Sex Still Sells in 2009! What small business can learn from Abercrombie’s sexy approach to photographic marketing.

With the unveiling of Abercrombie’s 2009 Christmas Catalog on A&F.COM this week, it seemed like a great time to focus on one of our favorite positioning statements – Sexually charged advertising photography sells products and services online!

Sexy Marketing Photography Sells Product!

Abercrombie’s Use of Sexually Charged Marketing Photography:
Love or hate them, Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) has proven itself a purveyor of more than just t-shirts and blue jeans – a lot more – in particular the A&F brand has helped define an entire lifestyle for the 20 something crowd in the 21 century. Sure, many weary parents and conservative legislators have criticized the firm’s marketing methods, but year over year, millions continue to pay premium prices for the A&F brand both in their retail shops and online at http://www.aandf.com.

Behind all the success lies a consistent & simple marketing strategy – sexually charged advertising photography. From the racy catalogs (now out of circulation in the U.S.) to The main marketing image that lies against the front wall facing the entrance at each store – sexy and strategic marketing photography is what’s driving the A&F brand.

Much of A&F’s product marketing photography is shot by Bruce Weber who is renown for the super sexy advertising photography he did for Calvin Klein & Ralph Lauren in the early 1990’s. Per classic Bruce Webber style, A&F marketing and catalog photos are generally rendered to grayscale and feature mainly outdoor, beach, or college campus type settings. And the icing on the cake are the super hot male models who often times aren’t even wearing the garments they are hired to sell! The photography has such an appeal that Abercrombie & Fitch shopping bags have become collectables-of-sorts, and its image synonymous with “all-American”

Growing Brands Can Deploy The Same Sexy Techniques:
So if A&F can do it why can’t your start up? Well the answer is simple – It can and it should. With 2010 just around the corner and an economy that seems to be eating entrepreneurs and big business alike for lunch – perhaps it’s time to take a closer look at the images on your website, in your catalogs, direct mail pieces and within your shopping cart and see if they could use a little spicing up. Many start-ups go directly to the stock photography warehouses during the web design process and select images that “kind of” meet the needs of the business. But if you’re serious about building your brand or establishing your product online you should consider deploying custom photography (at least to some extent like on your home page and in your banner ads for example) on your site. And, whether you’re a Dentist, Plumber, Fashion Designer, Inventor or anything in between, you should stay away from hum drum, lack luster marketing photography that doesn’t really captivate and sell your product or service to it’s target audience.

Sure, maybe semi-naked male models and scantily clad females aren’t what your small business marketing plan calls for, but attractive brand models who are photographed showcasing your product or demonstrating your service is going to be a benchmark that separates the men from the boys (if you will) when it comes to engaging your target customer base.

ACEMALE MODELS & Aces Entertainment, Inc. help bring customized brand and marketing photography within reach of small business of all sizes across many industries. Our diverse advertising and brand models and talented photographers can help your marketing materials grab and keep the attention of your target audience. And for much (MUCH) less that you’d expect to pay for custom advertising photography. The process is easy, the costs are low and the ROI will speak for itself.
Are you interested in learning more about our sexy branding and marketing photography services & how it can help attract, retain and convert website visitors into paying customers? Of course you are and we’re interested in talking to you too – shoot us an email and we’ll go from there …

Our Models & Photographers Help Sell Your Products & Services!

About ACEBOY MODELS:
Aces Entertainment, INC & ACEBOY Models is an emerging leader in the marketing & advertising photography industry, working to improve website and direct mail marketing, member retention and sales for our clients through stunning photos and video of the hottest male models on the web today. For more information about our products and unique photo and video marketing services please visit our male model photography website

Purchasing custom photography content from us can be a cost effective way for your website to connect with your target audience & stand out in a sea of stock photography infused websites. Drop us a line. We love talking to website owners about this stuff. It’s fun, affordable and can make a big difference to your bottom line. Thanks

Adult Webmasters: Are You Listening To Your Members? Your Competition Is!

Your bottom line objective as an adult pay site owner is to grow your membership base – it’s really that simple. It was true 10 years ago when you were just getting started and it remains true today. But adult webmasters beware – the rules of the  conversion and member retention game are changing and changing fast.  The introduction of free tube sites and file sharing networks are changing the adult landscape and now, you’re having to compete with FREE.
We believe there is still tremendous opportunity to grow a profitable online adult site, but you do need to understand some key trends that are shaping how people make sign-up / cancel decisions and be ready to take action.

Adult Webmasters Must Keep Up With Web 2.0 Trends!

