Branding is really nothing more than the process of building trust, then building upon that trust to reinforce the unique things you offer as an artist, such as your unique style; your voice; your acceptance by others, such as collectors; and your price and value perception. Everything you do contributes to your brand, in a positive or a negative way.

Facebook and Instagram can be great tools for building credibility as part of your branding, and many artists are relying on them heavily. One artist even told me he no longer needs to advertise because he has so many followers. But that's just his ego getting in the way: When I asked exactly who was following him, it was clear they were peers — other artists — and few if any collectors. People tend to gather with like-minded people, so artists tend to follow artists. Collector groups are much more difficult to find, and are more likely to be found on LinkedIn, which tends to attract professionals and serious interest groups, than on Facebook.

One giant mistake I'm seeing on Facebook is "Hey, look at me!" syndrome. I suppose if your followers are fellow artists, there is little harm in that. But if there are any collectors watching — directly, or indirectly, via other artists' followings — it can be dangerous. I'm seeing many an artist posting everything they paint when, fortunately or unfortunately, we all need to edit and show only our best work.

Even the best painters have dogs they should never show. Yet it's so tempting to say, "Hey look at me and what I'm capable of doing!" that we can forget to edit. I'm seeing a lot of "undercooked" work and, worse, a lot of paintings in progress. For artists, a progress shot is fine, but I'd be reluctant to let potential collectors see it. Has someone ever come up to you while you were painting on location, when a painting was only half done? It happens to me all the time, and I find myself explaining, "I'm just getting started, come back in a few hours," because they are judging a work at an uncooked stage.

I've overheard comments like, "It's not very good, it doesn't look right" at times when it's too soon for review. Most consumers don't understand that an unfinished painting is just that: unfinished. This is why I think showing unfinished works on Facebook and other social media has the potential to hurt your brand. That's also why editing is important. You wouldn't put every painting you do in a gallery. Why do it anywhere else?

Every touchpoint impacts the perception of your brand one way or another. Sometimes I'm tempted to post something after a drink or two, when my judgment is a little impaired, and I usually regret it in the morning. Again, if your Facebook or Twitter or Instagram have just friends and family, you probably won't do much damage. But if you have a big following, it's smart to make sure that everything you do is reinforcing your brand in a positive way.

Artists should seek things to post that will be positive reinforcements. Every time something great happens to you, post it. For instance, if you win an award, post it. If you get accepted to a new gallery, post it. That's why I like online art competitions. For a few bucks per entry, you have lots of opportunities to win or become a finalist. It's just another thing to talk about. Artists should enter every legitimate competition they can, to increase the odds of a win.

When you are hailed as a winner or finalist, that's a credibility builder you can talk about, and it also generates other publicity. For instance in our PleinAir Salon, where we present $15,000 to the winning artist, annual winners are also featured on the magazine's cover and in dozens and dozens of ads. That builds credibility. (By the way, today, July 31, is the last entry day for the current bimonthly contest. You can enter here.)

A good marketer is always inventing things to talk about to build credibility — things they can put online, put in their newsletter, and shout from the rooftops. A bad marketer just puts everything out there, good and bad – and that can have a negative impact on their brand. One artist I'm thinking of has gone backward in my mind because he's posting party photos, progress paintings, paintings that should never be released, and other things that are hurting his reputation. Visibility isn't always good.

P.T. Barnum is supposed to have said there's no such thing as bad publicity. That may be true if you're running a circus, but I'm not sure it's best for your art career.

PS: I'm getting cramps from signing big checks for large amounts of cash. Today you have a chance to become a winner or finalist and possibly put $15,000 cash in your pocket if you win our annual PleinAir salon. Tonight at midnight Pacific Time is your deadline to enter. All it takes is an upload of one great painting, or several. Many artists have found that repeating entries month to month benefits them because if they're not picked by one judge, they might be picked by another. To enter, visit www.pleinairsalon.com and start thinking about how you'll use that $15,000 cash prize and how your career will soar when you're on the cover of PleinAir magazine. Enter here now.

The Importance of Branding in the Sale of Art

Moos of panic filled the dusty air as cowboys pressed the hot branding iron against the flesh of the cattle out West. This painful exercise, branding, served the purpose of marking ownership of the cow. But the mark on the cow was less important than the reputation of the rancher. For instance, cattle rustlers knew which farmers would overlook the loss of an occasional cow and which were so tough they would hang cattle thieves on sight. Rustlers would avoid stealing cattle with certain brands. The behavior of the rancher became the meaning of the brand.

If you're marketing art, you've probably heard a lot about branding, and you may be wondering how it relates to you. We know companies like Apple, Coke, and McDonald's have the most recognizable brands, but those brands also have meaning. For instance, the McDonald's brand means consistent quality and fast service.

