Why is brand photography important
Sometimes it is easy to forget how powerful photography can be.
On a personal note, it can help us remember. Just one powerful image of something relevant in our lives can bring back feelings, smells and even sounds of a meaningful moment in our lives. Photographs are our recorded memories as special moments in time are frozen.
On a corporate level, several on-point images can come together to form a brand story or narrative that’s told from a unique perspective. If you are a business owner, brand or marketing manager, great photography is worth its weight in gold when used appropriately to:
- support a piece of advertising editorial in a lifestyle or trade publication,
- frame social media content, both organically and for paid advertising
- humanise your brand when using personal portraits and team shots
- enhance your brand visual identity
- make your product or service have a tangible quality
Your customers will always appreciate skilful photography used as part of your brand communications. The imagery you use represents the visual language of your brand. If used well, customers should be able to cover your company’s logo in any piece of digital or print content and still recognise your brand because the visual language of your brand is unique to your organisation.
Carefully considering the look and feel of your brand photography goes a long way to show your audience that you care and feel a sense of responsibility about the type of communication you put out into the wider world. Images that show authenticity, originality and attention to detail will always be appreciated and viewed more favourably.
Don’t get left behind
32% of marketers say visual images are the most important form of content for their business (Social Media Examiner, 2020). They particularly focus on using powerful photography (in order) for brand storytelling, product or service promotion and social engagement.
86% of consumers say that authenticity is a key factor when deciding what brands they like and support (Stackla, 2019). You need to be authentic in how you present yourself. Don’t take short cuts with imagery.
81% of consumers say that need to be able to trust a brand in order to buy from them (Edelman, 2019). First impressions count and a cohesive visual identity system that is consistent across all of your marketing materials will build familiarity and trust. You will be able to build long term relationships with your customers if you use real, honest and authentic images. Your audience won’t respond to insincere communication in both visual and text form.
Use corporate photography to maximum effect
Photography is a visual tool that you’ll use to represent your business and make a connection with your audience. Don’t take shortcuts. If you have the budget, invest in a professional photographer that knows how to light up your brand to maximum effort. In today’s nosy marketplace, you need to use imagery exceptionally well to stand out from the crowd. If your budget is tight, invest in some learning tool that will give you pointers on how to get the best from your equipment, your environment and the people you have in your team.
Use photography to tell your story and make a strong memorable connection. Branding is all about creating deliberate differentiation. Brand photography used well will make you stand out from the crowd.
Sarah Hackett
Agency Owner
Sarah is the co-founder and Marketing Director of brand communications agency Brand Jam. She helps brands attract customers and sell more by crafting considered brand strategy and marketing plans for her clients. Sarah’s experience included working for small, medium and national brands as a client and agency marketer. Get to know Sarah better here.
