The art director loves it, the review committee loves it,
but when it comes time to sign a contract someone along the line does not understand
the message and kills the project. In this business it is sometimes difficult
to get a handle on who you are actually working to please, and this can definitely
be one of the more confusing aspects of art licensing. The first answer many artists
come to (or is it the last answer?) is that you are working for yourself. The
idea is that you are a little business, an independent contractor, and
everything you do builds your reputation, furthers your career and advances
your brand. Another approach is to believe that you are working to connect with
the end user - that consumer who finally buys the product, because if it
doesn’t speak to them…no sales. Or could it be the art director who picks your
design from the hundreds spread out on the workroom table? Or his/her boss? And
then there is that retailer whose commitment will determine whether or not the
project ever sees the light of day? Could it be them?
Identifying your final customer can be difficult. Think
about this: you are not a customer of Facebook. Or Twitter. Or Google, Yahoo,
Bing, or most anyone who offers you a free service. You are their PRODUCT, and
their customers are the advertisers and marketers who pay them for your
information. If you and I both call Google with a complaint they will likely address
my concerns and ignore yours because I pay them every month to place my
business info in front of…you. The social media companies have created free
platforms for conversation and then have sold eavesdropping rights to
marketers. They didn’t bother to ask your permission because – that’s right,
you are not their customer. Or this: you design a really cool men’s gift item
that will be a slam dunk with every guy who sees it. But it doesn’t sell because
their wives and girlfriends don’t get it. Who are the customers for men’s
gifts? Women.
It’s not that what WE believe about a design isn’t interesting
and valuable, it’s just that what your customer thinks matters more. Understanding
the whole picture is important, and there is a lot of time and energy expended toward
doing just that. The marketing people at Disney can tell you the average age and
gender of the buyers of a licensed product, and also the average age and gender
of the final recipient. Worldwide. Try to become client focused and work on understanding
who is making what decisions, and why – the ability to correctly identify your real
customer is an essential skill that will serve you well in your career.
