unless they were saved in a compatible format for CS versions. Note: A possible problem could be in converting CC files to JPEG formats if you are no longer a CC member. In other words, if the file is saved in a Photoshop CC format can it be converted to another format such as JPEG if you no long have access to Photoshop CC?
• Any images using new features and tools in applications that are updated in CC will require the user to continue using CC so that they can edit the images. That means an individual is forced to continue using CC regardless of membership price.
• You must confirm membership via internet every 30 days for month-to-month membership and every 99 days for annual membership. If you do not confirm, the CC applications on your computer stops working.
• If you need to use the software on more than two computers, you need to subscribe to additional memberships (same policy as for CS applications). The same applications can be put on two Macs, two PCs, or one of each.
• You must purchase separately all Adobe Touch Apps (Photoshop Touch, Kuler for iPhone, Ideas, Behance for iPhone, Creative Portfolio for iPhone).

Creative Cloud United States Membership Price
Annual membership for US individuals are billed monthly for most popular desktop applications. Click here to see what applications is included. Note: The price is locked-in for an annual membership. The member is obligated to paying 50% of the remaining annual fee if she/he decides to quit the subscription before it ends. The price of the subscription for a month-to-month member is not locked in.

To find out if CC is available in other countries, look under Purchasing and availability section in "Adobe Creative Cloud / FAQ".

Annual fees
• new CC member (do not own CS applications); $49.99/mo
• CS upgrade (CS3 - CS5.5 customers) ends 7/31/13; $29.99/mo
• CS upgrade (CS6 customers) ends 8/31/13; $19.99/mo
• Students & teachers (requires institutional affiliation); $29.99/mo
• Single application for non CS customer (limited access to services); $19.99/mo
• Single application for CS3-C6 customers (limited access to services); $9.99/mo

Month-to-month fees
• Single application for non CS customer; $29.99/mo
• Other month-to-month plans are available but you need to contact Adobe to find out the price.

Free 30-day trial membership for all apps (limited access to services)

Click here for more information about membership plans.

What is the Alternative?
If you do not want to be held hostage to Adobe's Creative Cloud subscription plan, you only have the two choices. Continue using Adobe CS6 or older versions of Adobe software OR start using software from other companies. Alternative software may not have all the bells and whistles but they will do the job. On top of that many are free and most are much less expensive than Adobe. Below is a list of articles that discuss alternative software.

• "How to build your own Adobe Creative Suite with cheaper Mac app alternatives"

• "What are good alternatives to adobe software"

• "10 Photoshop Alternatives That Are Totally Free - Gizmodo"

• "10+ Best Free or Open Source Photoshop Alternative Software"

• "Is there an alternative to Illustrator? Here's 5 . . ."

• "10 Best Alternatives to Adobe Illustrator"

If you object to Adobe holding artists hostage and you want to voice your opinion, sign a petition on change.org for "Adobe Systems Incorporated: Eliminate the mandatory "creative cloud" subscription model." ( http://chn.ge/12xLnTE ) Over 36,000 people have sign it. They need 13,000 more signatures!  Thanks Debra Valencia for sharing this link.

Your comments are welcome. Please click on the comments section (below) to write your comment.