Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Our company had that same issue, so I banned all images of people. At our last tradeshow we had huge blowups of a highly colored fruit, standing with much less colored fruit (or b/w)- with a very catchy phrase underneath. EX: Dare to stand out! / or Go for the best.

We had rave reviews of our competitors. We totally stood out in a hall full of displays, showing images of people.

Good luck-
If you want to be noticed - be different.
Deb M

Choosing photos is a fascinating task, isn't it? People who have never gone through the process often have no idea how much time is spent determining what you're trying to accomplish with your images. It's obvious you've already given this considerable thought.

For additional ideas you might also want to visit SAP's website. www.sap.com. I admire the job they do choosing images.

There's a multicultural tone, but since most things are in muted tones, it doesn't scream at you. You almost don't notice it.

They do a good job choosing younger, intelligent looking individuals without going overboard to the overly geeky side. Something I think you're saying you wanted to avoid.

I also like the way most of the individuals are dressed in their pictures. I would describe it as business casual. These individuals could easily be IT, but I believe SAP was shooting for a small business look.

Another technique they tend to use is to choose pictures that make you feel like you're part of the conversation. They draw you in.

Of course, SAP does their own photo shoots which most of us don't have the luxury of doing. Hopefully, these give you some ideas. I get most of my photos from stock places like Getty Images.

Incidentally, if you are planning to do your own photos, ND has been my adopted home for the last ten years. I could connect you up with people who could help you with your shoot and bring in talent that isn't all blonde and blue eyed. (not that there's anything wrong with it!) Just drop me a line offline and I can give you some names.

I would argue against using stock photos of people of different races, and analagous photos (like crayons, fruit, etc.). I think these photos are cheesy and impersonal. They say "big corporation" instead of saying "innovation! Vision! We're different!"

I think doing photos of your real people are fine. Real is refreshing!

You could also do something more abstract. You want to capture your brand, and attract the type of people that want to live your brand, no matter what position they are in. For example, take Google. They're fun, young, totally not serious, super smart, maybe a little rebellious. That translates visually -- they have a colorful logo. They get down to business with plain language (famous rule - "don't be evil"). All the colors they use are bright.

Sorry, this may be a more involved answer then you're looking for. But I would recommend focusing on your branding primarily, and then perhaps bringing a bit of a spin with your particular audience... but even when speaking to a specific audience, just bring out the aspect of your brand that appeals to them. E.g., what about your brand attracts the computer guys? Is it that you have a really diverse office, fun, visionary? (Think Google). Or is it that you're really fast-paced, dominate your market, more traditional (like Microsoft). These could all be good things, with the appropriate visual wrapping - just showcase what's unique about your brand/company.