Agency wants to license photo

liesfibsfairytales

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An ad agency wants to license one of my images for one time use for an ad for a hotel chain in upcoming issue of Nat Geo.

This is my first time licensing this way and I'm trying to figure out a range. Can anyone provide any insight?

Also, I don't know how that is relevant but they mentioned to me they were given the ad space for free. It is a large hotel chain that is growing.

Thanks!
 
No answer, but interesting. I wonder how much the Ad Agency is charging the hotel chain to develop the ad ...

Hopefully the pros will chime in.
 
No answer, but interesting. I wonder how much the Ad Agency is charging the hotel chain to develop the ad ...

Hopefully the pros will chime in.

I hope so too!

I wonder as well... In the past, they have had fairly big marketing campaigns designed as a contest for creatives creating content for the actual inside of the hotels. Each contest prize ranged from $500-$3000 in prize money for each photo. I can tell by the language they are using they are trying to get it on the lower end though.
 
I wonder as well... In the past, they have had fairly big marketing campaigns designed as a contest for creatives creating content for the actual inside of the hotels. Each contest prize ranged from $500-$3000 in prize money for each photo. I can tell by the language they are using they are trying to get it on the lower end though.
well, you just answered your own question. $500 - $3,000.
I doubt they are creating the ad campaign for nothing. Just that the payment for the full page ad is rolled into the price of creating the ad.

Buy 12oz of Pepsi and get a free aluminum can !!
 
How much of the page will the image cover? US edition only, or International? I would be in the $5000 - $7500 range; $3500 bare minimum.
 
How many magazines Nat Geo prints per issue is also a pricing factor.

To sort out the permutations, commercial photographers use pricing software
fotoQuote
and you will need to produce a use license.
:: PLUS :: License Generator

The ad agency likely expects to pay way way less than market price to use your photo and the 'given ad space for free' comment sounds like BS to that end or to even get use of your image for free. Magazine distributed as wide as Nat Geo is aren't in the habit of giving away advertising space.

By the way. If you're in the USA, have you registered your copyright to the photo?
Registering Your Copyrights Using the eCO System
 
Last edited:
How much of the page will the image cover? US edition only, or International? I would be in the $5000 - $7500 range; $3500 bare minimum.

They still haven't answered me about which edition it will be in but it's a full page ad and it will be one of 7 photos used in the ad. So, about 3-4 inches?
 
How many magazines Nat Geo prints per issue is also a pricing factor.

To sort out the permutations, commercial photographers use pricing software
fotoQuote
and you will need to produce a use license.
:: PLUS :: License Generator

The ad agency likely expects to pay way way less than market price to use your photo and the 'given ad space for free' comment sounds like BS to that end or to even get use of your image for free. Magazine distributed as wide as Nat Geo is aren't in the habit of giving away advertising space.

By the way. If you're in the USA, have you registered your copyright to the photo?
Registering Your Copyrights Using the eCO System

Thanks for all the helpful info. Fotoquote won't let me put advertising magazine in demo but the total came out to $1019 in brochure mode. I used another similar item and it came out to $4975.

I agree I think they expect to way less but I'm trying to figure out what that way less is. There's a big difference between $200 and $2000, which both seem very under market value.
 
I think you have to determine what the value is to you. In this day an age of millions of images being made a day the value of a single isn't what it used to. I'm sure lots of people who have never been in your situation will tell you "this is what I'd do" yet these people have never had to deal with a major ad agency. Good luck I hope you get what you want $200 or $20,000
 
AstroNikon you should do marketing! lol buy a Pepsi, get a free can!

Anyway, this being commercial use (for advertising, business/promotions etc.) an ad agency knows that (I would hope) and knows a reasonable value for it (or should). And since you're able to tell they're trying to price on the low end they apparently have figured out that they might be able to license photos from people who don't have business experience or know the value/pricing for commercial photography work.

The ad agency is presumably getting paid by the hotel chain to do the ads (I doubt they work for free) so they can pay you for commercial use of your photograph for an ad. I'm not sure how it's relevant if they got ad space 'for free' (I'd guess it's more likely as compensation for something and not actually 'free'). But it doesn't matter, you as a photographer should get paid an appropriate rate for your work/time/talent.

Try American Society of Media Photographers - Homepage or PPA and get info. from pro photographers organizations on licensing usage, contracts, pricing, etc. Get informed before you agree to anything or sign anything. An offer should be for a specific use and specific time period (such as one year and beyond that they'll need to license further usage). It's good you're asking and looking into this.
 
congrats thats pretty cool
 
As soon as you mention monetary compensation, $5 says whoever your contact is for this will come back with something along the lines of "you'll get full photo credit and/or a mention in the magazine"

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
 

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