Beautiful and striking imagery on a website, or in a brochure is a fundamental ingredient of brand communication. But if the images staring back at you seem a bit mundane, perhaps something doesn’t quite ring true or seems overly glossy, then the chances are you may be looking at stock imagery.

Very often, clients simply do not have a bank of suitable photography ready to use in their marketing materials, so we have to turn to stock imagery to illustrate their message. It can work well, saving both time and money. Image libraries are easily accessible, and convenient when there simply isn’t any alternative, for example photography of remote locations, one-off events or obscure subjects.

However, stock imagery rarely offers the ideal solution, can often feel generic, clichéd, and could already be in use by all sorts of other companies, including competitors. Royalty costs can quickly add up, depending on where you buy the imagery and how you intend to use it. So too can the time searching for the perfect image, and even then it might need reworking or retouching before use.

As such, if your piece requires imagery, there should be a consideration in your budget for bespoke photography. Of course there are labour and timescale implications, but these will be outweighed by having imagery that is owned by you and unique to you. The photography can be curated, art directed and styled, forming important assets that will add value to your brand. The benefits don’t stop there, as search engines rank original content over generic content, giving an advantage to your digital presence.

Look at the images on our Us page. We didn’t just search for ‘people in a design studio’ on an image library, as they wouldn’t look like us (not as beautiful, obviously), but they also wouldn’t belong to us. Working with a professional photographer meant we had creative control to get the right shots, that we can use in our marketing collateral as we wish. Also, importantly, they are authentic and tangible – it really is the Think! team and studio in the pictures. Clients will feel more comfortable doing business with us because they can see us, and where we work.

In summary, stock photography is a useful resource which can help convey important messages. Used appropriately it can be cost effective, time saving and add to weight to your communication. But to really elevate your brand, and to garner more attention, bespoke photography should definitely be factored into your marketing strategy.