Compensated - how?

[pxl8]

Well, the local paper with the wedding supplement came out this morning and everything I was promised was missing. The A3 front cover was my picture but no credit is given and the 200 word editorial plus photo is nowhere to be seen.

The person I was dealing with is now on holiday until the 17th and I've just spoken to their boss who said they'd been left a note apologising for the mix up.

Just to put this in context, the editorial, etc. was to return previous favours I'd done for their glossy lifestyle mag - this month's has 45 shots of mine from two events that would have cost them over £2000 to use. The mag does always give me a nice credit with web & phone number. The stuff I do for the mag is useful because it gets me in the door to events, dinners, balls, etc. where I can sell prints and create leads so it does provide some revenue.

The paper has said they will do something to rectify the situation and we're going to discuss it tomorrow so my question is what do you think would be suitable compensation?

My initial thought is a printed apology in next week's issue followed by a series of decent sized & positioned adverts.

Thoughts?

 

[Marcel]

My initial thought is a printed apology in next week's issue followed by a series of decent sized & positioned adverts.

Thoughts?

If monetary compensation isn't what you're after, then that sounds like fair recompense

 

[BobR]

Tricky as you seem to have quite a good relationship with the paper. The question that strikes me would be is it a genuine mistake from somebody who by the sounds of it may have been getting ready to go on holiday, or, have they used your 200 words of space for something else and let you slide. I guess we will never know.

I would come in from a slightly different angle and use this to continue to build your relationship and see if you can get some free advertising not ionly in the the paper but also the glossy you mention as well as the editorial they were going to do. I would try and come away with at least that, but my own instinct is not to push for a formal apology in the paper because it really is going to be last weeks news for most readers. The advertising will get you more recognition at no cost.


I would imagine there will be a million other views though, but whatever you do good luck!

Bob

 

[Hawker]

The paper has said they will do something to rectify the situation

I'd wait and see what comes of that first. I pretty much agree with BobR, seems like you've got a good system going, I wouldn't risk pushing too far for what afterall is probably a geniune mistake.

 

[oldgit]

Hope it turns out .... it's an interesting challenge

 

[pxl8]

The problem with some free adverts is that I've still missed the boat for the wedding work, the response from adverts outside the bi-yearly supplement is pretty much zero so I'm not convinced it would really compensate the loss. However the paper is the sponsor for a wedding fair towards the end of the month, a free place there could be a better solution along with top billing in their feature about it the following week...

 

[ppp]

sounds like a fair plan of attack to me

 

[Steep]

Your second suggestion re the wedding fair sounds good to me.

 

[whitewash]

The problem with some free adverts is that I've still missed the boat for the wedding work, the response from adverts outside the bi-yearly supplement is pretty much zero so I'm not convinced it would really compensate the loss. However the paper is the sponsor for a wedding fair towards the end of the month, a free place there could be a better solution along with top billing in their feature about it the following week...

]


sounds better to me, maybe ask to be able to display your photography on thier stand etc might lead to alot more work!

 

[pxl8]

Dragging this thread up from the ashes....

Last weekend was the Taunton 10k race and one of the running clubs asked me to do a group shot of the members running 60+ for same paper that mucked up the wedding supplement. The staff tog had arranged to do a photo but then disappeared with only 10mins before the start of the race. I agreed to do the shot and submit it. I made it clear that the photo had to have a credit for me printed alongside it, no credit, no use.

Guess what, printed and credited to the paper's own tog instead - as you can imagine I'm somewhat fuming. I've just spoken to the newsdesk and told them they now have to pay for the use, someone will get back to me.

Honestly I've had enough of these cowboys...

 

[Marcel]

The cheeky sods!

What if I walked into HMV, and walked out with a CD, then when the security guard caught me I begrudgingly said "OK I'll pay for it then". No, they would press with a prosecution.

I dont see this as any different.

 

[pxl8]

I think I'll offer them an alternative to paying for the use - next week they give me credit for every photo by the staff tog who got credit for my shot this week. Somehow I don't think they'd like that one bit....