Double Vision

In her recent article published in the Wall Street Journal entitled “When Marketers See Double”, Emily Steel shows us examples of how the identical Royalty Free image appears in competitors’ ads and marketing pieces.

Designers beware: you will need to inform your clients that when using Royalty Free Images this is certainly a possibility and, the lower the cost per image, the greater the risk of that image singing the praises of one of your competitor’s products. These low cost images are becoming more available as micropayment sites are popping up almost daily with both professional and amateur photographers submitting their work. With the ability to purchase an image for as low as one dollar, the end-user runs the risk of that same image appearing on the front of his grandmother’s family greeting card.

I found the following suggestions helpful in discussing this subject with your clients as well as give you, the designer, something to think about:

Cost vs. Risk
Is your client using the image to create his/her company’s brand identity or is he/she simply trying to convey an idea? If it’s a brand identity piece, I recommend either purchasing a traditional stock image where you can review the image’s history or having an image created specifically for that particular client. It might be more costly, but by doing so, you’re ‘purchasing’ less risk of that image showing up in your client’s competitor’s ads. It is really important to make your client aware of the fact that the image he/she chooses for a marketing piece might appear on the next page in a competitor’s ad. I have seen this happen and a little communication goes a long way.

Budget / Pro Bono
Obviously, the lower the budget, the more difficult it is to produce an original piece. However, if the project is exciting enough or has great portfolio appeal then you might just find an artist willing to do a pro-bono piece. One of the best campaigns I was involved in as a photographer was one where I was asked to do a pro-bono shoot for MADD ( Mother ’s Against Drunk Driving). It was a simple two page ad that spoke a profound message. On the first page was the following copy: “ John Doe got 3 years probation for hit and run drunk driving”. The next page drove that message home with a photo of a little boy in a wheel chair. Above the photo it read “Johnny got the chair”. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Time Constraints
I'm sure that most of you would agree that time is money. When you need an image now, you actually needed it yesterday. The benefit of Royalty Free Images is that they are readily available, providing that you can find the one you need, and can be purchased and downloaded, lickety split. As a designer, you can make Royalty Free images unique by adding other elements, cropping the image and changing the image placement enough so that anyone viewing the marketing piece may not recognize the image as the same one that a competitor used. As a designer you present the ideas. Altering an image may give you and your client additional comfort.

As an owner of a Royalty Free company, I must say that we are not always the right solution for your clients. Not a single stock provider can make that claim.
To me, it’s all about dialog and educating your clients. Communication is key. Ultimately, it is your client’s decision. The more information you can provide them, the better you can service the account. This builds customer loyalty and, hopefully, will give you a returning customer.


View the Wall Street Journal article