The Adult Content Revolution:
There is a powerful revolution-taking place in the adult content market that serious adult webmasters and pay site owners need to be aware if they want to continue to play in the adult entertainment space in the not so distant future.
The revolution is an undeniable shift away from producer defined content and toward adult content produced specifically for customers based off feedback gleaned directly from the customers themselves through things like content rating applications and comment boxes.
Content rating and commenting applications embedded into the more web-2.0ish adult sites are proving invaluable to the adult site owners who are not only willing to deploy such technology in their websites but (more importantly) are committed to watching and listening to what their members are saying about the models and take action based on this valuable input.
This transformation is so new and so dramatic that many adult webmasters aren’t even aware of what’s happening.  However with a little effort to better understand what your members want to see in terms of updates, you can stay out front of the transformation and stand a better chance of securing your space in the new, user defined adult entertainment industry.

Let’s take a look a the traditional producer defined way of sourcing content for your pay site vs. the more modern member defined approach.

Old School – Producer Defined Content: In this scenario, adult site owners selected the models to be casted or purchased the content to be published in the member area of their site. There was little to no input from the member base as to whether this is a model they want to see or not. The pay site owner, much like the TV station program director made decisions on behalf of the member base.  If a member liked it, great – if not, oh well – there will be another update next week. Weekly updates are simply not going to be enough going forward.  In the world of online social networking, your members expect to be more involved. A couple weeks of less than popular site updates and you can pretty much count on your cancel rates going up.  This model worked in the past, because we had not real alternatives. Enter the more modern approach to choosing content for your adult pay site ..

The Future – Adult Site Member Defined Content. You’ll need weekly updates alright, but you’ll also need to be deploying next generation feedback applications so that you can allow your members to help you define which models get published in your members area and more importantly which ones do not. Do this and watch your member retention statistics start to trend in a positive direction fast.

Read this 5 times over if you have too. If you want to stay competitive in the adult entertainment industry and keep a firm lead on free tube type sites, your adult pay site will have to do a better job of getting feedback from and listening to your membership base. I’ll take this one step further and argue that the most successful pay sites in the future will go as far as to engage the member base to participate in the casting and production process to an extent. It’s that simple and that complex at the same time.

Examples of Applications You Can Deploy To Better Engage Your Members:
Let me give you a couple examples of baby steps you can take now to get your members more involved and improve your member retention stats and over all bottom line.

Site Visitors Should Be Able To Rate Models Easily

1)    At the very least you need to deploy a content rating application / script for each content set you have published. This will do two things for you fast. First, it will tell your members that you care about what they think (Do Not Under Estimate This!). Second, after a short period of time you will begin to see some trends that may impact some of your casting and or licensed adult content purchasing decisions. One model set from that past may emerge as a clear winner and would in turn be a model you would want to re-cast or seek other sets from your content provider – Think “ Back By Popular Demand Here” .. For an example, check out how we get feedback from site visitors on our male models here.
And check out this link for some PHP scripts that you or your webmaster could deploy to get you started: http://pennyhit.com/myratings.html

2)    Once Content rating is in place consider comment and voting type applications for each set. Keep it simple and just ask your members to vote yes or no to a simple question like .. “Would you like to see more of this model?” Here’s a link to a content comment and rating application for joomla site users: http://www.reviewsforjoomla.com/

3)    A third and slightly more advanced idea is to allow your members to play casting director to a certain extent. Publish head shots of potential models who have applied or models sets you are considering purchasing from you licensed content provider and get your members to decide who they want to see. Think “hot or not” here and watch yourself legally here!! But if done right, you would have a raving fan base on your hands fast.

Conclusion:
Ultimately, the responsibility still lies on you the pay site owner / content director to provide your members with hot fresh content that is updated on a regular basis. Based on our experience producing and selling adult content to some of the most successful sites on the web today, What matters most here is that you take steps to engage your customer base, seek out their opinions and develop a community of inclusion with your members and you had better be willing to act on their feedback.
We feel the future is bright for our customers who are embracing this shift to member defined content and deploying simple technology in their sites to seek member involvement. This is just a trend that we are noticing and wanted to share to other webmasters and paysite owners that may benefit from our experiences. Again this is only an opinion and we’d appreciate feedback and counter arguments from other industry pros.

About ACEBOYS:
Aces Entertainment & ACEBOY Models is an emerging leader in the wholesale adult content industry, working to improve member retention for our clients through stunning photos and video of the hottest male models on the web today.  For more information about our products and services for adult webmasters please visit our male model photography website
Purchasing licensed content from a professional content provider can be a cost effective way for your adult site to compete with the big players, but you have to be ready to address the needs of a target audience – you simply can’t be everything to everybody anymore.  Considering talking with an adult content provider that will truly partner with you and help you publish content that your members will love and pay for year after year.

Avoiding Scams In the Adult Industry – Tips For The Next Generation Of Adult Male Models

We’ve all seen the headlines on craigslist and countless other online classified boards: “MODELS WANTED FOR ADULT SITE – UP TO $1,500.00!!”  If you’re an aspiring adult male model, here are a couple things to keep in mind to make sure you stay safe and avoid scams. Some of this is common sense, but some of these tips are things that a new comer to the industry will probably not know.

