Photography For Successful Seasonal Marketing Campaigns
Content is king when it comes to your seasonal marketing campaigns. Without the right content–content that speaks to your customer, tells your brand story, and looks different–your campaign will be swept away in the vast ocean of marketing content that customers are inundated with every day.
So what makes a successful campaign shoot? It’s more than a creative idea or well produced logistics—it takes a few different minds to come together, collaborate and make something beautiful.
It all starts with a story.
Seasonal marketing campaigns that start with a clear message make the most impact. Your narrative should not only tell the story of your seasonal collection of products but also carry through your overarching brand story.
Loyal, long-term customers identify with your brand, not just one collection, so even as your brand evolves and changes over time, it should do so in a way that brings your customer along for the ride. Start with the “why”. Why were these products created and why are they important to your brand? Let that lead your theme and overarching look and feel of your campaign. Once this has been defined make sure you translate that to a creative brief, where your big ideas are communicated through inspiration images and descriptions. A clear brief ensures every member of the team is aligned on the vision so that everyone moves in the same direction.
Pops of color, bold attitudes, and laid-back cool styling define the brand and their direction.
Know your usage.
Next, define where these assets will live–why are you creating content in the first place? Since budgets may dictate usage, I always recommend putting your usage into priority buckets: You may absolutely need images for your website’s landing pages and email marketing content (priority 1). It would be nice to use them on social media and paid marketing (priority 2). And if there’s room in the budget it would be great to run a print ad (priority 3).
Know your usage before you start so you can build an accurate budget.
Don’t forget to include a time period for these uses. Are any of the assets going to be used as evergreen content? Will everything be swapped out in the next season?
Prep for success.
Once you have a clearly defined narrative and know your usage, preparation is the key to a flawlessly executed seasonal marketing campaign.
Finalize your budget. In some cases this may be given to you, in others you may have the opportunity to craft your own. If you are submitting a budget proposal, get preliminary rates ahead of time so you’re not surprised when you book. Talent and crew rates can vary greatly depending on quality and demand. When reviewing your budget don’t forget details like—who will be managing your shot list? Who will be handling catering or purchasing props? Sometimes you can do these things in-house and sometimes it makes sense to outsource. Prioritize what’s necessary to make this campaign a success.
Finally, create your shot list. A thorough shot list will ensure that every asset needed gets shot and will make the entire shoot run smoother and more efficiently. You don’t want to walk away from a large shoot regretting that you missed a key shot—it could incur additional costs down the road or worse yet, derail your seasonal marketing strategy.
Shot lists should specify the products, set or location, and models. It’s ok to make changes on-set but having a starting point will result in higher efficiency.
As you begin to form your seasonal marketing strategy, think about how you can make the biggest impact with your content. You don’t always need a bigger budget to get the best results. With a clear narrative, focused preparation, and a great team you can have your most impactful campaign yet.
Hyperblack can help you with your next seasonal marketing campaign shoot. With our expert in-house staff and vast network of industry talent, we can produce your shoot from start to finish or if you have your own team, fill in the gaps where you need it most. Our 10,000 sf space downtown LA can handle large productions and we pride ourselves as having the best team in the industry.
