However, there is to be a two-tier sub system, whereby a buyer can have access to Main files only or Main, S and S+ (not Vetta).
So if you have old non-sellers, you might like to suggest them for Main, or not.
Whatever. They can move them to Main at their whim anyway.
They've already been moving files from S+ to S, and in my experience and that of others, it's not only files that didn't sell at S+ which have been switched.
(See the collection changes thread on the exclusive forum)

Good idea IMO them inviting us to submit a lightbox of content we would like moved to Main. My lightbox includes nearly all of my S content including old flames and a few S+ too. I cannot see a strong case for the S collection from a buyer perspective (which is what counts).

I totally agree that iS made a huge error of judgement in pricing S images so much higher than M.

Quote from: Marta on March 31, 2014, 16:51

Let me ask a question here,
based in Fotolia's change to subscription experience, how, (exclusive member percentage of $$$), will these new IS move affect exclusives? Lets say you make $1000.00 a month from IS and $200 a month from GI?  (based in your own experiences with Fotolia) give me a approximate calculation. Thanks. in other words, how much blood will be lost with this new IS move.

We can speculate, but no one can yet know the correct answer to that.

Getty claims that it's a different class of buyers who buy subscriptions, so we won't be losing sales, we'll be getting extra sales that would've gone to SS or other sub sites.

I claim that there'll be little or no incentive for SS buyers to switch to IS, nor for new buyers to come to IS in place of SS. So most sub buyers will be converted IS credit buyers -- and most likely those will be the buyers who were the biggest buyers of credits.

I don't see an impact on GI sales (not from subs -- the free editorial and personal use images are an entirely different matter). But my own guess is that the theoretical $1000 per month person is likely to see a 50% haircut in sales by the time subs are fully rolled out, if not more. It will be brutal.

Quote from: KB on March 31, 2014, 17:19

I claim that there'll be little or no incentive for SS buyers to switch to IS

Straight question: If they come in with a competitive package and word gets around then why wouldn't buyers switch ?

Quote from: bunhill on March 31, 2014, 18:05

Quote from: KB on March 31, 2014, 17:19

I claim that there'll be little or no incentive for SS buyers to switch to IS

Straight question: If they come in with a competitive package and word gets around then why wouldn't buyers switch ?

What is your definition of 'competitive'?

It would have to be nicely discounted from SS's prices, not simply matching. Otherwise what does IS have to attract buyers? It isn't the lack of technical standards or poor keyword relevance of new files (which are overwhelming the number of older, better keyworded files). Not to mention the added complexity of a two-tiered subscription plan.

My guess is that their lower tiered offering will indeed be 'competitive' with SS's, but the higher tiered offering will not. So a further hit to exclusives, as even if sub sales take off, most exclusive files won't be the ones being downloaded. (Probably true within the lower tier, too, as someone else pointed out: Won't Getty be likely to skew the results to independent files, since their costs will be significantly lower?)

Quote from: bunhill on March 31, 2014, 18:05

Quote from: KB on March 31, 2014, 17:19

I claim that there'll be little or no incentive for SS buyers to switch to IS

Straight question: If they come in with a competitive package and word gets around then why wouldn't buyers switch ?

I suspect there is a lot of inertia in this market and that customers are likely to stay loyal to a brand unless it actively annoys them with stuff like constant price changes, the price of individual images moving up and down by huge amounts at random, site outages, poor customer service etc.   For large companies - which is what interests iStock - to change agencies may require a series of meetings and decisions being made and ratified, and is it going to be worth it? How reliable is the long-term pricing at iStock?

Suppose you opened an account last year because all the images you buy are XS and you wanted to take advantage of "everything at half price forever" guarantee.  Three months later you go to get your XS image and discover that all the prices have doubled .... forever, no doubt ... via the subterfuge of scrapping the XS file size so 2 credits becomes the minimum price. So now you have to have another set of meetings to go back to SS. No sooner have you done that than iS comes up with a very attractive offer that will save you maybe 10% on the SS price, do you organise a third set of management meetings in four months to decide to change your buying strategy again?