Brandoning
This photo has nothing to do with anything. But I like it and it is branded 😉
These past days in England where spent in discussions about branding of the Knowledge Stewardship product and concept. I am acting as the Creative Consultant/Director for this group. So, much of the days discussions where centered around me, and how I was going to pull this off. If fact they started calling me Matt Brandoning. Pun intended. No pressure or anything. But it caused me to look at the whole idea of the branding process again. Of course this concept of branding applies to us photographers as well, so let me share what I am learning. Some of you experts can join it and rein me to the left or to the right, or even pull back and say, “Whoah boy!” Any help would be greatly appreciated (as long as I can put my name on it and get the pats on the back and the kudos. Kudos are so important. I love them with cold milk and lots of sugar. But I degress.)
I found the timing interesting. There has been a lot of talk on twitter about branding and David duChemin had a great post on it a week or so back called Playing In Traffic. So I hesitate to write any further. But, I guess I need to practice what I preach and tell you what I am doing for my own brand.
First off, what is branding? At the most basic level, branding is what others think of you. Some folks feel that you don’t really have a lot to say about this. I disagree. You can steer it to a large degree, tweak it and reinforce it. You can even destroy and reinvent yourself, if you really need to. Look at Lindsay Lohand. She had the image of a sweet freckle faced kid, a Disney girl, for years. But after a few crappy movies and a few drug busts, that was all changed. I hope much of it was unintentional, but non-the-less her image changes, her branding became that of the “bad girl”.
So here is the chicken and egg question. Are you communicating the right message to the wrong people or maybe you have the wrong message to the right people? Obviously we want to be communicating the right messages to the right people/client. Another way to look at it is “Are we shooting at the right target?” We can be right on target, even hitting the bull’s eye, but all the while shooting at the wrong target. We need to step back and ask, “Who are we aiming at?” Decide who you are marketing your product to and focus on those people and go where those people hang out.
Let’s make things really clear right here; none of this is easy. Not if you do it right. It is hard to find and understand your own message and product, let alone your audience. It goes back to the ever illusive question of vision again. Find your vision, know it and for goodness sakes stick with it. The more mixed your message is, the more confused your audience is, and the more people might pass you by and miss that you have something to offer them. Do you shoot humanitarian images, then post images that reflect that. I do post family images, but that is not the norm. I allow myself to do it because I think it helps me be seen as a person who values family. I don’t post just any image I shoot. I put links to others that make a living shooting the same kind of images I shoot. Yes, you risk giving away a client to a friend/competitor. But you stand a better chance as being helped by that link. It strengthens your position in the market as someone who knows good work and knows what they do. Sort of a confidence.
Speaking of the web, one of the major links in my branding is my blog. I try to blog a minimum of three times a week. The blog is not my work. It might be for others, but for me it is a calling card and a look into my brand and what I do and think. The blog is a way into my personality, a way my clients can see if they like me. So if you blog, blog about relevant issues that scratch where your client itches. I think I can be better at this. I think I spend too much time on subjects like, well..branding and not enough about how I gather images in the field and how I feel about my assignments. If NGOs are my clients then I need to show them I can do the work and do it very, very well.
Twitter is a new tool for many of us and is starting to show up on more and more photographers blogs and websites. Why is that? It links like minds and reinforces brands. You’re hanging with people that want your product. Don’t just twitter about anything or with everyone.
A short word about twitter: It is hard but apparently it can be very useful. To be fare, I am not sure it is me. You all know I am ADD. It is not a badge I wear with honor, but something I have to remind myself of at times. Like an alcoholic needs to be reminded they are weak and probably don’t need to hang out in bars. I get distracted and may not need to hang out on Twitter. It is all I can do to stay focused. Do I really need my computer tweeting at me every five minutes? A blogger and marketing guru whom I read a lot is, Seth Godin he writes;
I don’t use Twitter. It’s not really me. I also don’t actively use FaceBook, and I’m not adding any friends, though I still have an account for the day when I no doubt will. I also don’t use Flickr or MySpace or Meebo.
My reasoning is simple, and it has two parts. First, I don’t want to use a tool unless I’m going to use it really well. Doing any of these things halfway is worse than not at all. People don’t want a mediocre interaction.
But apparently it can be a huge help. If you are focused and want to try it out check out this LINK.
