The Art of Licensing - June 2008 - (Page 26) Art Licensing 101 product that fits well with your art. “Do your homework—don’t show something to a manufacturer that doesn’t make sense for its product mix,” says Becky Denny, CEO of Ceranima Home. Denny has a unique perspective since she licensed her artwork in 2000 with great success and then moved on to create her own manufacturing company in 2006. A major apparel executive recently said that after having really com- Q A send hard copies of their work. Many manufacturers now have guidelines post- ed on their Web sites, so be sure to follow the instructions. Send enough art to If you are directing manufacturers to your Web site, it needs to be well designed show variety and consistency. and organized for potential licensees. A Web site that is too tough to navigate, or doesn’t quickly get to the point (for licensing manufacturers), will be eliminated with a click of the cursor. When you send an e-mail or package, whichever route you feel is right for you, make sure to follow up with a phone call. Also, create a package and e-mail letter that is memorable and tie it directly to the recipient. Manufacturers are inundated with art submissions, and it’s up to you to make an impact. Q. What format do I create my art in? pelling artwork, the most important element he looks for is the willingness to work with the licensees to service their needs in everything from production assistance to offering style guides and retail exclusives. In addition to whether or not it’s right for the category, manufacturers often consider how much of their creative resources it will take to get it to market. Q. What is the best approach to take when presenting work to manufacturers? A. I believe that sending e-mail presentations with PDFs or jpegs and a link to your Web site or online portfolio is always the best place to start. Ray Markow, CEO/director of licensing for Santa Barbara Design Studio, suggests, “If you are sure a manufacturer is a good fit, then send printouts, which are more likely to get noticed.” He says that e-mails with PDF attachments and links to a Web site are also quite helpful and the least preferable way to submit work is by sending CD disks. A handful of other manufacturers agree that they want prospective artists to A. If you don’t have tech skills, immediately find someone who does. Make sure you get high-resolution scans of paintings and other fine art, especially if you intend to sell the original. Larry Moyer, design manager of Everyday Products for Creative Converting, confirmed that anything but digital art is not an option. “We are a 100 percent digital workflow,” he says. Moyer and other manufacturers want art that can be combined in Photoshop or Illustrator, so it can be manipulated to meet their needs. Sending a design that is exactly what they want is highly unlikely. 26 THE ART OF LICENSING Summer 2008 http://www.stopandthinkinc.com http://www.stopandthinkinc.com
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