Daymon Gardner
Who printed it?
Grossman Marketing, handled by Julie O’Gorman
http://www.grossmanmarketing.com/
Who designed it?
Ben Tousley
http://www.wilkerton.com
Tell me about the images?
The promo consists of fifty-three images spanning eight years and is titled <89 Seconds, which represents the total exposure time of all the images. I knew I wanted to play with the concept of time in the early stages of the promo, and realized the concept became a vehicle that allowed my edit to be diverse in subject matter. I’ve been in New Orleans for 10 years and because it’s a small market, have covered a wide range of subject matter. I wanted to include hints of still life, landscape, and documentary work while anchoring the promo with sports and portraiture work. The editing process was tedious, but cohesive in the end I think.
How many did you make?
500, 300 mailed directly from the printer, 200 sent to me that I could mail to current clients with a personalized note or keep on hand as leave-behinds.
How many times a year do you send out promos?
This is my first printed promo and is long overdue. I typically send out an email promo 2-3 times a year and try to setup portfolio meetings whenever possible. I think because I waited so long to send out my first printed piece, I was pretty ambitious and wanted to send out a portfolio essentially. My plan moving forward is to continue a printed piece twice a year, but smaller in scale.
Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I’ve received a few email responses already and noticed a spike in site traffic the same week the promo shipped. I’ve noticed the open rate on my email campaigns drop off over the years and feel like print is an effective way to break through the clutter. My short term goal for the promo was to get my work in front of people and build a handful of relationships, both in editorial and advertising. I believe I already am meeting that short-term goal. Long term, I hope to build on those relationships and earn the opportunity to create images for those individuals. Its too early to measure that goal, but I’m optimistic.