Although I plan to sell our product physically, the web would play host to our 'store' as it were, despite the fact that most of our work would be commissioned it's important to have a place to archive this work and perhaps sell any by-products created in the process. I used the SWOT analysis to evaluate two online arts-based stores, I found the use of the SWOT table as a tool very useful in breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of these stores as objectively as possible...
SixPack.fr
This lecture provided an insight into the possibilities in different ways to suitably market my product. The most suitable place to promote myself seemed the internet, I started looking at some suitable sites. Mainly those that could act as a platform for me to promote my own personal site, or merely showcase my product to the right market, and these sites are all incredibly popular with audiences that would be valuable to have see my work.
http://motionographer.com/
http://www.icasea.net/
Through a few of these sites I came across a number of festivals - some more local than others - which struck me as events that could be very useful for direct marketing and self-promotion. I've found from contact with small companies and work experience that it's generally better to be face to face with whoever you're promoting yourself to. The problem with a lot of online marketing is that it can sometimes be incredibly faceless, and there will undoubtedly be a lot of 'noise' when trying to communicate your skills/product to your audience. Festivals such as Future Everything in Manchester...
http://www.futureeverything.org/art
...and Lovebytes in Sheffield...
http://2010.lovebytes.org.uk/
...have the potential to provide an invaluable resource of worthwhile connections I could possibly network with, and with time and effort space to promote myself through showcasing my work/having it exhibited. These could lead to bigger/more popular festivals abroad that could be really useful for publicity such as the arts side of Sonar Festival in Barcelona; SonarMática. My point is, there's a huge number of platforms already available for artists like me to gain the right kind of publicity.
What media do my potential clients use?
Politics - Economy - Society - Technology
The most relevant aspect of the PEST analysis for me was technology, particularly with innovative digital formats I plan not only to create my work for, but also as a means of promotion. Young consumers will use Iphone apps and social networking sites. It is important that I am aware of the development of new technologies and their increasing degree of accessibility. As a media group I have been in contact with have put it...
"Democratic technologies are creating powerful and diverse communities from an anonymous mass of scattered individuals. Online and mobile communications now enable us to join forces, share information and feel strong as one of many. We see this in phenomena such as texting, social networking and mass participation initiatives such as online games and Wikipedia." (Wilson, A)
Having met with one of the directors of Blink Media, they didn't strike me as successful profit-wise, but their principles were very inspiring and I liked the idea of providing digital products that are interactive, which is easily achieved with a little knowledge of processing language. Again, creative software is as increasingly accessible as the technology in which the creative output is supplied. It's important to have that added dimension as a digital artist, the more I can do the more I will stand out.
Segmentation - this helped form my ideas of who my target audience would be as a freelance artist and designer, and how I could reach them
It is important that I make use of popular blogs and RSS feeds to promote my work, other online platforms would include websites such as Fecal Face or It's Nice That. There are several popular sites for digital art as well as physical publications such as magazines. Self promotion could take the form of events in order to promote myself locally, again a lot of promotion for these events would take place online.
"With modern graphic design concepts and methodologies always changing, graphic designers need to continually advance their knowledge of different graphic design techniques, innovations and graphic design software packages. At present, the basic instructions in graphic designing cannot guarantee for a competitive product anymore without the use of high technology, so that the demand for highly skilled graphic designers is higher than ever." (Jan; S, 2007)
What skills do you have and who needs them?
I believe we underestimate our skills in the creative industries, designers of our generation are far more competent with changing technologies and computer literacy in the UK is one of the world's highest:
"Commissioned by Olivetti Personal Computers the report states that Britain has the highest computer to student ratio anywhere. A third of British homes have a computer, equal with Belgium and besting the US where 28 per cent of homes give house space to a computer." (Veitch; M)
My competency with computers in itself is therefore not uncommon, however the ways I can use software in the creation of my work not only as an output (I am confident with my skills with all the industry standard software in the Adobe Creative Suite, and am developing my skills with scripting programs and Processing), but I am also confident in creating work outside of a Mac, I have built work such as lightboxes and created small installations. My Product is therefore not only my finished work for clients, but the principle I work with when delivering it - innovative, forward thinking art and design.
Feature: Fresh and innovative young designer. Benefit: Relevant and exciting work / Feature: Website created on Dreamweaver with Web Safe fonts. Benefit: Website will look the same on all different Web browsers.
I would deliver my product in various online forms - the easiest, safest and cheapest way to promote yourself and sell your product - but also in more tangible forms (utilising my skills with 3D work) at events and exhibitions.
Feature: Self-run promotional event. Benefit: Create your own atmosphere/feel to the event and speak to possible clients first-hand.
It would also be important for me to be aware of clients abroad, considering the high levels of computer literacy in this country compared with others. My pricing would need to be enough to cover the costs of any materials used in 3D work, as well as something for the time I have taken to do it. Software based work would therefore be available at a lesser-cost, due to the lack of materials/travel etc. needed to produce such work. Again, the internet would provide a fair-sized part of my promotion, with thought for more innovative forms of self-promotion through my 3D/installation work.
Jan; S (2007) Graphic Design Training - Enhancing your Computer Graphic Design Skills http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/graphic-design-training-enhancing-your-computer-graphic-design-skills-229026.html. Date accessed: 15/12/09.
Veitch;M, Britain is World's Leader in Computer Literacy
,http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,2066579,00.htm. Date accessed: 15/12/09.