IF IT SEEMS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE …
You can probably finish that sentence, but the old adage your grandpa told you is true, especially in the adult male modeling industry. Sure, many of the top adult studios do pay large sums of money, but those are probably not the ones posting on free online classifieds. Most of the big players in the industry get models through word of mouth and don’t need to spam forums and message boards. Now, I’m not saying that all these ads are scams. All companies start out small and god knows we placed a few ads in our day and may again in the future. The point here is that as a studio grows, so does it’s reputation (good or bad) and it’s connections in the male model community. If a studio treats their male models professionally and keeps their promises, the need to beg for models starts to subside. Hands down, our biggest source of new male model talent comes from past models that refer friends. The guys out there hitting the boards are most likely head hunters of sorts who simply get a finders fee for delivering you to one of the major studios. So be aware and try to identify early on if you are dealing with the primary producer / studio directly or if you are dealing with a 3rd party like and agency or talent scout. Sure, the agency may be scouting for a major studio that pays $1,500 per set, but probably won’t be so fast to mention that they plan to keep 30% of YOUR earnings.

GO DIRECT TO THE SOURCE:
Virtually every adult paysite has a model recruiting or model casting section on their website. Unlike mainstream commercial modeling, aspiring adult models can easily connect with casting directors by searching for the site you think would be a good match and find the “Be A Model” type link. You really don’t need an “Agency” taking 15, 20 or even up to 30% of your pay to do something you can do on your own! If the AD states something like “We work with the biggest players in the industry” .. guess what, you can too by simply finding the adult sites that interest you and completing a few model applications.

AVOID ADULT MODEL AGENCIES THAT WANT TO CONDUCT A TEST SHOOT:
This is a classic scam that we’ve seen time and again in this industry. If you get the “come by my apartment for a test shoot” line, run in the opposite direction!  Here’s the bottom line, the talent scouts have no business taking your photos, they can just as easily pass the photos you submit on to the casting directors for a decision. The real producers in the adult industry don’t have time for test shoots, furthermore, they have enough experience working with male models that they can look at your photographs, facebook and myspace galleries and make an informed go / no go decision. I can assure you the top photographers at studios like seancody.com, cockyboys.com, collegedudes247 and boyfun.com don’t have time to ‘test shoot’ and I can also assure you they don’t need the practice.  So if you get the “let’s to a test shoot” line, be very cautious and be sure to understand exactly why the test shoot or screening necessary. There’s about a 99% chance it’s not!!

GET MODEL RELEASE FORMS, SHOOT SPECIFICATIONS &  PAYMENT AGREEMENT IN WRITING BEFORE YOU TRAVEL:
Look guys, read this 10 times if you have too – It’s important. Any real agency or true production studio will be able and willing to provide you with model release documentation in advance of any booking. You need and deserve time to read these documents before you are on location. If the agency is reluctant or can’t provide you with these documents in writing – you need to seriously consider it’s legitimacy. You should also get shoot specifications in writing that list exactly what acts you will need to perform to earn the agreed upon pay. Finally ask if there are any conditions under which you may NOT get paid – for example if you take off work for 4 days to go shoot and the other models don’t show up or the photographer gets the flu – do you get paid in full, nothing at all or some something in between?  These are real life scenarios that more experience models have faced. Any professional adult model agency or production studio will have policies they can provide you in writing and should proactively offer this information to you.

You may be asking how is ACEMALE Models different from the 3rd party companies we’re discussing here. We are not an agency and we do not accept finders fees for sending models to a studio nor do we take a percent of a models earnings. We are a production studio and are contracted by our clients to produce still and video content. We make the model casting decisions, we book the travel, we shoot the content and we are the primary producers with all the legal responsibilities that go along with it. The goal of this blog entry is in no way to bash agencies or scouting companies – there are some dynamite agencies out there that can help you. The goal here is to offer some insider advice to the new generation of  adult male models that we have learned over the years.

Finally, there are watch-dog type organizations that help protect both male and feamale models in the adult industry. BPAV was founded by a senior publisher at xbiz.com and would be a great place to start if you ever were to be a victim of a scam. We fully support the BPAV mission. You can learn more here:

So the moral of this long ass story is this … As in any industry the adult male model industry if teaming with smart, focused and successful people looking to grow legitimate businesses safely and responsibly, but, as in any industry, there are scams, fakes, posers and people who could be down right harmful to your career and even your health.  By keeping these tips in mind and doing a little homework, you can set yourself up for a great experience, meet some amazing and talented people and earn some great cash. Oh, you might even have some fun along the way too. Be Safe!   Chris / ACEBOY Models / Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

As always, comments, questions, critisims and counter arguements are welcome . . .

