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why we built a non-traditional model business inside our business

Discover the faces behind the lens at soona! Get to know the talented models who bring our photo shoots to life and learn how they're redefining the industry. Read our latest blog post now

soona crew
soona crew
written by
soona crew
written by
April 21, 2021
-
1
min

if you've ever booked a shoot with soona: you know that you can add a model to any shoot. you can choose a full-body model / a hand model / even a dog or cat model! this is one of our most-loved features + a growing number of our clients are taking advantage of it.

my cofounder (hayley) and I created this model-agency-replacement business-inside-a-business because we knew that dealing with traditional modeling agencies can be tricky. I’ve witnessed the pitfalls of booking traditional models countless times throughout my career in production.

most agencies use an outdated business model littered with hidden fees and red tape. booking a traditional model means paying the model’s fee + their agent’s fee + perhaps an additional fee to the agency. on top of the expense: most shoots with traditional models come with extremely limited terms on how the images or clips can be used. if you hire through an agency: get ready to pay steeply for a series of photos—only to be told that they can only be used on a small number of approved platforms for a limited number of months.

this approach just doesn’t work in today’s world. the way we create / share / distribute content has totally transformed over the last twenty years. influencers have largely replaced models as authentic spokespeople. they offer a more flexible way to get content created. social media and ecommerce have made it necessary for content to be posted. re-posted. and re-posted again.

at soona we were determined to take a different approach. we wanted anyone to feel like they could be a model. today: our models are anyone and everyone—from kids to older folks. from tiny dogs to fat cats. we wanted every piece of content to be used however and wherever our clients wanted. our customers and models know exactly what to expect with our flat fee pricing and our one-time-fee-for-any-type-of-use approach. there are no gatekeepers. no expensive agencies adding on their extra percentages. and nothing to keep us from being wildly creative and having fun.

when you know a problem inside and out: you have the unique opportunity to come up with a solution. in doing so: we’ve improved the experiences of our customers + our models + our content creators.

want to get in on our modeling service? visit soonablogexprt.wpengine.com/collective.

if you've ever booked a shoot with soona: you know that you can add a model to any shoot. you can choose a full-body model / a hand model / even a dog or cat model! this is one of our most-loved features + a growing number of our clients are taking advantage of it.

my cofounder (hayley) and I created this model-agency-replacement business-inside-a-business because we knew that dealing with traditional modeling agencies can be tricky. I’ve witnessed the pitfalls of booking traditional models countless times throughout my career in production.

most agencies use an outdated business model littered with hidden fees and red tape. booking a traditional model means paying the model’s fee + their agent’s fee + perhaps an additional fee to the agency. on top of the expense: most shoots with traditional models come with extremely limited terms on how the images or clips can be used. if you hire through an agency: get ready to pay steeply for a series of photos—only to be told that they can only be used on a small number of approved platforms for a limited number of months.

this approach just doesn’t work in today’s world. the way we create / share / distribute content has totally transformed over the last twenty years. influencers have largely replaced models as authentic spokespeople. they offer a more flexible way to get content created. social media and ecommerce have made it necessary for content to be posted. re-posted. and re-posted again.

at soona we were determined to take a different approach. we wanted anyone to feel like they could be a model. today: our models are anyone and everyone—from kids to older folks. from tiny dogs to fat cats. we wanted every piece of content to be used however and wherever our clients wanted. our customers and models know exactly what to expect with our flat fee pricing and our one-time-fee-for-any-type-of-use approach. there are no gatekeepers. no expensive agencies adding on their extra percentages. and nothing to keep us from being wildly creative and having fun.

when you know a problem inside and out: you have the unique opportunity to come up with a solution. in doing so: we’ve improved the experiences of our customers + our models + our content creators.

want to get in on our modeling service? visit soonablogexprt.wpengine.com/collective.

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