Give Your London Business an Instant Revamp with Some Fresh Photography

Is your business in need of a revamp with some fresh photography? New Year is the time when many London company directors think about updating their organisation’s image but the costs of a full-scale branding exercise – from the introduction of new logos, to new company colours, new websites, and even new office interiors – may be overwhelming and prohibitive.

However, the good news is that it is possible to refresh your company’s image, without the same level of expense, using photography. The right brand and image for your company is vital: it gives potential and existing customers a perception of who you are, what you are about, and whether they can put their trust in your product. At Stillview we specialise in commercial photography for London and UK businesses, and have the skills, experience, and vision, to take your company into 2014 and beyond.

Photography London – Click here for some examples of inventive commercial photography carried out at our studio and on location.

The Pros and Cons of Full-Scale Rebranding

A rebranding exercise may be prompted by a number of reasons, usually as a result of a change of some kind in what a company is doing, or perhaps in response to external changes in the marketplace. For example:

• Brand shift – Either to emphasise brand values that are not being expressed, or to convey new brand values. It could be that you want to show your company as cutting edge, and at the forefront of your field. Or, you may want to go back to basics and show your company’s traditional values of honesty, integrity and reliability.

• Different customer base – To appeal to a different market segment such as a younger, or older market, to singles or families.

• Change in product or service – You may want to show your new product lines or that your company is moving into new areas, such as a move towards more eco-friendly and natural products.

• Advertising and media attention – To be more attractive to existing and potential customers and investors.

However, a complete re-branding process isn’t without risk and potential pitfalls can include the following:

• Loss of brand recognition – This may be the case if a logo or name changes (one example of this is that there are still people in the UK who refuse to call a Marathon a Snickers bar!)

• Risk of losing some customers – Rebranding your company to appeal to a different customer base, may gain some customers, but there is also a chance that you may lose others.

• Some clients don’t like change – Too much change can be off-putting for some customers, especially if they have been loyal to a business for a long time.

• Full-scale brand changes can be expensive – Especially if extensive rebranding involves updating many physical aspects of the company, such as vans, shops, packaging, websites and stationery.

• Very easy to get wrong – New logos can be especially problematic, unless carried out by a reputable/experienced brand designer.

So, is it possible to gain the benefits of an image update while avoiding many of the risks and costs? Photography can be part of the answer.

Using Photography to Refresh Your Brand

Photography offers a way to give your company's website, advertising, stationery, brochures and so on, a completely different feel, while still retaining your existing name and logo that your customers already recognise. Stillview's photography services are much in demand from media companies in London and throughout the UK, who understand that images can be a powerful tool to influence the perception of a brand. For instance:

Engage and connect – Marketing is all about engaging and connecting with your customer base. However, many companies now have less direct interaction as many customers buy goods or services over the internet, so you may never meet some of your buyers. Instead, you can create a connection with your customers through evocative and memorable images. .

Show not tell – Reams of text describing your company's values may never be read and are unlikely to have the impact that you want to achieve. This is particularly so if you want to convey abstract values such as "trust", "service", "friendly" and so on.  Instead, the right images can communicate these ideas at a glance, as well as making products and services more real and tangible.

Top of mind – A great deal of advertising, marketing and communication material is aimed at making a brand familiar and memorable. Striking and appealing images stick in the mind more effectively than words and help create positive associations with your brand. A smaller brand may not want to go down the route of a lengthy local radio or TV campaign to achieve this level of familiarity. Instead, they may prefer the use of creative photography for their London firm, which offers greater value for money as it can be reused in flyers, local advertising, websites and other marketing material.

How Stillview Photography Can Help

Stillview works with you to provide a full range of innovative and creative commercial shots such as:

• Business portraits which are engaging, personal, distinctive and convey personality.

• Product photography including pack shots, products in use, evocative situations and creative images. It can also include interior photography or mouth-watering images of food and drink to entice customers into buying your products and using your services.

• Transport photography for a wide range of domestic, industrial and specialist vehicles. 

• People photography of all kinds including studio shots of products in use, or on location shoots  in factories, warehouses, shops, customer visits and more.).

Our photographs are an ongoing resource for your company to use in multiple scenarios, and not just for a single advertisement. For example, they can be reused on websites, to accompany press releases, company brochures, leaflets, exhibition banners and for use as motivational wall hangings in commercial interiors, all helping to refresh the image of your business image, both inside the company and out.

Photography London – Click here to see our portfolio of business and commercial photography.