Spotlight on Wilhelmina Models

By Clare Tattersall

Wilhelmina has been successfully spotting and booking talent for over 30 thirty years, but only recently ventured into the world of technology — and with surprising results. At first cautious about breaking with tradition and using the Internet to do business, Wilhelmina has found that they can not only challenge convention, but also level with the headliners.

Wilhelmina operates many different divisions within the world of modeling, catering to every media from print to TV and digital. They pride themselves on taking care of their clients and the needs of their models, not inconsiderable, given the stresses and strains inherent in the world where image is everything. They are proud to represent Kate Dillon, who after battling with anorexia for years withdrew from the business, but Wilhelmina, recognizing her talents, coaxed her into entering their Plus Size division, where she could enjoy the talents she had learned under the glare of the cameras.

Already known for their leadership in the world of modeling, Wilhelmina has been confronted with some important changes recently. In an industry entrenched in convention, they were forced to make a decision about how far to involve technology in their process. Under the guidance of Richard Troost and Casey Doran at Model Network, they made a choice to offer their clientele a far easier, faster and more cost efficient means of doing business.

With fifty percent of their clients being international, Wilhelmina needed to find a way for their clients to select their models and make bookings, even while the U.S. office was closed. Model Network provided the ideal service, working closely with the Wilhelmina, they discussed building a system that would allow their clients to browse model portfolios by division, or other criteria, and even make bookings twenty four/seven. Model Network custom designed a Web site for the agency that not only matched their look and feel, but also provided on-line all the traditional features that their clients were accustomed to using off-line. By using the "Light-box" feature on the site to select the right talent for their clients, bookers can email entire portfolios, thereby replacing the old "dinosaur" system of choosing from cards on the wall, preparing a package and sending it out. Model Networks provided a site, which was cutting edge in design and greatly improved efficiency.

Ray Lata, who made the decision to opt for the Model Network’ solution says, "Going forward we feel that this is the best way to deal with our clients," and he is certain that they made the right choice, "It has been fantastic," he says, "we can do bookings all over the world in a fraction of the time it would have taken us in the past and at less expense to us and the talent."

So, with the majority of their clientele adopting the new on-line system, Wilhelmina is stunned by immediate savings in time and money and an incredible reduction in waste. By cutting out high courier and Fed-Ex bills, time-consuming paperwork, exorbitant printing and reproduction costs, the agency is left free to expand on what they are famous for — taking care of the way the world looks.



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