EG: We can’t answer questions this specific on FG, unfortunately. But we can provide some basic guidance for licensing questions, especially since they come up so often. I will say I see people doing this “the company is worth $XXX and they’re only offering $XXX” framework quite often. Remember that even though the company might be huge, they have many, many different tiers of marketing efforts and agencies they engage with. Sometimes the budget really is only $1000 because its some silly marketing push for them or you’re working through their below-the-line or social agency and budgets are REALLY small at that level.
I’m not proposing you accept what doesn’t feel right, but I just want you to consider that maybe $1000 is a lot of lattes for an image that is meaningless and gathering digital dust. Depending on what the project is, what kind of image we’re talking about, and exclusivity/usage, $1000 may be a fair price, tbh.
For a more in-depth answer to how to figure out licensing fees, we’ve answered that HERE.
CC: I actually don’t think $1000 is that bad and the reason is that it’s only being used on the internet. Usage is key here. A quick plug into the Getty calculator and I got $1,475 for worldwide digital media advertising usage. The calculator doesn’t have a perpetuity option but up to 3 years gives you an idea. Most brands will likely refresh their images in that span of time. Some people say to triple your 2-3 year usage for usage in perpetuity. The calculator also gives numbers that are typically on the high end, from my experience. Just for fun, I plugged in OOH, print, and tv advertising worldwide for up to 5 years and the rate is $23,680. Again, usage is key. When in doubt, get in touch with a photo agent or refer to the links that Emiliano shared above. Also, you don’t have to accept the first offer. Counteroffer and see what happens. Worst case scenario is that you’re back to $1000, the best-case scenario is that they are willing to pay more because the image is that unique and that valuable to them.