Submitted by Sabina Hitchen on | 0 Comments
Hey Tin Shingle,
I was just uploading images to a magazine's FTP site for a last minute editorial request and as I navigated my client's image library I started thinking about how essential an organized and complete set of images if to every brand's campaign plan.
Whether you are just about to share your story with the market, or you are a magazine darling, there are certain things you should always have on hand. These are my "must haves" for any image library, and how to use them:
* Low Resolution Images:
These are great for emailing back and forth with the press while they are considering you or your products for a piece. You should have an individual image for each of your products that is not on a model (so they can lift it right into the publication), as well as your headshot/photo and your company's logo on hand in this format as well.
* High Resolution Images:
These images should mimic your low resolution images but should be greater than 300 dpi. These will be used if images of your product (or you) need to be used in magazines, on television, or at times, online. You do not email these back and forth during pitches as they are longer and clog emails.
* Line Sheets:
A line sheet is in essence a sales/marketing sheet used by a your brand to provide information on the range of products you offer. It typically includes a photo of each product (possibly computer generated), their identification numbers, the style, and the colors it comes in. It should also list price and order cutoff dates, as well as delivery information. You should have this in high and low resolution as well as you will use it during your pitching via email to editors.
TIP: Create two line sheets, one with wholesale pricing for your sales efforts, and one with retail pricing for public relations editorial use.
* Look Books
Similar to line sheets, look books showcase your brand's entire product line, and are often used in fashion pr. Instead of showcasing all the styles together on one or two pages like a line sheet, look books feature one look per page, along with all necessary information about that product. Look books do not typically provide pricing information, leave that for the line sheets. You should compile your high and low resolution images into both your line sheets and look books.
TIP: Have both electronic and hard copies of your look books and line sheets.
Best of luck with your image librarys and all the work that a great image library entails! When deciding on the photography you are going to use, think about your brand's message, who your consumer is, and the emotions you want the images to evoke. Look at the images of other brands you admire or that are similar to yours and get a clear idea of what you want.
It's a great feeling to have it all organized and at your fingertips. I was so glad today to be able to pull the images Strut Magazine in Montreal wanted about our Canadian client's handbags in mere seconds.
Best of luck, and remember to join the PR thread with any further questions you may have about your image library!
*Sabina