Some Tips For Smart Male Models In A Stupid Economy:

Newspapers have been awfully depressing lately, foreclosures, unemployment and bail outs, blah, blah, blah.
If you’re a male model struggling to find work in this psychotic market, I don’t have a golden ticket for you, but I can tell you this … More companies are searching for terms like “How To Hire Male Models”, “Male Models for Web Advertising” and my favorite “Affordable Male Models”. I’m no MBA, but if more companies are plugging these terms into the major search engines it stands to reason that they may be getting ready to hire male models for upcoming commercial, fashion, adult and advertising jobs.
This brings me to you – the male model looking for a great paid gig in a not so great economy. Here are some ideas on how smart male models can weather the storm …

1) GET OUT THERE & SHOOT … Being photographed for commercial clients is a skill that improves with practice. If you’re sitting around waiting for a studio call and not getting camera time – you’re making a big mistake. There are many excellent photographers who would love to shoot you. Now, more than ever, you should be looking for PFT opportunities with photographers in your community. PFT stands for “Photos or Prints For Trade” and is an industry term to describe a deal where models and photographers help each other develop their portfolios without compensation. Ideally, both parties leave a PFT shoot with great new photos for their portfolios with out spending a dime. Places like, Craigs List, backpages, your local community college and commercial sites like OMP are excellent places to go to find a photographer interested in a PFT type deal. This allows you to keep your skills sharp, keep your portfolio updated and most important, network with photographers who just might hire you once things turn around out there. It’s the quintessential WIN-WIN for both the male model and the photographer. As always, be sure to get photographer references and clearly defined shoot specifications in writing before the shoot. I’d also strongly recommend that you meet in a public place be

fore you agree to engage in any PFT type deal – no matter how bad you need new portfolio shots, you need to be safe and smart about it.

2) Get Your Online Male Model Portfolios Updated … When Studios like ACEBOYS gets a new order for commercial photography, there’s usually no time to waste. We scan for very fresh, recently updated male model portfolios. If a studio like ours comes to you with a paid assignment, you don’t want to be running around trying to get updated application shots at the last minute. As a male model you need to make sure you are camera ready and that your port is updated. You should be spending the time between gigs optimizing your profile pages. If you don’t have an online portfolio, here are a few of the highly reputable portfolio sites we use to meet, network with and hire male models for paid projects.

3) Keep Your Day Job … We have always advocated our male models to keep other career and academic priorities along with their modeling aspirations. Modeling should be something you do on the side to meet new people, earn extra cash and have fun. Now more than ever, if you’re relying on money from modeling to pay your rent, you’re taking a big risk. So the message here is, don’t get trapped. Make yourself invaluable to your employer now. This will allow you to withstand the long durations between paid modeling gigs and help keep your financial situation stabilized.

Although is been a slow Q4 and early Q1 in the male modeling industry there are very early signs that things may begin to pick up again this spring. Clothing manufactures and designers will be looking for more cost effective ways to showcase and market their fall lines and web based marketing photography is a cheaper and increasingly more powerful alternative to print and catalog media. We’re confident the business is coming, but in the meantime, use the tips above to make sure your skills as a male model stay sharp, that your portfolio stays updated with fresh new content and you have the resources you need to make it between paid gigs. This will put you steps ahead of your competition for the paid photo assignments that will come later in this spring. Stay positive, Stay Focused and Stay Safe and Stay Sexy ☺

Best Regards, Chris Berns / MALE MODEL PHOTOGRAPHER // ACEBOY MODELS // LAS VEGAS, NV // FT. LAUDERDALE, FL

As always, feedback, comments, counter arguments and lavish gifts for our view points are welcome and appreciated ….

Welcome 2009!

As we ring in 2009, it’s important to stop and thank all the amazing male models, clients, friends and fans who have helped make 2008 such an amazing year for ACEBOYS. In particular, Aaron K, David M, Phillip, Johnathan D, Nick S, Roberto, Jeremy, Josh P, Grant, Jarrod, Jessee and so many others who made a difference this year. We couldn’t have done this without you. And to our AMAZING Clients who believed in us, invested in us and helped us soar to hieghts we never dreamed of .. thank you!

2009 promises to bigger and better and we can’t wait to get started. We’re going to need alot more help so if you’re interested in becoming an ACEBOY Male Model, please visit our Male Model Casting page to get started. We are also eager to bring on one or two new clients so, if you’re interested in hiring male models in 2009 please visit our Male Model Photographic Services page to learn about the unique services we offer. Thanks and Happy New Year!
Chris B. / ACEBOYS / Ft. Lauderdale, FL / Thursday January 1, 2009 / 8:00pm

ACEBOY MODELS 2009