Marketing and Branding Photo Library

There’s more to those business photographs than meets the eye. High quality photos are essential to your company’s image. If you use inferior photos or stock photographs in your communications pieces, you’re doing both your company and your clients a disservice. While stock photography has its place, there is never any valid reason to use inferior or unprofessional photos.

Your company has a brand to sell. Every piece of communications you release should align with your established brand image — from a text sent to a vendor to the annual report distributed to your investors. This includes your business photography. Using real photos of real people and products will not only give your communications pieces a boost, it will give your employees a boost, too. When employees see themselves in documents that promote the company, they have higher job satisfaction rates and they are more positive about the company. They’ve experienced their “five minutes of fame.”

How to Build a Photo Library

How do you obtain and organize all of these photos? Here are a few tips on how to build a good photo library. The key here is “build.” A photo library will not be finished overnight. It takes time and patience and a few good hours behind the camera.

• Research. Start with what you already have, if anything. Find old photographs that depict the company’s history and growth.
• File. Create both a hard copy file of photos, as well as an online inventory of both physical photographs and digital images. Share it with the necessary departments and let people know it’s available.
• Organize. Identify a photo filing system and a person who will be responsible for keeping the photos organized. This person should also be the one who gathers photos from events, like the company picnic, the holiday party, etc.
• Schedule. Set up dates and times with professional photographers to do:

Head shots

• Make an appointment with a professional photographer to come to your office and take head shots of key executives. Each person who holds a management position should have at least one photo taken, in business attire. These photos will be consistent across the company, using the same background and same business pose. If possible, have each manager get a photo in a casual setting, as well. Keep all photos on file.  If you company does not have a Photography Policy, have  model releases on hand so you can legally use the photos you have taken.  Download this Sample Model Release by PPA.

Outdoor shots

• Hire a professional photographer to take photos of your building and facility on the outside. Aerial photography is a great way to showcase a large business campus or unique building. In addition, you’ll need shots of the building’s entrance way, signage and front facade, both close-up and from a distance.

Indoor photography

• Indoors, include shots of lobbies, conference rooms, presentation rooms and offices, both empty and with people in them. Be sure to note the names and titles of any people in the photographs. Don’t forget places like the employee cafeteria, gym, or break room area. These are great to have on hand for press and media needs, as well as annual reports.

Product shots

• Use a product photographer who understands the product’s function and purpose. Photos should include all angles of the product. Make sure the photos have dates (at least the year) and notes on product name, model number and key features.

Now What?

Choose

Your photo library should include only the best shots. You don’t need to keep every single one the photographer takes.

Maintain.

Keep the files tidy and continue to update with annual events like holiday parties and employee picnics.

Utilize

Once you have a photo library, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. High resolution photographs will be at your fingertips and will make your life so much easier!

Among the uses for photos from the photo library:

• Annual reports
• Company brochures
• Company website
• Company Facebook pages
• Company LinkedIn pages
• Media requests from print publications
• Media requests from electronic publications
• Historical documents about the company
• Print advertising
• Digital advertising
• E-mail
• Newsletters

The list of uses is limited only by your imagination!