There's an old saying... If you control your image, the market will follow. If you want to improve the image of your golf business the best place to start is with good photos...
Unfortunately, most people turn immediately to free stock photos that are way too cheesy, or run of-the-mill drone shots. Doesn't matter if the images are for the website, ads, email campaigns, social media posts or powerpoint presentations, most people turn to the same, cheapest source every time.
The problem with cheap stock photography is this: It bores people to death. The eyes instantly glaze over because the brain's saying, "I've seen this a thousand times. There's nothing new or interesting here. Move on."
It's like the advertising clichés you hear on local radio. “Our friendly, courteous staff is here to help with all your blah, blah, blah needs.”
Chances are, you changed the channel before they could finish the sentence.
Crummy stock photos have the same effect as verbal clichés. The only thing worse than talking like that is showing another fake image of your “friendly, courteous staff.”
This image is the classic, customer service visual cliché, and it’s just plain bad for business.
Stock images like that have become ubiquitous in the corporate world. ShutterStock alone has 350 million images to choose from, and most of them only cost a few bucks apiece. The internet and modern drone technology has made it way too easy to get mediocre images.
But good art directors like Matt Montagne at PinHigh go to great lengths to avoid the milk-toast visuals that are so prominent in golf industry marketing these days. We spend countless hours searching for the perfect image for the job.
Sometimes the budgets force us to settle for something that's sorta close to what's really needed, but not exactly. Other times it's more cost effective to just commission a photographer to do it right. And it's always a better bet, from a creative standpoint.
Unfortunately, clients often balk at the photography line item in proposed budgets. They don't understand how crucial the right photos can be for brand image development purposes. They assume that the perfect photo’s just waiting to be downloaded for ten bucks. At the touch of a button.
My long-time friend and photographer extraordinaire Mike Houska, says easy access to so many images is both a blessing and a curse…
“Now you can easily find a hundred stock images that roughly fit your criteria. They’re not great, but they’re close, and that seems to be close enough for a lot of people.”
Close-enough for social media posts. Close enough for government work. But not a good idea if you really, truly care about the brand image of your golf company. "Close enough" means you'll look just as boring as everyone else.
Look at it from the photographer's perspective...
"When you're selling stock images, it’s just a volume game," Houska said. "The only way photographers can make money is if their images are uploaded a thousand times over, so they make them as generic as possible."
That means the same photo that you just paid 12 bucks for is likely to appear on some competitor's website. So the question is, do you really want to hang your hat on a photo that’s already being used by hundreds of other companies?
In that case, a picture’s definitely not worth a thousand words. Or do you want a compelling image that will help differentiate you from everyone else?
Generic images are the exact opposite of what you need to differentiate yourself and improve the image of your golf business. Specific images, just like specific words, are what sell.
Let me pose this… does a “close enough” mentality fit with your company mission or your personal approach to business?
What would happen if the engineering department just said, “oh well, that’s close enough” on a new club design? Or if your superintendent said "close enough" on the care and feeding of your greens?
How's that going to work out for you?
The fact is, your brand image should be just as important to you as the quality of your product.
Here's an example:
Let's say you own or manage a golf course. There are thousands of decent stock images of golf, and golf courses, that you could use. But stock photography or drone fly-overs are a dime a dozen.
There's nothing that will lead the viewer into the experience or tell the authentic story of a particular club.
None of those stock photos will offend, but they won’t impress either.
So we don't use any of them. Mike Houska sets up every shot with the painstaking attention to detail that makes custom photography worth every penny.
This shot is a good example. It exemplifies everything that this club is all about. Sure, it's a beauty shot of the golf course, but it's also a story of friendly competition, camaraderie, social life and hope.
Successful brands are built on three things: relevance, credibility and differentiation. Cheesy stock photos can hurt you in all three areas…
If you’re trying to convey a message of quality, your credibility goes right out the window with a cheap stock shot. If the shot’s used by anyone else, differentiation is out of the question. And there’s nothing relevant about a generic image that’s designed to appeal to a mass market of everyone.
So the next time you’re thinking that another stock photo will help your brand image, stop for a minute and ask yourself this:
Will this image add anything to the story I’m trying to tell here?
Does it support one of your core brand concepts, or is it just beige window dressing?
Or worse yet, is it just another visual cliché, like the good-looking customer service rep with the headset? If it is, dump it.
The bottom line is, stock photos are a fantastic resource, but small-business owners and marketers need to do a better job selecting the images.
The problem with stock photography isn't the photography, it's the judgement of the person choosing the image.
There are great shots to be found, but it takes a lot more patience and persistence than what most people have. So either spend a lot more time searching, or hire a photographer to get the right shot for the job to begin with. Your brand image will be better for it in the long run.
Another option is to develop your own, proprietary graphics that actually tie-in to the brand identity.
I’d like to hear about the worst clichés you’ve ever seen in marketing. Visual or otherwise. Post a comment,
And we'd love to help you improve the visuals that are affiliated with your brand image. Contact me here.
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