What's in a Photograph?

By / Marketing


Today Bryant is joining us from Bryant Hill Media to share some knowledge about the art of the photograph.
We loved chatting with him… and not only does he offer great insight, he knows what he’s talking about [you’ll soon see some samples and agree].
And now it’s time to give Bryant the floor, so read on and enjoy what he has to say
(and remember kids, show him the same respect you would us 😉 )
“A picture is worth a thousand words.” According the old adage—supposedly popularized by ad-man Fred R. Barnard in the 1920s. If that picture markets your business, it might be worth considerably more.

Independent of the products or services your company offers, photography—deftly employed—contributes powerfully to brand identity. Consider the import of photography to brands like Nike and National Geographic. Rather obvious how valuable photography is to those brands. What about The Weather Channel? It also relies heavily on photography to promote the brand in its marketing and advertising efforts.
In fact, the company devotes almost 20% of its corporate “Brand Guidelines” to the use of photography in support of The Weather Channel Brand. As the Brand Guidelines indicate,

We [The Weather Channel] use photography to communicate our brand positioning. …Our photography should show people making the most of the weather, how the weather inspires them, how weather opens possibilities and presents drama.

And you thought they were only concerned with weather maps!  Their tag is “Bringing Weather to Life,” and the photography they employ services that tag (and the brand) very effectively.

But you don’t need a big budget to build your brand via photography. You need photography that clearly demonstrates the hallmarks of your brand to the marketplace.

That generally has less to do with the amount of equipment and assistants a photographer has, and more to do with how well s/he listens to/engages you in an effort to understand your business and brand. Technical expertise, artistic vision and the proper equipment are key elements of the equation, but they pale in comparison to the value of working with a photographer who “gets” what the photographs need to say.

So, before you run out and hire a photographer, think deeply about what your products/services mean to your customers and clients and what you are trying to accomplish as a company. Then, find a photographer with the skills and understanding to make photographs that are both striking and illustrative of these core values. Dialogue with the photographer should involve more than fees and shoot scheduling. If you’ve found the right person for the job, the conversation should also address your business goals, your culture and mission, your products/services, the audience you are trying to engage, and what draws them to your brand—all vital information for creating successful, not just attractive, photographs.



Written by / Marketing

SHARE THIS POST

/ /

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.