Bringing Diversity to Stock Photos
Bringing Diversity to Stock Photos
Go ahead and think of a picture of a businessman or woman in your head. It was probably a woman or a man in a fitted suit, standing confidently with their hands crossed and smiling right? The image on the right is probably what you thought of. No, I am not a mind reader! Those are simply the stock images that are out there for most companies to use in their branding and marketing. Ever notice one thing in common with these images? Most of these images of business people, or people shot as if they are in positions of power in an office are almost always Caucasian. This can be discouraging for many minorities as they make up almost 38% of the US population but only 18% are business-owners. That all changed in 2016 when entrepreneurship among women shot up a whooping 40.6% and half of those entrepreneurs are Latinos.
Diversity is Important, but What Does it Have to do with Stock Photos?
Whether you are using your them for your website or just a regular social media graphic, if you want to brand your business, it's important to have good stock photos in hand. It is also important for you to keep your message consistent with your branding. For example, if your business sells products or services that would only market to minorities, then the stock photos on your website would have to be consistent with that. In fact, a recent survey done by Shutterstock says that "34 percent are using more images with racial diversity and 24 percent with more females". The survey also notes that there is a trend for marketing professionals that prefer stock photos with non professional models, as they will make a photo much more relatable to audiences.
How Do I Benefit?
It's no secret that stock photos, especially FREE stock photos are used in almost every company's branding worldwide. Even McDonald's uses them. To be consistent in your branding, especially if you market towards minorities, you will need stock photos, good stock photos that don't put minorities in a box. Colorstock, which was founded by a woman named Jenifer Daniels wants to change the "hue" of traditional stock photos. The photographers on her team are mostly made of with people of color and women, or gender non conforming. Which is amazing for women entreprenuers looking to find quality stock photos of women of color in empowering and inspiring moments.
How Do I Start?
Great question! Branding is important for every single business out there, and whether you are new to the game or an older business looking to get a new look, having the right look for social media is key when building a name for yourself. Great stock photos are absolutely essential when it comes to this, but it's only a small part of a huge strategy, which SPB Productions can be a big part of. If you are looking to do some brand consulting with your social media, please send us an email at supriya@supriyaprasad.com or a message on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter today!