I couldn't help but notice two things when I took my little one to get her picture taken with Santa Claus this year:
1) the price of the photos started at $16.99 for one 5x7 and went up from there.
2) the rate sheet for prices was posted at the end of the long line, once you're within reach of Santa Claus, not at the front of the line, where some people might decide against waiting in the hour long line to get into Santa's Castle.
Maybe it's always been this way, and I just hadn't really noticed before. Regardless, it's one of those costs that you just pay. Anyone with a small child will understand the principle.
Besides, I have no doubt that the price of a photo takes into account the assumption that you will run the photo through your scanner when you get home (as I, *cough* did...), so in truth, the photo studio's chance of getting reprint orders ever again is, well, nil. With that in mind, I don't begrudge them the price they need to charge to make it worth their time. An elf has got to eat, right?
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1 comment:
Years ago we partnered with the photography shop in our mall to provide video from us, the (rhymes with 'bony') store, and the photos. I think we charged $5.00. The photos were free. Most folks didn't get reprints but they picked up the photo in the store so it increased foot traffic and got folks next to their displays. It meant a return trip to the mall, too. More traffic - everybody wins. It was labour intensive, but it usually engendered a fair amount of good will and visibility.
Times change. Film is dead. The photographers could use a digital camera and just offer the video plus an onsite printed photo from one of the frames done 'while-u-wait'. One quick stop and you've got it all. The customer will pay because it's not about building a relationship, it's about checking off one more thing on the obligatory 'Christmas to do list'.
Businesses used to get involved in these types of promotions because they wanted to send a message about how they wanted to be involved in the community life and to raise their profile. Now, it's just another business transaction.
And we're buying it - trading community for efficiency, and some of our money.
Bad trade.
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