LL Shopping Events - How exactly do they pick merchants?

[Kalia Firelyte]

So I got a mailer from Second Life telling me about this shopping event: 

This isn't the first time they've advertised shopping events and mentioned specific brands in doing so as participating.

What I'm wondering is... did I (and other) merchants miss a sign up or something, or did these creators just randomly/targetedly get invited by LL?
What criteria are they going by that other creators are left out of these rather major opportunities? 

[ChinRey]

They did finally learn from their mistakes and had an open application round this time. It was announced in their blog:

 

I have no idea whether they filtered the applications or accepted everybody who applied. I didn't have time to make any special christmasy stuff this year so I didn't apply myself.

Edited December 17, 2017 by ChinRey

[Sassy Romano]

At least it wasn't a single vendor promotion of breedable bunnies, nobody would be so daft as to promote a single merchant.

Oh wait...

[Claireschen Hesten]

Didn't realise this was inworld too saw it on the marketplace and my initial reaction was LL showing favouritism to certain stores over others like it has done in the past it's encouraging to see merchants were allowed to apply to be part of the promotion rather than hen pecked by LL

will have to make the time to visit the inworld event as there are brands i like taking part

[Chic Aeon]

OK folks. I was VERY vocal this summer on this issue LOL and NOW I am a merchant.  

Here is my input.

I honestly didn't suspect to get in. I think the only reason I got in (or perhaps a deciding factor) is that a few years ago I started a store website. It looks REALLY good and I have learned to take some pretty striking vendor photos. 

That isn't saying that my items aren't as good as they look -- just that PRESENTATION is important.   I am not going to put in a link but any sleuths can easily find that blogspot site with minimal effort. 

SOME of the folks that were in the summer venue are again in this venue. However (and I don't think this is proprietary info so going to include here) most creators were chosen BEFORE a post to the Inworld Shopping Event group of the summer (not sure that is the exact name but you get the idea) received a note saying that the group was being cleared and if they wanted to apply for the winter round they could still (a couple of days left at that time I think). 

THAT seems pretty fair to me. I don't know how many of the folks in summer had applied and been accepted when that notice went out but there was still an opportunity to apply. The folks that were on the ball and paying attention of course already applied --- and as most any venue owner will tell you, there is a proclivity to go with the folks that did a good job last time (only fair really as they are a known commodity).  I counted about a third of the folks as repeats but that is only in my head and a rough count. 

On joining the group I saw a fair amount of folks that I know personally, some that I blog for, some from in events I am in and some that run events I am in :D. These are all in my mind "second tier creators" (like me) meaning that they do good work but don't have a huge name. 

THIS IS WHAT FOLKS WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT LAST TIME; they want to see new brands --- so in my mind someone listened to those complaints. 

As with any activity that has to deal with choice, everyone will not be happy. This goes for art exhibits, sales venues, contests of any kind -- we each have our way of looking at things and making our choices.  I have no idea what criteria was used but I did notice that a fair amount of the folks THIS TIME were older brands and avatars -- so perhaps longevity filtered in there. OR it could simply be my perception ; I have no inside intel.

A creator friend joked with me the other day (not about this venue) wondering if I was a Linden in disguise :D. I said that I have said too many negative things along the way for that to be true. I also give credit where I think it is earned. 

This is a FREE venue for creators and anyone could throw their hat in the ring.

For me personally, I was a bit disturbed over some of the gifts that were given out. I mean really? It is a free venue (rather than $2500 to $10000), the least folks could do would be to give a nice gift rather than something from a CURRENT HUNT or LOGOWEAR.  That was my personal complaint, nothing to do with the Lindens (well they did get my brand name wrong on the official info but hopefully will fix eventually. LOL).

The traffic this time seems way down from the crowded - can't TP in venue of the summer but I am assuming that has much to do with the holidays and the HUGE amount of gifts out there (honestly I can't even keep up with them on my blog). Still, I think most of us that were invited are thrilled to be there. I certainly am. 

And I can categorically state that I am NOT A LINDEN ALT LOL.  

 

 

[Tamara Artis]

I believe LL, as would everyone else if they tried to organize something, wants to chose merchants who have big shops, big customer groups, huge inventories, who have regular new releases, who most likely support their real life with SL income and who take this stuff seriously. 

If event organizer invites mostly smaller merchants, that would be more like a charity event because the organizer will have to work really hard in order to bring people to the event. If the event organizer invites big names (shops who have few thousand group members) and each of these merchants sends only one group notice, then the event organizer can relax because the event will, most likely, have good attendance. 

So the fact that LL has only/mostly big names in their event is objective, logical and, from economic view, nothing but a standard. I got sad when I saw how merchant who works hard and manages to get into this event feels the need to come here and explain herself... 

