The most important image you will create in your marketing is the success image!!
The Success Image is the image of your ideal customer using, experiencing and enjoying your product or service.
This is where you show people visually how you are going to make their lives better.
Advertisers have known always known this. You want to show how good your customers’ lives can be if they use whatever it is you offer.
The mistake most brands make is choosing the wrong type of person to represent their customer.
If you are a small business, you probably can’t afford George Clooney to represent one of your happy customers.
All is not lost! Brands that use famous people to endorse their products often find that people forget the brand and remember the swooning celebrity.
Your target market is infinitely more likely to respond to people they can identify with.
Phycologists tell us that when we connect within the person in the image, we subconsciously put ourselves in their place. To some degree, we experience what they experience. We feel what they feel. So, when discussing talent with my clients, we always try to ensure their ideal customer will see something of themselves in the image.
In 2004 Dove released its “campaign for real beauty” Women responded to it because they could identify with the talent in the image. It was a break away from the use of the 90’s supermodel.
Models are an option if you want more aspirational talent. Aspirational is good but try to keep it realistic. You do not want to alienate your customers. Over the past few years, there has been a trend to use influencers as brand ambassadors. As a result, your business can leverage some of their social media following. This can be a good option if the influencer has an audience interested in what you offer.
My favourite option for choosing the people to represent your target market is to use people from your target market! Ask the people that already love and use your brand. Seems simple right? Your satisfied customers play the role of your satisfied customers. And guess what, if budget is an issue, they will probably do it for a small freebie of your product or service.
Maximus used people from the office to play the part of clients in a business meeting
Rowena asked clients to be involved in her personal brand shoot
EsStudio Galleria invited customers to take part in their promotional shoot
Wine lovers took a little persuasion to take part in a shoot for Handpicked Wines
Kate had a crowd of yogis to join her for a website shoot
Unit Nine used influencers to promote their sportswear brandIf you get it right, you will inspire the right people to connect with your brand and show your potential customers how fabulous it is to use your product or service.
I’ve been helping my clients select the right people to feature in their marketing for a couple of decades, I can help you avoid some of the obvious pitfalls when choosing the right “talent”.
Let’s have a chat about how we can create the most important image you will use in your marketing… The Success Image!
