-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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"We are looking for an artist who would be interested in the design process and would donate their time in exchange for recognition and acknowledgement over the forecast 5 year life span of the banners.
Translation - We want someone to work for free cause the guy who did all the banners in the photos below got smart and told us to shove off 'cause we never paid him either.
Just my gut reaction.... Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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You caught me out: I didn't actually read the page I linked to, above.
What I read was this news story and figured I would just connect people with the source (my bad).
I think most organizations that engage in design competitions don't fully understand what they're asking for...and don't realize that it's a "faux pas" among designers.
None-the-less: If your signshop excels in design (which is essentially where all of the value is created for the customer), you can use design to leverage the whole job in cases like this.
Someone has to produce and install those banners, right? So why not make that a condition of choosing your design? That's what I would do, anyway.
Make sense?
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
That makes sense Jon, but it just seems that someone has been producing these banners in the past for them. There's a history there and it could make leveraging the job's production aspects difficult. Also, they are only specifying a need for design, not production of the banners, in the news article and other link. Another red flag there aginst production.
These's one point that I'd like to make. This particular situation is a request for designs that only LOOKS like a contest. There's no substantial prize here other than bragging rights. Being able to say "I did those" is all fine and good, but it just seems that they are already halfway there on the design they want and are looking for someone to finish what they can't.
If you want a job to add to your portfolio that would bring in new businesses, it can be benificial. If you thnk it's gonna connect you with all the other businesses involved overnight. That's reaching.
Getting the credit for doing it for free can often draw more people looking for free work. Not unlike race cars, once you sponsor one, the rest are looking for the same deal. Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
It's not your fault, Jon, you're doing a good job bringing opportunities to our attention and I for one appreciate those efforts. But Ray is right, it's a blatant request for free work. The article says that merchants have the opportunity to sponsor the banners, it also says that "some of the merchants requested the banners", but apparently they do not want to pay for what they believe would be helpful for their businesses. People should refuse to enter these "contests" so this nonsense will stop.
posted
I guess it's a question of whether or not your glass (an/or order book) is half full, or half empty...and the only way to learn the truth would be to get in contact with the Ocean Park folks.
Quoting the article: ====================================================================================================================== "The business association spent a year raising money to commission the banners.
It has generated money through community events, and merchants may sponsor the banners..." ======================================================================================================================
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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