Think about the meaning of each of these brands.

Harley-Davidson: Loud, thunderous mufflers, radical, non-conforming
Apple: Innovation
Louis Vuitton: Elegance
Walmart: Lowest prices
Target: Low prices with style

Smart marketers seek to define a brand and make everything they do a relentless reinforcement of that image. Once established, a brand never, ever changes.

If I were to ask art collectors for the names of the most successful artists who command the highest prices, I would hear the same names, over and over. Though there may be painters whose quality of work is equal to or better than those top names, they cannot command the same prices and see little demand for their artwork because their brands are not strong in the eyes of the collectors. I could also ask art collectors for the names of the most successful galleries in the world, and they would cite the same top galleries.

A Strong Brand = Goals Achieved
A strong, quality brand brings higher prices because the brand gives buyers confidence. I know a dealer who recently commanded a premium of about 40 percent for paintings he sold — though collectors could buy equally good paintings, from the same artists, from other dealers for less money. The brand of this dealer is so strong that collectors feel more comfortable buying from him, knowing they won't get a fraud, knowing he will stand behind them, and knowing he always finds the best paintings.

Galleries with strong brands have worked tirelessly to make sure everything they do is a reinforcement of that brand. If the brand is about top price and top quality, you will never see that gallery running a sale. These owners invest in elaborate decor for their galleries and have elegant locations in the best neighborhoods, giving confidence to high-end art buyers.

Branding Is Either Controlled or Accidental
Think of your brand as the position you hold in the mind of the potential buyer. If you have a brand at all, either you have defined it intentionally or it has been created for you, unintentionally. If you show up drunk at openings and you look like a slob, that becomes the image others have of your brand. If you drive a Bentley and are a natty dresser, you're sending a signal of success.

But brand isn't just about appearance, it's about the whole of what you project over a long period of time. It's about the quality of your work, the frames you use, the people you're known to associate with, your politics, the pictures and opinions you post on Facebook, the look and design of your ads and brochures, and everything else seen by the public. Smart brands rarely broadcast their opinions about religion or politics because that's an automatic turn-off to a large portion of the buying public (though a few brands are all about being radical, irreverent, or political). Sometimes a brand position isn't about original art sales at all, but about other goals, like acceptance into major museums, selling prints, obtaining licensing deals, or just getting press.

Are You Walmart or Lexus?
One of the keys to brilliant success starts with defining what you want your brand to be and how you will project and reinforce it. What about you? Are you in control of your brand? Is every touchpoint a reinforcement of that brand? What is your brand? Does it accomplish what you need it to accomplish? Does it match the perceptions you need from the people you want as customers? Are you Walmart or Lexus? Each position is valuable, depending on whom you're targeting and the desired end result.

One of Three Brand Positions
Even if you've never stopped to think about your brand, you have one of three brand positions. You are either unknown and have no brand, or you have a brand you've intentionally created, or you have a brand that has been created for you by others.

Do you have a brand? Do you know how others perceive your brand? Is it accomplishing the desired result? If you have no brand yet, you have the potential to build one. If your brand isn't accomplishing your goals, you have the potential for re-branding.

Finding Brand Clarity
Branding is critical to the success of any business or product, including artists and art galleries, but branding is a tactic, based on a solid marketing strategy that is rooted in knowing your exact goals. Once you understand where you want to be and what you need to accomplish, the brand position you need to take will become clear.

For instance, if you need highly affluent people to buy your artwork, you need to determine a brand position you can own in their minds and develop a step-by-step process to build that position. (Branding is a long-term process; it takes lots of repetition over time.)

For some, it's too much effort to think about creating or managing a brand — and as a result, their careers will go whichever way the wind is blowing. For others who have specific goals,  branding is a critical process that requires a branding plan.

What about you? Does everything you do reflect your brand? Your website, your ads, your business cards, your appearance, and your representatives? Can the people you are targeting reflect your position back to you, or does it exist only in your mind? Implementing a solid branding plan is one of the many critical keys to success as an artist. It's worth thinking about if you're not where you want to be.

Eric Rhoads

PS: I am frequently asked by artists if I'll be their agent or handle their marketing. Because of my insane life as an art publisher, I'm simply unable to help with those requests. But I have agreed to create a Marketing Boot Camp for three early mornings, for those attending our Plein Air Convention. My goal in the three 90-minute sessions is to arm you with the tools to take your career to the next level, so you can double your art sales within one year. We'll discuss the entire branding process in depth at that time. I hope to see you at the Plein Air Convention in April; of the 750 seats available, almost 50 percent are already sold.

