Is it worth investing in original images for your brand?

A report released by Think with Google revealed that searches for images on smartphones has increased by more than 60% in the past two years and it has been observed that 50% of online consumers are directly influenced by the look at the time of purchase. We link this to the emergence of Instagram feeds with increasingly elaborate copyright images and the various controversies that have already involved the manipulation of photos on social networks and we realize that, in fact, we live in a world of aesthetics.

And brands know it like no one else! After all, photos and illustrations are very powerful strategies, capable of generating high public identification and engagement. Due to the constant need to use these resources, many companies opt for the convenience of acquiring photos from stock images, such as the famous iStock and Shutterstock, instead of investing in original pictures. But is this really a good choice? Do you know how it impacts your brand? That’s what we’re going to talk about in this article.

Original images and branding

On this blog, we have talked several times about branding and how this concept creates important relationships for the communication of brands with their audience. And this is so clear that today companies are even concerned with sound branding. But, if you are not yet familiar with the term, here is a summary: branding is basically everything that interferes with consumers’ perception of your brand, and this goes through the tone in which the company communicates, the visual identity , values and packaging.

But what does this have to do with the choice of brands by image banks or original photos? All! After all, as much as the image banks are very practical options, the pictures available there are made to serve different companies. In this way, they are more generic images, which probably will not have a direct relationship with your brand. And, there are great chances that an image used by your brand will also be found in promotional materials from other companies. 

And all of this goes against the idea of good branding, after all, image banks will not help to make your brand more recognizable, memorable and specific – on the contrary! On the other hand, original images can be great allies to build strong branding. And, as a good example, there is Nubank’s Instagram, which brings several exclusive photos, resulting in an unmistakable feed, which has been conquering Brazilians.

Humanization

Although today the world is more artificial with chatbots, voice assistants and the Internet of Things (IoT), more humanized relationships are gaining more and more relevance in the business world. Consumers want to feel like they are talking to real people and buying products made and designed for them. And that extends to the images shown by the brands!

But when we talk about more humanized images, it is not enough to be a picture of people. Image banks have countless photos in this sense and can still produce unwanted artificiality, due to the assembled poses and the models, which, as a rule, are not very diverse. You have to think about real photos and scenes.

There is a reason why the brands have been showing, more often, their own team and the daily life of the company. And, for this reason, diversity is more than welcome in communication strategies, as Avon, well known for its successful advertisements on female empowerment and LGBTQ + pride, for example.