This will probably be my last post having anything to do with the stock photo industry.  In fact I have my surprised myself that I am writing this entry.  However I could not resist mentioning a mailing I received today from the image company Corbis via its Veer subsidiary for "Veer Marketplace." 

Veer Marketplace is Corbis' second attempt to get into the microstock business.  A few years ago, and way too late, Corbis created Snap Village to compete in the rapidly growing microstock space.  It was clearly too late with the offering, but it was also totally misconceived.  Pundits predicted the demise of Snap Village and they were on the mark.

Now the Corbis braintrust is trying microstock again with Veer Marketplace.  If Corbis was late with a microstock offering a few years ago it is now lightyears behind iStockphoto, Shutterstock, Fotolia and Dreamstime.  In fact it is so late I have to wonder why Corbis would bother?

Regardless, the most amazing part of "being out of the picture" on microstock, is the hugely elaborate and costly multi-color mailing promotion that Corbis produced to announce Veer Marketplace.  The beauty of microstock and the main reason for its success is that the whole operation is conducted on the Internet.  A combo of social networking, user generated content, email and more is what makes microstock tick. 

Based on the promo I just opened, Corbis is trying to launch a product that is three years too late by a form of promotion that went out the window years ago. 

I guess it is great to run a non-profit commercial enterprise?!  We should all have such a luxury.