Photography: To Stock or Not to Stock? Is This Really a Question? - Issue: 2001 Qtr 4
(Hint: this is a stock photo, can you tell?)
Photography is an important part of any company’s product or brand image. It can make or break a campaign. It helps set the tone for your communications materials. It brings your message to life. It says your product is elegant. Your product is durable. Your product is cool. People cannot live without your product!
So, how big of a compromise is using stock photography? Is it worth the money you save? Do you actually save any money? Can it be damaging to your image? Take a walk around the block with me on this one.
Stock photography is getting better.
I will have to admit that stock photography is getting better. There are a handful of places that are now starting to offer some very handsome images. Images with integrity and attitude. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a lot of bad stuff out there, (like the image above behind the story headline) i.e.: smiling families out on picnics in their yuppie uniforms with sweaters tied around their necks... puh-lease, give me a break. Could we have a reality check here?
What’s your brand image?
The important thing to keep in mind when considering a stock image is this: does it fit the image of your company or product? Is it consistent with your brand message? Does it support the concept? If it doesn’t and its only advantage is a savings of a few dollars, then this would come under the heading of compromise. Don’t do it. In the long run this can only create confusion with your customer or prospect. There can’t be anything worse than one of your customers picking up your brochure and saying “What’s up with this?”
It’s well worth spending the money to do original photography. Get the image right. It will pay for itself many times over. And you might find that it didn’t cost more to do original photography. Bear in mind that stock photography is not always a bargain. Quote both. You might be surprised.
Original photography is just more....original.
Another danger with stock photography is that some other company could use that image, too. What does that say about you or your product? Yes, you can purchase an industry exclusive for the image but that’s not to say it won’t appear outside of your industry. And you do have the option to buy the image outright. But this can be quite expensive.
I am a big fan of doing original photography. When you team up a brand-hugging, concept-driven Art Director (like the ones here at Miller Brooks) with a great photographer whose style lends itself to the project, there’s no chance for compromise. You get exactly the image you want. The concept comes to life. Your brand image remains intact. Your company sells millions of widgets and you ride off into the sunset a marketing hero of the 21st Century. What could be better than that?
The good news is you have options. And with the guidance of a brand-driven agency or design firm, like Miller Brooks (yes, I know, yet another shameless plug), you can keep your visual identity impactful and on-target. Gentlemen, start your cameras. Great concept.
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