Different prices, different people.

cdonovan · January 30, 2009

What are your thoughts folks?
You can compare or liken wedding photographer pricing to hotels...(if you stretch your mind a little bit) High end hotel with all the frills, services, and extras available for xxxxx amount of dollars, and this hotel has it's own market, not everyone can afford to stay there. Then down the street, a bit off the beaten path is another perfectly clean hotel, but has no extras and you'll get nothing other than a good nights sleep.... priced at xxx dollars.

How does the pricing of the economical photog hurt the business of the higher end, can we argue that like hotels, the cheap hotel down the street isn't going to effect the bigger hotel because they are marketing to two different segments, which are completely unrelated to each other?

Pricing is such a hard subject, value is hard to prove, because if the features of your packages/offers don't line up with what your clientel want...you can talk til you're blue in the face, it's of no benefit to them, what-so-ever and they mostly aren't interested in what they don't want.....

I think I've had too much time to think this week! lol

Any feedback, any input?

Jeremy Winterberg · January 31, 2009

I agree with your thoughts.

I'm one of those "Economical" Photographers. Earlier today in another thread people were shocked at my prices. They were saying things like how can you get any profit from those prices? etc...

My take on it is, when you're starting out (like myself), you almost have to be eco friendly towards client's wallets. Because you're "inexperienced" people will not pay xxxxxxx amount of money for your services. You might be able to take just as good of pictures as any other "Professional" Photographer in your area, but because you're not known they wont pay pro price. (although I wish they would

)

I dont think the Economical photographer affects the Professional photographer at all. They are marketing to COMPLETELY different target markets, and untill the eco photog makes the transition to pro, the pro should have no worries. Also, in America we're a capitalist country, practically founded and run by small businesses competing against each other to get everyone's last dollar bill. Its a free market society, so its all fair game. I guess the pros and economical photogs have to play the price war game, or just spend alot of money on promotion.

I wish I still lived in Canada... Everyone (well mostly everyone except those stupid Quebec people) is nice to everyone.

sherijohnson · January 31, 2009

I totally agree with what you said and that goes for just about anything money can buy whether it is a product or a service.

Another example... someone who buys their clothes at Neiman Marcus is not going to shop for clothes at Walmart no matter how cheap they are. Same idea or philosphy. There is always a difference between the two ends of the spectrum.

cdonovan · January 31, 2009

Another relation is that you'll see the people who can only afford the cheap hotel, but want to stay at the expensive one banter and try to bargain for prices, they know that there is huge benefits to staying with the higher end, but can't afford it, and tries to devalue by comparing the two to the basic end of the experience, all in all, at the end of the day, both hotels do meet the same needs...offering a place to sleep!

Good thoughts from you two, and I agree 150% about our silly province that would like to be their own country!

Different prices, different people.

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