Century Marketing Ads
3rdPlanetPhotography
Banned Posts: 920 Major grins
Has anyone worked with Century Marketing trying to sell ads in their "Your New Home Magazine"? If you have an it's been sucessful for you then that is wonderful, if not buyer be aware!
*October 2006
Received a call from Century Marketing (as I do get about 3 calls a week for people wanting me to run ads) wanting me to run an ad in their magazing. They try to sell your ad space in their magazine and they up-talk it like nothing I've ever heard. Telling you about how much visibility you will get from their magazine because it's distributed in your area to realtors. My first thought was, "how am I going to get business from a magazine in a realtors office"? The chances of me landing photography work from a realtor magazine are very slim. Anyway I told them I'd think about it. I forgot about and time went on....
*December 2006
I received an email from one of their ad "artist" with my big half page ad for my photography business. It was a nice looking ad but for a photography company I was shocked to see photos in the ad that aren't mine. LOL :huh The email also asked me to approve the ad and fax it back to them with any corrections. At this point I'm trying to remember October. That being impossible I thought well maybe it's one of those free ads. I wasn't sure so I picked up the phone and called the company to verify it. The lady rather nicely told me the ad was $515 and that I agreed at an earlier date that I wanted to go with their magazine ad. Confused I thought "hmm, when I get off the phone I'll try to remember that". So I went on. Dropped it because I didn't want the ad nor had there been any exchange of paperwork. Two days later I get another email asking me for my photographs for the ad (because I told the lady on the phone that it wasn't normal for photography companies to use other photographer's work for their ads). Again I ignored the email and the very next day I get a call from Dianne who obviously is in Sales for Century Marketing. She tells me on my voicemail that she needs to talk to me this morning and get this completed right away. So, a little while later I called Dianne back to inform her that I wasn't interested in their ad. I nicely told her on the phone that I don't think I want this ad because it's in a realtor magazine and I just don't see any benefit to my photography business. She quickly replied to tell me that there was nothing but benefit for photographers in their magazine because new couples buy houses and new couples get their magazine. Now maybe I'm blind but I still don't see any connection here. :scratch She told me that other photographers in other markets are extremely satisfied with their magazine ad and it produces much busines for those photographers. Then she also told me that since I was having trouble with this that she would happily reduce the rate from $515 to $350 for the ad for my troubles. Now in my brain I'm thinking that five minutes ago this ad was worth $515 now it's worth $350. If I wait another five minutes will it be worth $100??? I kept talking to the lady and told her that I really still don't see any worth in the ad unless I "know" that it will generate me business because that's is the only reason for running an ad in the first place. Dianne now is showing frustration in her voice. I told her that I would like to have references from other photographers that have placed ads with them from other markets. She quickly looks at my contact info and said that she could fax me an ad from another photographer from another city "IF" I had a fax number which she also said "but you don't have a fax number". Now I feel like I'm fighting battle of the stupids. I said that was no problem. I don't need anyones ad, just email me a couple names and number and I'll call the photographers and check it out for references. She got "PISSED" and told me that she could NOT give me any number of other photographers. She then started in saying you agreed to have this ad and we put together an ad for you with your information so you can see that we have already worked hard for you. That statement almost made me chuckle. I very calmly told her to simply provide me some references and I'll be happy to consider running the ad. All I need to do is call a few other photographers and see how it is working for them. This lady got very frustrated with me and told me that she would not do that. Then I told her that without any reference why would I pay for such an ad. I then told her to provide me with some references, simple email or just tell me on the phone a few names and numbers. The last three words I remember hearing on the phone was, "I can not". Then I just hung up the phone. :barb
I know homeland security is a large issue in today's society, but I never thought it would get sooooo bad that she couldn't give me the name and nubmer of someone that has had sucess with them. I mean, their name and number is printed in the magazine right? That same info cannot be sent via email or voice over the phone? Bahahahahahahahahahaha
Friends, be-ware of this place using very poor marketing techniques to try to trap you into their ads. I'm sure that if I would have replied to the first email and said, "the ad looks great" then they would have printed it in their magazine then tried to make me pay their ad price which they aren't even sure of what it's worth. Is it $515 or $350? :rofl
I wasn't at all impressed with their professionalism or lack there of....
