September 08, 2007 - Robert Morrissey Photographer & Inventor
Rob M: The biggest problem I see is when people don’t try to do a good job with their imagery or their design. They just throw something together and figure, “Well, I’ll put it on the Internet and throw out some cards and everybody will like it.” It’s not a problem for society, but it’s definitely a problem for that entrepreneur.
All too many times we’ll see two or three people competing against each other and most consumers will go to the prettiest photos or towards the best design. That’s just how we are. If you have three things that are equal in price, the best design wins. It doesn’t matter how cool you are, what financing you have, or how much better your project technically is, the person with the best design and photographs wins in a marketing campaign. Face-to-face, that’s different. That allows personality to jump in. That allows thoughts and ideas and people’s chemistry to be involved. But, especially on the Internet, there’s no chemistry there.
Erin: What you see is what you get.
Rob M: Exactly.
Erin: People oftentimes have to make huge purchases based on that.
Rob M: And what’s really interesting is with the advancements of technology and photo shops, just the programs and the delivery of information, what you see technically isn’t what you get, but it’s what you think you’re getting.
Erin: Exactly.
Rob M: And the American consumer loves to think they’re getting the best possible deal in the world, and there’s a lot of companies that have spent billions and billions of dollars making sure that visually you feel that way.
Rob: Why do you think there are so many bad images on the Internet? Why are there so many entrepreneurs that have bad imagery in their marketing?
Rob M: I think it comes back to what we were-I don’t know if we said it on the air, but we were talking about it here that sometimes it’s either over priced or under quality, or it’s both. Entrepreneurs want to have things quickly and they also want to watch their pocketbooks. What happens is a lot of entrepreneurs and a lot of small business owners don’t actually reach out to the artistic community. They even find or jump online and go to wherever these places are and buy a $1 photo and think, “Oh, that’ll do.” They don’t realize why that photo is $1 is because it’s no good. At the same time, 5-600 people just bought that photograph that day. Companies don’t make millions of dollars selling $1 photos once. So, you all of a sudden become a crony and you lose your individualism and it can technically, I think, work totally against you.
Rob: So, how can you get really good imagery in your work? How do you find someone that can do that? How can you get that done affordably?
Rob M: It’s simple. You go to morrisseyphoto.com. You call me up and I actually, being an entrepreneur and small business owner, understand entrepreneurs and small business owners and am working on programs to help each business individually. Certain companies can come right out and pay for large campaigns. Other companies need large campaigns, but don’t have the ability to write big giant checks and we actually work with those companies and try and identify what is their immediate need and put them on long term plans to get themselves looking good.
Erin: A lot of our listeners are entrepreneurs and I know I, personally being an entrepreneur, I’m so curious about people’s background, their stories. Like, what led to the next thing? Obviously you’re on to this technology that I see is just going to totally explode. We’re not going to be able to get you on the show, so we’re loving every minute of it. I’m curious, if you could take me through the timeline-day graduating college. What happened out of the results?
Rob M: When I graduated college-I had worked my entire way through college and had quite a bit of money saved up. I actually went over to Europe and spent almost two years in Europe and trying to be that, I guess, that art student and find myself. I think what it did was open my eyes that there’s a different entire world and that world-culture shock is an amazing thing for anybody to feel. When you really take an analytic look at culture shock, what is, everything is different imagery wise. I mean, forks and knives are different. Dinner plates are different. Everything is different and that’s what the culture shock is. It just takes time for your eyes to adjust and to rest.