[ChinRey]

3 hours ago, Tamara Artis said:

I believe LL, as would everyone else if they tried to organize something, wants to chose merchants who have big shops, big customer groups, huge inventories, who have regular new releases, who most likely support their real life with SL income and who take this stuff seriously.

Or they could hold events promoting new talents, or quality (low lag and such) or merchants with merchandise especially suitable for theri logn term strategy (whatever that may be) or...

There are several criteria they could base the selection on and yes, size is definitely one of them.

I have no idea how the participants for this event were selected. I haven't really wacthed it at all to be honest - I just noticed the blog post. I would assume that since LL seems to be constantly short on money these days, short time earnings would be regarded as more important than planning for the future but in any case, I don't think it's really important at this stage.

What really matters is that there was an open application round this time. That has certainly not been the case for similar events earlier and there are many merchants who definitely have "have big shops, big customer groups, huge inventories and have regular new releases and who most likely support their real life with SL income and who take this stuff seriously" who were never ever invited.

Linden Lab never understood the essence of business-to-business dealing before and they have a horrible and well justified reputation for doing underhand deal favoring some and discriminating others. The "even playing field" they've always been so keen to promote has never been more than a myth. Until now that is.

People had very good reason to ask questions, have no doubt about that. Fortunately the answer this time is yes, they have finally learned from past mistakes and they are trying to improve their act.

[Chic Aeon]

15 hours ago, ChinRey said:

What really matters is that there was an open application round this time. That has certainly not been the case for similar events earlier and there are many merchants who definitely have "have big shops, big customer groups, huge inventories and have regular new releases and who most likely support their real life with SL income and who take this stuff seriously" who were never ever invited.

There WAS an open application last summer -- JUST like this one. I applied then too and did not get in.   Edit:  I also applied the year before to a smaller type holiday venue and did not get it. That was mostly venue stands and not the big mall experience. Can't remember all the details, but it was also an open application. 

There could possibly have been some folks "invited" as well as those that got in through the application process. I have no clue. 

There is something to be said about the big store, big store groups and all that jazz. I agree that those criteria seem to be part of the venue equation "sometimes". 

I, however have no store group and never have. I honestly hate all that stuff. I give away things to the masses (that means no group needed) and don't try and con folks to join in my "Brand" to get stuff. It just rubs me the wrong way  -- even when folks ask to join my non-existent group LOL.  I don't Facebook, I don't Tweet. I do put my new product releases up on Flickr now as that is required in most all events.  But even though I type and type and type on these forums, I am not a NETWORKER for my store :D.    I am there because I like to create. 

Sometimes I get invited to venues most likely (I like to think so anyway) on the quality of my work. I know of one case where I was invited and then removed later -- in my mind anyway because the venue owner found out that I didn't do the group and constant spamming. That's the way it is.

AND --- I would like to point out that some Big Names That You Would Have Expected To See --- may simply not have wanted to be in the event.  We don't KNOW who applied and who got chosen over others. There were plenty of big names from this summer who are not in this winter event. Maybe they simply decided it wasn't worth their effort. Each creator GETS TO CHOOSE.  

I am not making a fortune there but I am happy to be there and according to a quick search I have given away 920 very nice barrel chairs. So hopefully a few folks are happy with those as I had one rezzed and there was no "mystery" box gift thing going on.

 

And another thought or three --  I am adding a few minutes later. Creators for the most part had to NOTICE the "call" for applications. Many don't ever visit the forums or the blog or whatever -- they are busy creating. The truly big names likely couldn't care less as this was a tiny event in their minds (so cross off some for that).  There are a handful of "big name" folks in this event (this only by MY list of criteria :D) but not tons. 

It is a very good way for not in the spotlight brands to be seen and perhaps to be recognized a bit more in the future. For those already "THERE", it is likely a ho-hum event. 

It is also the holidays and lots of folks are taking off. My blogger boxes are down by about half this month; happily there are SO MANY gifts that I have been very busy with two posts a day on most days. So that cut out a lot of folks on vacation. Blueberry (I just TPed over to check this) never actually put out anything on sale at the Hop and Shop -- only one gift (two posters) which -- I just TPed over to the main store to check -- is a group gift for ANYONE (buy for $0 ) there. 

So plenty going on that we don't really know why  --- but also most likely not the intent of the Lindens  

 

Edited December 20, 2017 by Chic Aeon

[Kalia Firelyte]

On 12/16/2017 at 11:09 PM, ChinRey said:

They did finally learn from their mistakes and had an open application round this time. It was announced in their blog:

Thanks! I know I'm really late replying to this again but hey, maybe I can bring this to light to other creators who also are too buried in their work to notice important things.
I really just wanted to know if I'd missed something somewhere -- and I had! So thank you all for replying. I'll certainly try to be more diligent about keeping up with the things and the stuff LL puts up.

[Synjari Myriam]

I've been curious too so thanks all for the questions AND the responses on this!

<3 Synny