the dual arts of promotion and destruction

Attended two seminars presented by Bryn Griffiths of Pindar Graphics tonight. An accomplished digital photographer in his own right, he spoke about selling the sizzle not the sausage through good digital comping. Having worked with clients including Aston Martin, royalty and the likes of Naomi Campbell (something about a phone and a chambermaid stopped the final works of the latter going to print, I think), he’s had his work cut out for him but has achieved some serious accolades for this.

The other seminar gave a fascinating insight into the psychology of the visual behaviours of eye training and how catalogue layouts can be best manipulated to promote the goodies and draw your audience in to the content. In turn, he briefly spoke about how such behaviours can apply to web layouts. All in all – how to make your audience want what you’re selling. Great stuff, thoroughly enjoyed it.

Which brings me nicely onto how an organisation shouldn’t go about promoting themselves: by issuing threats to a blogger. The offender? The organisers of the Surface Unsigned Festival (who I point blank refuse to link to or patronise out of principle for their tactics used with CiB and the apparent rules which they lay down to bands who are looking for a break – the latter reminds me of the old stories of photographers who’d charge £400 quid for a portfolio to desparate wannabe models on the premise that they’d get nowhere without a portfolio). Their target? Created in Birmingham. See here for the full lowdown. A good lesson by Surface Unsigned in how not to make friends and influence people. Well done on your excellent PR strategy. Needless to say, I won’t be attending your festival anytime soon.