Your Visual Content
A lot of head scratching and tearing up of the rule book has prevailed within businesses in recent weeks. Marketing has traditionally been about building and optimising brands across the board. In Hospitality there are many, including associated industries. As we know the impact of COVID-19 does not discriminate and it certainly doesn’t when it comes to business.
The landscape is certainly different now and will most certainly be, post lockdown. Your brand as a consequence may have to adapt, evolve, re-think and may need to change tac or positioning.
Re-organise
A positive action your business can do, is to take the opportunity to re-organise your content reflecting the current situation.
- Firstly examine your existing content on your website and galleries Is it appropriate for the current situation, bearing in mind hotels, restaurants and pubs are closed, is the messaging right? For example does some of the imagery contain large groups of people? If so it would be a good idea to replace these with images that are more sensitive to the current situation, maybe a ‘holding image’. Certainly, when the moment arrives when we come out of lockdown that it would be more appropriate to use images with with fewer people. If you’re an hotel or venue, use images of large open spaces to reflect the social distancing that is likely to follow.
- Sorting content. Now is a great opportunity to overhaul your imagery on your website, galleries and platforms. Analyse what your business needs right now. Importantly, looking ahead, what imagery you’ll need as we adjust to the ‘new way’ of doing things for example 2 metre spacing between tables.
- When the Hospitality Industry gradually comes out of lockdown, remember this will be a critical time for your business to differentiate and stand out from the crowd. Therefore your imagery will need to reflect this as well as you can with available budget.
Planning your imagery
- Start planning your ‘wish list’ of imagery you believe the business needs moving forward and those images that really need archiving.
- Fresh imagery maybe needed of the restaurant incorporating any new social distancing guidelines and the 2 metre spacing. It would be pertinent to demonstrate this on your website as we come out of the lockdown.
- Food images are obviously going to be in the ‘wrong season’ or moment in time and will need replacing. New strategic thinking about menus may well mean that a differently style and approach to the cuisine will be necessary. This will undoubtedly require fresh photography and the planning of any photoshoots. Remember that fresh content will be necessary to reflect the new climate.
- Some dishes you still maybe able to use within your archive, based around Halloween and Christmas etc.
- If you have large open spaces, have these photographed to inform potential guests that the hotel has opportunities and things to do outside. If the budget allows any outdoor filming or drone to showcase your outside space.
- Maybe if you’re an hotel you maybe re-thinking your ‘offering’. Perhaps you have a Spa that you may feel guests will be uncomfortable about using and the business will need to communicate how this is being managed out. Consequently more outdoor activities could be explored such as archery, orienteering or hikes in the local countryside reflecting the ‘great outdoors’ and social distancing. Some imagery to compliment this will be needed on platforms to reflect the change that has taken place.
- People – ensure images of key personnel are up to date, as this connects with your brand and customers.
How we can help you?
We are providing a free service to our hospitality friends, whereby we’d be happy to help you to sort your imagery. We can suggest various options and solutions including platforms to store working images and archiving.
Please get in touch for consideration