Eric: “What do you want to see tonight?” I asked my wife.

Laurie: “Let’s go see the new James Bond film. I heard it was great.”

Eric: “Where did you hear that,” I said, “Who did you talk to that saw it.”

Laurie: “No one,” said she. “I just heard it. Probably an ad or something.”

Advertising creates word of mouth.

I craved a painting from an artist I had seen advertised over and over for years. When my wife asked me about why this artist was so important I realized it was because I had seen her name for years and years and I assumed she was important.

Advertising creates word of mouth. Repetition builds Reputation.

Every magazine has its own special editorial focus. Some focus on traditional artworks while others focus on abstract artworks or regional artworks. So does it make sense for an Abstract artist to advertise in a magazine of traditional art?

From time to time I get questioned about whether or not a dealer selling a style of art other than what is the primary style of a magazine should advertise that art in a different environment.

Assume for a moment that you sell abstract modernism. Should you advertise in a publication which features primarily representational art? Your belief systems and feedback from your customers is a great starting point. Do you believe (or hear from customers) that buy other kinds of art like representational? If so it makes a great deal of sense.

Dealers are encountering more buyers who “mix it up” in their home. They tell us some collectors will hang abstract and representational paintings in the same home, which is happening more with the new breed of younger collectors. Frequently collectors who love different kinds of art will hang one type of art in their main home and another style of art in another home just as they often decorate them in different styles. I recently visited one significant collector who had three collections: A collection of very traditional Victorian art in his offices, a smaller collection of Western art in another office and a collection of post-war modern in his home (mixed with some traditional Victorian).

Though this collector reads several art magazines covering different styles of art you would stand out if you advertised a post-war abstract in the traditional magazines or if you advertised a traditional painting in an abstract publication. For instance ArtNews seems to be filled with mostly advertisers selling abstract and conceptual artworks. Once in a while I see Wildenstein advertise something very traditional. It stands out. The same would hold true for someone advertising an abstract piece in Fine Art Connoisseur.

What about antiques? Though we do not focus our editorial on antiques because our research indicates many collectors of representational paintings do not collect antiques, many people who have antique paintings have them in a home filled with antiques. Advertising brown antique furniture or quality decorative objects would stand out in Fine Art Connoisseur because we do not focus on offering advertising to antique dealers.

Think about the customer and what they consume. Though it is important to advertise in the environment most focused on the people who buy your kind of art you can stand out by supplementing your advertising in a category focused publication which will allow you to stand out. This is why we often have advertisers selling Jets, watches, jewels, real estate or high end automobiles. These companies understand that the person who loves quality art and can afford to make a substantial investment on it can also afford to buy their product.

You can gain advantage with any magazine which reaches your target buyer if you’re the only one or one of a very few in your category.

What is a brand? A brand is the PERCEPTION potential customers have of your business. It is the CUMULATIVE effect of everything you do. Everything impacts your brand, and everything you do needs to reflect the brand you hope to project.

Branding starts the day you open your doors. Every impression a customer has of your business builds their perception of your business. It starts with the first contact with you the business owner. Does your appearance reflect the brand you are trying to project? It continues with your logo, your letterhead, your web site, your email signature, the interior of your gallery, the neighborhood of your location, your exterior signage, your booth at art fairs, your business cards, and your advertising.

YOUR MOST VISIBLE FACE
The reason advertising is often thought of as the key impact element of a brand is because advertising is, more often than not, the face the community sees more frequently. Every part of your advertising must project the image you want people to believe about your business. (It’s up to your business to BE what you are projecting. Pretending will only damage your brand.) Brand-savvy marketers understand that where you advertise is as important as what you advertise. They understand that the wrong colors, the wrong type, the wrong design, and the wrong copy will instantly change the perception of the brand.

Every contact a customer or potential customer has is a reinforcement of who you are. Advertising is a significant contact. The other frequently seen contact is often your storefront and signage, if your target customer is in a position to walk or drive by your location frequently.

Brands are about TRUST. Do I as a potential customer trust you? Do I perceive that you are worthy of my time, my money? Brands are also about SELF IMAGE. Do I as a potential customer identify with you? Do the works of art you carry appeal to me? Are they priced to my self image? (Pricing is another discussion for another time, but many people think low price is better than high price. This is not true of brands projecting affluence).

TIME is one of the most important elements of brand building. Think about your own life? You meet someone for the first time. How long before you’ve developed trust? Does your trust grow as you see them more frequently? How long before you bring that person into your inner circle? The same is true in BRANDING with potential customers. They want to know they can trust you, especially if you’re selling something expensive which could be fraudulent or stolen. Reputation is a critical part of the brand and reputations are built over time (among other things).