It's a good day... I didn't save a lot of money on my car insurance... but I did save $350 on a worthless ad.
*October 2006
Received a call from Century Marketing (as I do get about 3 calls a week for people wanting me to run ads) wanting me to run an ad in their magazing. They try to sell your ad space in their magazine and they up-talk it like nothing I've ever heard. Telling you about how much visibility you will get from their magazine because it's distributed in your area to realtors. My first thought was, "how am I going to get business from a magazine in a realtors office"? The chances of me landing photography work from a realtor magazine are very slim. Anyway I told them I'd think about it. I forgot about and time went on....
*December 2006
I received an email from one of their ad "artist" with my big half page ad for my photography business. It was a nice looking ad but for a photography company I was shocked to see photos in the ad that aren't mine. LOL :huh The email also asked me to approve the ad and fax it back to them with any corrections. At this point I'm trying to remember October. That being impossible I thought well maybe it's one of those free ads. I wasn't sure so I picked up the phone and called the company to verify it. The lady rather nicely told me the ad was $515 and that I agreed at an earlier date that I wanted to go with their magazine ad. Confused I thought "hmm, when I get off the phone I'll try to remember that". So I went on. Dropped it because I didn't want the ad nor had there been any exchange of paperwork. Two days later I get another email asking me for my photographs for the ad (because I told the lady on the phone that it wasn't normal for photography companies to use other photographer's work for their ads). Again I ignored the email and the very next day I get a call from Dianne who obviously is in Sales for Century Marketing. She tells me on my voicemail that she needs to talk to me this morning and get this completed right away. So, a little while later I called Dianne back to inform her that I wasn't interested in their ad. I nicely told her on the phone that I don't think I want this ad because it's in a realtor magazine and I just don't see any benefit to my photography business. She quickly replied to tell me that there was nothing but benefit for photographers in their magazine because new couples buy houses and new couples get their magazine. Now maybe I'm blind but I still don't see any connection here. :scratch She told me that other photographers in other markets are extremely satisfied with their magazine ad and it produces much busines for those photographers. Then she also told me that since I was having trouble with this that she would happily reduce the rate from $515 to $350 for the ad for my troubles. Now in my brain I'm thinking that five minutes ago this ad was worth $515 now it's worth $350. If I wait another five minutes will it be worth $100??? I kept talking to the lady and told her that I really still don't see any worth in the ad unless I "know" that it will generate me business because that's is the only reason for running an ad in the first place. Dianne now is showing frustration in her voice. I told her that I would like to have references from other photographers that have placed ads with them from other markets. She quickly looks at my contact info and said that she could fax me an ad from another photographer from another city "IF" I had a fax number which she also said "but you don't have a fax number". Now I feel like I'm fighting battle of the stupids. I said that was no problem. I don't need anyones ad, just email me a couple names and number and I'll call the photographers and check it out for references. She got "PISSED" and told me that she could NOT give me any number of other photographers. She then started in saying you agreed to have this ad and we put together an ad for you with your information so you can see that we have already worked hard for you. That statement almost made me chuckle. I very calmly told her to simply provide me some references and I'll be happy to consider running the ad. All I need to do is call a few other photographers and see how it is working for them. This lady got very frustrated with me and told me that she would not do that. Then I told her that without any reference why would I pay for such an ad. I then told her to provide me with some references, simple email or just tell me on the phone a few names and numbers. The last three words I remember hearing on the phone was, "I can not". Then I just hung up the phone. :barb
I know homeland security is a large issue in today's society, but I never thought it would get sooooo bad that she couldn't give me the name and nubmer of someone that has had sucess with them. I mean, their name and number is printed in the magazine right? That same info cannot be sent via email or voice over the phone? Bahahahahahahahahahaha
Friends, be-ware of this place using very poor marketing techniques to try to trap you into their ads. I'm sure that if I would have replied to the first email and said, "the ad looks great" then they would have printed it in their magazine then tried to make me pay their ad price which they aren't even sure of what it's worth. Is it $515 or $350? :rofl
I wasn't at all impressed with their professionalism or lack there of....
It's a good day... I didn't save a lot of money on my car insurance... but I did save $350 on a worthless ad.
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