Improving photography skills is challenging and costly. Countless video tutorials and online courses lack hands-on learning, while expensive coaching courses exceed people’s budget. This is the pain point that our market wants to fix. In a nutshell, we’re looking at a wide range of folks who want to take great photos with cost-effective solutions. But, we can’t aim at everyone to start with. So, Lookr aims to penetrate the market by initially focusing on a niche but accessible consumer base, adopting a strategic approach as outlined in the following market funnel:
[Lucidchart Source](<https://lucid.app/lucidchart/dbbed981-2810-4b19-a8bf-a841da140576/edit?view_items=TYp.MVcbYGMY%2C79p.k_HNrh5T%2CH7p.VMZVNS4M%2Ck7p.WvZoWxxT%2CA9p.fGPAYils%2Cl.p.Rqn3f2qx&invitationId=inv_5cc6e78f-9f95-425d-95fa-a616c478801d>)
<aside> 💡 Check out our FAQ to see why we focus on consumers instead of professionals.
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Photography is a vast domain, and within this realm, we will concentrate our efforts on applications that facilitate shooting photos. Our primary focus will be on portrait photography, which dominates the photography market. To substantiate this, let's consider Canada, where 71,580 photographers are employed, and an impressive 75% of these professionals specialize in portrait photography. While this data is centered on the photography service market, it provides us with valuable insights into the distribution within the photography market.
Furthermore, we are setting our sights on the female demographic. Research indicates that women tend to have a higher purchasing drive compared to men and are more inclined to download photo apps. This can be attributed to their active presence on social media and a proclivity to share photos. For reference, please see "Male versus female consumer decision making styles".
A significant aspect that we will be tackling is non-selfie photography. The rationale behind this is that individuals often fare better with selfies as opposed to traditional photographs. With selfies, people can instantly see how they look, thus enabling a shorter feedback loop and greater patience. Moreover, selfies tend to be more flattering due to the proximity of the face to the camera. However, photographs offer only a 2-dimensional perspective, which can flatten and distort features (Here’s why you look better in mirrors than you do in pictures - Upworthy). Thus, there is a higher level of satisfaction with selfies, while non-selfie photography presents challenges.
Taking non-selfies often involves collaboration between individuals, making it a more challenging task compared to selfies where the pain point is clearer. As highlighted in the photography service market breakdown, all professional service categories cater to non-selfies, indicating a high demand. Hence, it's more strategic and lucrative to develop features tailored for non-selfies, such as location scouting, composition, and poses, rather than focusing on facial expressions, which are more central to selfies.
Another important segment within non-selfie photography is couples. Couples are more likely to engage in non-selfie photography as there is a higher comfort level, reduced camera shyness, and willingness to take pictures together.
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[Lucidchart Source](<https://lucid.app/lucidchart/dbbed981-2810-4b19-a8bf-a841da140576/edit?view_items=TYp.MVcbYGMY%2C79p.k_HNrh5T%2CH7p.VMZVNS4M%2Ck7p.WvZoWxxT%2CA9p.fGPAYils%2Cl.p.Rqn3f2qx&invitationId=inv_5cc6e78f-9f95-425d-95fa-a616c478801d>)
<aside> 💡 Please note that this market funnel’s focus is primarily on the media industry, where Lookr has a high penetration rate (see Market Breakdown section). We will subsequently expand into other professional photography domains, following an order based on ease of penetration and market size.
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As Lookr matures, we envisage broadening our reach to encompass the entire market, eradicating the initial funnels and focusing on the fundamental pain point. An illustrative example would be evolving from catering to couples to a broader non-couple audience, including friends and acquaintances, by incorporating features that facilitate community engagement and build confidence. For instance, establishing localized photography communities where members can engage offline, share insights, and motivate each other, akin to how professional photographers organize shooting tours to strengthen their network.
In sum, as we progressively expand into other categories such as selfies, male demographic, and different types of photography like landscapes, the potential market size escalates exponentially, paving the way for colossal growth and success.