Go out looking for others in your field. Find a forum with like branded folks and give solid constructive input. But, like so many others have said, don’t go there thinking yourself a stallion and proving you’re a jackass. The idea is to show you know your stuff and prove to the world you can be worked with.
I try to vary my media exposure. I make audio and video podcasts and share my thoughts and opinions of my work. I also use different media as a platform to showcase my work. Make sure the links to all your media get to your clients and prospective clients. Also, make sure your logo or at least your name and contact information is all over these projects. Of course your business card is a touch point, so make sure it echos your branding. Do your cards say simply your name and address? Do they say what you shoot? Mine say, “Cultural and Humanitarian Photography”. Remember you are working in a visual industry, be sure to put a photo on your card of some of your work. NOT your picture. I mean, not a picture of you. I am sure you are pretty or handsome, but unless you are a model that is not why they are hiring you. I get so frustrated when I see a photographer’s business card with their own photograph on it. I hope it was at least a self protrait!
Ok, that is enough for today. Class is dismissed. I hope this might be of some small help for you as you think through your next steps in making your name a household word.
Great post Matt. I worked with an NGO in Laos for the last 2 yrs and am currently pursuing postgrad study in international development. I shot a lot of humanitarian stuff as an employee, but am now wanting to pursue humanitarian photography on a freelance basis. So, I’m currently neck-deep in all this branding and web 2.0 stuff too! Thanks for the food for thought.
The Youth pastor at church that I teach with sent me your blog a few weeks ago and I’ve been addicted ever since. One of the first blogs I check in bloglines now.
I am fairly new to photography, and feel led to eventually photograph mission trips, maybe with our Youth Pastor on his mission trips.
Anyway, I found your post today to be so informative! I can shoot Sr pictures and new babies wrapped in whatnot looking all sweet and cuddly, but that’s not what I want to shoot. I want to shoot the orphans in Cambodia or the homeless in LA. Your post helped me a lot! Thanks so much!
A side note. You can create a blog that is consistent with your branding and not write about cultural and humanitarian issues. If the purpose of your blog is simply to give back to the photography community you may never once write for prospective clients, but they will see your writing, that you give back, and that you are an acknowedged expert in your field.
As for how people think of you there’s a whole arm of this branding stuff called Positioning and I think you very much can control – or at least influence – what people think about you.
Great post Matt! How’s the back?
Great post Matt.
I’ve been thinking about this for a while. My life has been so random for the past few years that I’m sure my online presence is very confusing and ineffective indeed. Call it procrastinating or just “waiting for the right timing” but the fact of the matter is that I need to decide which way to take my photography first and then focus on branding it in that direction.
As I reflect on that, I should probably get back to my job that’s actually paying my bills but adds nothing to my creativity and inspiration.
Great post Matt.
I’ve been thinking about this for a while. My life has been so random for the past few years that I’m sure my online presence is very confusing and ineffective indeed. Call it procrastinating or just “waiting for the right timing” but the fact of the matter is that I need to decide which way to take my photography first and then focus on branding it in that direction.
As I reflect on that, I should probably get back to my job that’s actually paying my bills but adds nothing to my creativity and inspiration.
Hey Matt,
Another thoughtful post. We amateurs have it so much easier. My brand is already a household word (although only in my household) and that brand is “Daddy, Can I…” Comes from living with five women. 🙂
I hope the back is feeling better!
Jeff
Hey Matt,
Another thoughtful post. We amateurs have it so much easier. My brand is already a household word (although only in my household) and that brand is “Daddy, Can I…” Comes from living with five women. 🙂
I hope the back is feeling better!
Jeff
Matt,
As I read this it occurred to me that you have chosen to brand yourself without using your name (ie, The Digital Trekker). David has done the same thing. Is there any particular reason that you choose to go this route? I imagine that there are advantages and disadvantages to both options.
Hope the back is better.
Matt,
As I read this it occurred to me that you have chosen to brand yourself without using your name (ie, The Digital Trekker). David has done the same thing. Is there any particular reason that you choose to go this route? I imagine that there are advantages and disadvantages to both options.
Hope the back is better.
