Does your marketing imagery reflect your brand?
Marketing photography is like a high school band program — often neglected and one of the first things cut when budgets get tight. But it shouldn’t be. Images instantly catch our eye, are processed by the brain long before written content and are the tip of the marketing spear for your brand.
The imagery you choose to market your business — whether it’s on your website, in a brochure, a social media post, or part of your trade show backdrop — is as much a part of your brand as your logo or your tagline. And your brand should speak through all of your marketing touch points.
As I mentioned in my previous article about how to effectively market your brand, it’s bigger than just your logo. Your brand incorporates your mission (why you exist), your vision (where you’re going) and your values (what you believe). It’s how your customers perceive you, what they think about you, and what they say about you.
The Experts
I’m grateful to know several photographers who understand how important a brand is and how to leverage it when it comes to marketing photography. They represent a wide range of photography — commercial & industrial, product, editorial, lifestyle and fashion — and I’ve asked four of them to weigh in on this topic and share their wisdom.
And if you’re looking for a brand-savvy photographer for an upcoming project (insert shameless plug here) please consider reaching out to one of them.
Peter Silvia
Broad Arrow Creative
Scott Indermaur
Indermaur Media
Bryan Borgal
Plant 9 Studios
Steve Mason
Steve Mason Photographer
Why is brand important in creating marketing imagery?
Peter: We all want to be seen, heard and connected. Brand identity is the foundational roadmap that provides a clear and compelling story of your “why.” An authentic brand begins the viewer's journey of connection and relationship with your story. Your brand narrative is the basis of an emotional, consistent, and memorable experience with your target audience.
Scott: Brand is essential in marketing imagery because it tells a company’s story and creates a lasting impression. Thoughtfully crafted visuals encourage the audience to pause, engage with the content, and connect with the brand’s message. Whether through photography or video, strong imagery helps people remember a brand and feel more connected to its story.
Bryan: Give me a subject or product and I’ll give you back a beautiful well-executed photo. But it may not be the best photo to support the brand.
If imaging is inconsistent with brand voice it won’t resonate with its intended target audience, and possibly alienate some of them. Imagery is a very powerful tool to convey attitude, mood, lifestyle choices, even values and quality. When creating imagery that supports a brand photographers must take all those attributes into consideration.
Steve: A brand acts as a compass, guiding decisions and reminding us of our original goals and purpose. Visualizing the brand through imagery makes it tangible and real, in contrast to writing, which is more abstract.
Image courtesy of Steve Mason
Image courtesy of Scott Indermaur
What are some of the ways to incorporate brand into marketing imagery?
Peter: Branding is about asking questions. Photography is about visually communicating the answers. Who are you? What problem do you solve? Why should I care? What do you want me to do next?
Storytelling imagery combined with the design elements communicate the essence, values, and personality of the brand — and the images must tell a clear and consistent story that resonates across all touch points.
The goal is to tell an engaging story that builds and nurtures the audience’s relationship with your brand and moves them to take action.
Scott: To visually represent a brand, it’s important to go beyond just showcasing products or services — capturing the company’s personality, culture, and values is key. Whether a business is high-tech, grassroots, or legacy-driven, aligning imagery with its overall tone, style, and messaging ensures consistency and strengthens brand recognition.
Bryan: I can take cues from the logo and incorporate color schemes to reinforce a visual connection but, more importantly, it should visually support the brand's core message and voice. That can be done with mood and lighting, propping and environment that helps convey a specific message. Even camera view point and lens choices can help tell the story. A low camera angle and strong lighting can project dominance, power, or confidence. A more neutral view and softer light makes the viewer feel more peaceful, comforted, or carefree.
As the photographer, I usually have the advantage of being called into a project long after the brand voice and visual direction have been established, and I can just architect the imagery around those set visuals, giving my creative input and advise how best to achieve the intended results.
Steve: The brand is not just about the product or service but the “why” behind it. It’s crucial that images are authentic and reflect the true essence of the brand. The people featured in the imagery should genuinely connect and work well together, rather than being chosen solely for appearance or political reasons.
Image courtesy of Peter Silvia
Image courtesy of Bryan Borgal
What are some of the common pitfalls or missteps when creating brand imagery?
Peter: I can sum it up in three words: “Ready, Fire, Aim.”
Many clients rush into a project, and end up with a jumbled, disjointed collection of content that confuses the viewer. Here are some common missteps:
Creating imagery before understanding how it will be used within the intended design (imagery is only as good as the way in which it is used)
Using imagery inconsistently (this is where brand guidelines are important)
Lack of feeling or emotion in the imagery (how do you want your viewer to feel?)
Imagery that doesn’t align with the brand narrative (tell a compelling story)
Lack of curiosity (ask questions and be flexible)
Scott: One common misstep is rushing the visual process. When there’s not enough time for subjects to feel at ease, the resulting imagery can appear stiff or inauthentic. Another challenge is a lack of deep insight into the brand’s identity, which can lead to visuals that miss the mark. Taking the time to plan, collaborate, and refine ensures imagery that truly represents the brand.
Bryan: It’s really easy to get a subject and immediately visualize concepts that portray it in a way that I think is visually appealing and will captivate an audience, but my initial vision may not line up with the brand’s intent.
The challenge for a photographer is to be malleable with style and creative vision so they can convey a brand message in a visually captivating way.
A good example is Liquid Death. Their product is water. Their brand is edgy, brash and irreverent. Not many people would have connected those qualities with water. I think when most people visualize a water brand they see clear mountain streams on a warm sunny day, or a refreshing splash after a day of fun and play. None of those images would support what Liquid Death has determined their brand voice to be. To shoot a soft soothing image of a calm babbling brook and soft puffy clouds would be a disservice to their brand and ultimately detrimental.
Steve: A reactive mindset, where visuals are created without a clear understanding of the audience, message, or purpose, can lead to ineffective imagery. A photographer should always seek input and align the imagery with the brand’s mission statement. For example, when photographing for Cargill in Quonset Point I used their mission statement to guide the visuals, resulting in over 80 linear feet of interior wall space dedicated to photo murals that boosted employee morale.
Don’t skimp on brand-focused imagery
Maybe you’re a solopreneur or a two-person agency and thinking, “We don’t have the money to hire a professional photographer.” Fair enough, but incorporating your brand in the product pics you’re producing with an iPhone and a softbox is just as important.
If you DO have the budget to hire a professional photographer (congrats) you can use this article as a guide to select one that understands branding and who will help you create imagery that reflects and reinforces your mission, vision and values.
However, if you don’t currently have a brand or are in the process of considering a rebrand, we should talk.
