3 Ways Brand & Consumer Interactions Have Changed Over the Past 12 Months

As visual bridge builders between brands and consumers, our team at KP Photo has an insatiable curiosity in understanding the different ways consumers absorb, interact, and react to brand imagery. How are brands shifting focus from traditional approaches to modernized tactics? What encourages consumer engagement and ultimately drives the decision to click “buy?” How are companies utilizing technology to adapt and stay relevant?

The relationship and interaction between brands and consumers are ever-changing and we’ve picked up on a few key shifts in the marketplace in which we believe are critical for every brand to consider.

1. MENU UPGRADE, ANYONE?

Physical menus may be a thing of the past. Restaurants, casual dining, and bars are adapting and finding new ways to interact with patrons by way of contactless menus. Quick Response (QR) technology recently found a resurgence and offers a better way to communicate menu options, specials, and more importantly, better forms of engagement right at the consumers’ fingertips.

By breaking free from physical menus, QR technology opens up opportunities for brands to offer their customers more interactive and media-rich visual content by means of video and motion. In addition, restaurants are no longer confined to the limited space tangible menus have to offer. In our experience, richer content garners higher engagement which ultimately helps with that bottom line.

2. BOOST YOUR E-COMMERCE!

Buy online or pick up in store (BOPIS) is the bridge between online shopping and brick and mortar retail. With the abrupt nudge from a global pandemic, retailers and brands are adapting to the new way products are being purchased. With a decent percentage of products being purchased online and then scheduled for pick-up in store or curbside, brands are now finding that simple product photography is not enough.

Maximizing brand engagement simply means finding new and exciting ways to interact with customers at the point of purchase. Lifestyle photography, done correctly, can make or break a sale. How brands interact with shoppers online have become much more than showcasing a simple image of their product on white. Brands are striving to give consumers something they may not even know they’re looking for: emotional connection. Lifestyle photography has a tendency to evoke emotional connection and helps the consumer relate to the product. For online brands, this is huge considering this interaction may very well be the first impression and biggest opportunity to connect with their audience.

3. BRANDS NEED MORE THAN PHOTOGRAPHY

The way brands visually communicate with their audience is not as easy as it once was. Content demand, product inventory, and costs associated with photoshoots leaves brands with limited options for new, fresh, and on-trend brand photography. Introducing computer-generated imagery (CGI) in some capacity helps brands meet the ever-demanding market needs and can sometimes be the difference between a successful or failed campaign.

Simply put, CGI helps brands become more versatile. Have a photoshoot that is weather-dependent or at a location that is hard to access? CGI can provide photorealism that is a mirror of a physical shoot. Oftentimes, supply chain issues leave brands waiting on physical products before they can start the creative process. This can lead to the dreaded bottle neck in creative deadlines that could presumably cause a product to miss its release date. CGI provides a sense of control over these deadlines and eliminates the need to have the physical product in hand before starting to integrate the product into marketing needs.

Our team gets excited about many things, but one in particular rises above all: We have a passion for thriving creative communities with a drive to always find solutions. This isn’t limited to just our internal creative team, but to our clients to help positively impact their consumers as well.

Need to refresh that digital menu photography and/or add a touch of motion? Ready to evoke some emotional connections through lifestyle assets? Or maybe you’d like support in meeting your marketing deadline with a little help from our CGI team? By connecting brands to the marketplace via dynamic imagery and striving to spark creativity in every aspect of our clients’ journey, we’re always ready to get to work. Connect with us today and get your project started!