For Christmas 2013, I had my friend Joe Mock with Big Frog Custom T-shirts & More design sweatshirts for my children Rhylie and John Michael donning the copyright symbol with their birth year. Why? Well, it just occurred to me one day that my children were unique enough (as are we all) they should be copyrighted. I thought the shirts to be fun and whimsical, yet sending them a message that they are pretty darn special, too.
The American Marketing Association defines brand as “A name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller’s goods or services as distinct from those of other sellers.” The legal term is Trademark. Ask any millennial and they’ll agree that it’s not just services and goods that should be branded or trademarked, but each individual person as well. In case you haven’t noticed, many millennials have their own websites even if they work for someone else, have nothing to sell and/or aren’t trying to cash in on the influencer movement.
Why? For the same reason I had those copyright sweatshirts made for my kids - we are all special, unique and worthy of a website.
Well, enough about what some may consider to be narcissistic. Let’s talk about Branding - branding our businesses, our goods, our services and/or ourselves.
We’ve helped individuals brand their small business services or use their branding material as a unique resume. Branding photography is more than a headshot - it tells a story. For instance, my former associate photographer Christian asked for a branding photography session at my home studio in Plano. Keep in mind, Christian is also a videographer. I am going to stereotype a bit here - most of the video people I know are a little on the shy side, are young and male. Yep, Christian is male and young, but his fun, loveable, charismatic personality helps him stand out from other video guys. He enjoys working in person with clients as much (or maybe even more than) sitting at his computer. His uniqueness is obvious to anyone glancing through his images.
A professional branding photography session is like a high school senior session on steroids (remember how much fun your had?).
How does branding apply to big corp, small biz and even franchised storefronts? Branding originated from big corp. Cheetos™, afterall, is more than just cheese puffs. It’s Chester. It’s more than 21 different varieties. It’s an attitude . It’s an addiction. Sure, Frito-Lay has an entire marketing department, complete with a photography staff, a team of experts to brainstorm and develop marketing campaigns, but great branding isn’t exclusive to the big guys.
Many of my clients are speakers on a variety of topics. When there are a plethora of speakers on almost any topic imaginable, aside from the message, what separates one from the other? Personality. And personality can be portrayed though visuals. Smiles and genuine expressions can be felt through great branding photography.
Great professional photography captures the attention of potential clients faster than any verbiage on a page. And for good reason, too. Have you ever attended a luncheon with a boring speaker? I know I have, and it irritates the heck out of me. Time is a precious commodity, and aside from mean people, nothing agitates me more than a time waster. There’s one speaker who stands out in my mind. He is one of the most brilliant business men in Dallas, yet his books and talks bore me to sleep. Just looking at his speaking images will scare away anyone thinking of hiring him.
On the other hand, if you’ve got it, flaunt it. Flaunt it on your website. Flaunt it on your tangible marketing pieces. Flaunt it on social media.
Even franchised businesses can make branding photography their own. Last year, I did a few shoots for Apricot Lane in Plano, where we spent hours at a time, just playing. Playing…? Yes. Why? Because by playing, we allowed potential clients the opportunity to envision themselves also having fun, shopping, dining, just hanging out while wearing Apricot Lane’s offerings.
Brands and branding photography done right tells a story - a story in which people see themselves as one of the characters. Professional photography is one of the best tools when it comes to bringing a brand to life.
Not exactly sure of your brand’s story? I recommend filling out our questionnaire ($Free99), reading or listening to Donald Miller’s “Story Brand” on Audible (30-day free trial) or soliciting the help of my friend Kim with Kim Schlossberg Designs (contact for a quote).
Is your message worthy of your brand?
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