Yeah… I’m on the branding thing too these days. We’re working on office-wide re-branding right now, and I’m one of the main project managers working with our branding company. Needless to say, it’s been on my mind a lot lately and I can’t help wonder how it needs to impact my photography (or everything related to my photography)…
Good thoughts.
Well, that’s an interesting text… never thought of branding in this particular way, even if aware of the concept. Need to think about this, and asking yourself questions is good to progress, so thanks Matt !
I’m using my website mostly on a “professional”(dare I to use the term?) way, but also have some galleries not so elitist… I recently build a blog, but so far I didn’t post really personal threads, or big writing. And anyway, should I write in my bad english (with the goal to reach a wider audience) or should I write in native french and reaching smaller audience? Well, until now, I only had spam as comments, so the question is maybe not so important 😀
Jeffrey – It’s complicated. Not something a layperson would understand. But it has alot to do with quantum physics, string theory, and, uh, other stuff. Deep, deep stuff.
Pixelated Image Communications is the name of my company, my branding efforts started that way, that’s all. More and more I’m pushing an emphasis on my name but at the end of the day it doesn’t seem to matter to me. Example – I spent 12 years+ as The Rubber Chicken Guy and not myself – it was easier to remember, a great gimmick. Maybe I’m just happier with a moniker…
I dunno. How’s that for a vague answer…
hey all, This is a first for me, responding to this blog via iPhone while sitting in Morning market drinking Penang White Coffee. So pardon the extra typos. Jeffrey, for me the reason I went with the The Digital Trekker rather than my name was because I based my branding on my URL and mattbrandon.com had been taken. I did get .net but everyone kept going to .com and to this kids website. Btw I offered to buy it but he is not interested in selling. So, it was a matter of creating a web based persona that was memerable. So had my name been available I think I would have gone that route.
Thanks for all the kind comments, I really am sort of making this up as I go. It is quite the learning curve. Fun, but really hard work. (I think I will go for the black coffee now. The other is too sweet.) As I have been doing this and reading more on branding I realize that I need to do some tweaks to my site and clean up my galleries, cull out some of the weaker images. This really is a never ending job. But I guess it can’t be if you want to keep refining and defining you image and making your brand strong.
David, It’s not exactly the answer that I might have predicted, but why be predictable, right? In your case, I’d have assumed that it was because many might not be able to spell your last name if they only hear it. That problem wouldn’t apply to Matt as Brandon seems easy enough.
Matt, I actually think that perhaps The Digital Trekker is better. I’ve been struggling with this myself recently, trying to decide if I should brand myself as myself or create an actual brand. Using one’s name is very obvious (because it makes sense – unless some kid beats you to it!), but even though it does make sense I suspect that a name like Digital Trekker (as well as Pixelated Image) is easier for somebody to remember than a name would be. My name, at least to me, seems pretty common, but I’m not sure if that is good or bad. It means that it’s probably easy to spell if remembered but perhaps not unique enough to be remembered. Pity my parents didn’t name me Quantum! 🙂
Anyhow, I’m surprised by how much I enjoy even the non-photo posts. Things like branding are absolutely crucial, but perhaps we sometimes neglect these things in favor of concentrating just on the photos. And as David has pointed out all week, sometimes we really do need to take a step back from the routine. Well, you guys have given my brain a work out this week. I’m sure it probably needed it.
Jeffrey, Glad we could oblige.
Well, that's an interesting text… never thought of branding in this particular way, even if aware of the concept. Need to think about this, and asking yourself questions is good to progress, so thanks Matt !I'm using my website mostly on a “professional”(dare I to use the term?) way, but also have some galleries not so elitist… I recently build a blog, but so far I didn't post really personal threads, or big writing. And anyway, should I write in my bad english (with the goal to reach a wider audience) or should I write in native french and reaching smaller audience? Well, until now, I only had spam as comments, so the question is maybe not so important 😀
Well, that's an interesting text… never thought of branding in this particular way, even if aware of the concept. Need to think about this, and asking yourself questions is good to progress, so thanks Matt !
I'm using my website mostly on a “professional”(dare I to use the term?) way, but also have some galleries not so elitist… I recently build a blog, but so far I didn't post really personal threads, or big writing. And anyway, should I write in my bad english (with the goal to reach a wider audience) or should I write in native french and reaching smaller audience? Well, until now, I only had spam as comments, so the question is maybe not so important 😀