Several years ago I met a woman who shared her branding story with me. She was trying to establish herself as an artist and had formerly been in the advertising world. In spite of her short supply of financial resources she told herself that to build her brand she must advertise consistently for several years. She was committed to her long term plan. She contacted a prominent art magazine, purchased an ad in every issue in a size she could afford. (FYI Size impacts brand perception. Again, we will address this in the future). In the first six months she saw no results. Though her instinct was to stop advertising she knew, from her advertising background that this continuing was important. She was not getting any phone calls and not selling any paintings through her ad. But she continued. About a year later she started getting invited as an invited guest at juried art shows. Over time she started receiving calls from collectors wanting to buy her work. Eventually galleries started calling to represent her work. Eventually she was asked to judge juried shows, speak at events, offer workshops, etc. Over the course of about three years she went from being unknown to being a well-known brand.

Her next step was to expand her advertising. She said that the first principle (which I agree with) is to dominate what you can afford to dominate. Her first goal was to get known by the audience of a single publication. She was in every issue and though she was getting results and could have stopped she continued (and is still in that publication). She believes the constant reinforcement of her work, her brand continues to build her prominence and her sales. Rather than increasing her ad size she opted to build her reputation with another magazine. She ran different ads with different artworks so she could track results. She got no results with the second magazine. Even though she suspected some duplication of audience, she did not feel the second magazine gave her any results. Again she considered dropping out but understood that the same principal applied… she needed to build her brand with this audience as well. By so doing she would increase the number of people aware of her brand, knowing that every magazine has some shared audience and some exclusive audience (a subject for a future blog). Over time she saw another increase in her business. So now she had a brand with two magazine audiences and maintains both. When we came along she signed on with us and is doing the same thing… building a brand with our audience. Again, she had moments of considering cancellation due to slow results, but with time she began to see results. What she learned in our case was that she was hearing from a new level of buyers who were less sensitive to price and who had a tendency over time to collect her work rather than buy a single piece. Each publication she uses has a different audience personality and response. Some are read more by artists, which reinforces her workshop and judging business. Others reach collectors in a particular region, while others reach higher affluence. Each plays an important role to her.

TIME is the key to building a brand. The more messages your potential customers see the more your reputation is reinforced. (Bad messages reinforce bad image too!)Repetition is critical. The more impressions the see in the shorter amount of time, the more your brand is built. One advertiser opted to not do full pages but instead decided to do two half pages in the same issue for an extra impression each issue, thus speeding the process. It’s important to remember, however, that it is a process not a single event. People who advertise with a single event action in mind are often disappointed. There are techniques which can be employed to boost single action advertising, however, smart marketers understand that a single ad which is seeking an immediate response is much more effective if launching from a high base of awareness. (Another blog entry at another time).

Branding is sensitive. Luxury brands understand that the slightest misstep can damage their brand. Luxury marketers understand that the perception of the media or event in which they are participating is important in reinforcing the brand itself.

Why do you not find high end retailers in low end shopping malls? Environment. A high end brand of course is less likely to sell in a low end environment. But more important… if a high end brand’s customers feel their brand is not exclusive, is being made available to "average" people (or below average) it deteriorates the special essence of the brand.

Mercedes, in my opinion, lost their panache when they started producing lower cost models for the middle class. Though I don’t know if it was good for their business financially I do believe it drove affluent customers to seek something the middle could not afford. After all, cars are transportation. If affluent people only wanted transportation they would by a low cost KIA (by the way, KIA has become a HOT! brand and is growing in popularity among the middle affluent due to service, quality, and design of some models). Many affluent want an automobile which reflects their stature and thus the reason brands like Bentley, Rolls Royce and others excel.

So what does environment have to do with gallery marketing? Of course it depends on who you are targeting and what you are selling. IF you are selling expensive paintings to affluent people they have expectations of your environment. They expect the environment of your gallery space to be up to the level of quality and design of their homes. If your space is low end their subconscious mind will tell them the quality you offer is not worth the price.

An acquaintance of mine had a very important painting to sell. His gallery was mid-level, selling mid-priced artworks. He advertised and displayed this important work for sale at a very high price but it did not sell. It was not a fit and therefore sent the message that there must be something wrong. So the gallery owner syndicated the painting to a high end gallery whose customers were used to buying expensive paintings. It sold immediately.

Environment is also important to high end galleries in their advertising. If the paper is thin, the content is of poor quality, the writers are not known these galleries may not support a particular advertising environment. In spite of proof of readership advertisers will often avoid publications which do not project quality. Bottom line is that they are protective of their image and brand and do not want their high-end clients to feel as though they associate themselves with anything other than the highest and best quality.