Psychology of Photography in Marketing

Would you like to know how the psychology of photography can help your business? We use the findings of a study to reveal how the photographic images we choose for our promotional calendars work so well as a marketing tool.

The psychology behind effective marketing is a heavily studied subject, but discussions on the psychology behind using photographic images as a marketing tool is less widespread, a surprise given the image-heavy world we live in! A study by John Suler, which was published in Photographic Psychology: Image and Psyche aimed to find out what impact streams of images had on viewers. The study revealed that the conscious mind became numb to high impact images after seeing many images one after another; it also revealed that the pictures that participants recalled after an image stream were images that evoked feelings of oneness and tranquillity.

The images that the participants recalled after the slideshow are similar in nature to the images we use for our promotional calendar collection. These included:

–          Images of nature

–          Sports images

–          Team images

–          Images associated with ‘belonging’

 

The types of feelings these images produced included:

Peacefulness

Joy

Contentment

Love

Relaxation

Comfort

Security

Oneness

Rejuvenation

Synchronization

Immersion

Tranquillity

The study showed that there was a desire to feel certain emotions and that certain imagery evoked these emotions – “a peaceful and happy feeling of belonging occurred in reaction to images of nature, as well as to a variety of other types of images, including those pictures that stirred ideas about joining with friends and family members, sleeping peacefully, immersing into books, and becoming one with sport activities and the team.”

The collection of images we source for our calendars focus heavily on wildlife, scenic landscapes, iconic landmarks and sporting activities. We have found that over the years this is what people want to see and what they enjoy looking at, which means that when they receive a calendar from one of our collections, they are more likely to put it on their desk or hang it on a wall where it can be appreciated.  This works for businesses because it means that your logo and contact details are on display 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, for 7 days a week.

In the study, it was clear that the participants wanted to feel a release from the demands and stresses of busy daily lives, and appreciated images that promoted clarity and perspective. The fact that image streams in our busy lives bombard us with stimulating images makes the stillness of a single photograph even more evident.

The study concluded that “what really attracts people is simply a return to a state of oneness and tranquillity.”

When you choose a promotional business calendar as a gift to your customers and clients, you are giving them something that they will appreciate, which in turn makes your business more visible.

To find out more about using the psychology of photography in your marketing mix, give us a call on 01206 844500 or complete our online enquiry form.