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Why Great Design Deserves Great Photography

7th October 2015 By Ian Winterton Leave a Comment

Beautiful buildings can almost market themselves. But you can put a much bigger audience in the picture with the right photography. Jessica Taylor, from Architype, tells us more…

 

Jess

 

The idea of a picture painting a thousand words is never more relevant than in the world of architecture. However pioneering, dynamic or forward-thinking a building project is, people will only give it the attention it deserves when they see it for themselves.

Someone who understands the power of pictures is Jessica Taylor, marketing assistant with innovative architectural firm Architype. Jessica describes great photography as ‘priceless’ for the business. It provides a golden ticket for building better media coverage and eliminates the need for expensive paid-for ad campaigns.

To understand the true power of great photography, it’s important to delve a bit deeper into Jessica’s role with Architype. As a vital cog in the marketing department, she’s required to get projects published in the media, submit convincing award entries and bid for new business. Without good photography, her job would be significantly tougher. So it’s no surprise she’s a passionate advocate of the trade.

 

©DennisGilbert/VIEW Wilkinson Primary School. Dennis is great at capturing the vibrancy and uplifting design of our education projects

©DennisGilbert/VIEW
Wilkinson Primary School. Dennis is great at capturing the vibrancy and uplifting design of our education projects

 

“Architype strives to deliver high quality in our buildings,” says Jessica. “So we want to do them justice with quality pictures. It’s an opportunity to familiarize a broad audience with your project and give a very real impression of what that building is like, so it’s high priority for us.”

With architectural photography there really is no place to hide. But if, like Architype, your designs are uplifting and inspiring, then good photography will bring out the best of that. And this can bring tangible benefits to your business. More than you might imagine, in fact.

“Our recently completed University of East Anglia (UEA) Enterprise Centre building has received a huge amount of media attention,” says Jessica.

“We commissioned a professional photographer and the images were absolutely fantastic. They led to us having an awful lot of coverage and we captured new media streams that we wouldn’t necessarily always capture.”

 

©DennisGilbert/VIEW UEA Enterprise Centre, An important focus for this project was the use of alternative low carbon materials and Dennis did a great job bringing out the textures and materiality of the finished building

©DennisGilbert/VIEW
UEA Enterprise Centre. An important focus for this project was the use of alternative low carbon materials and Dennis did a great job bringing out the textures and materiality of the finished building

 

Jessica is sure that this photography was the catalyst for the project being publicised in four different countries, landing four front overs and more than 10 feature length articles.

 

©DennisGilbert/VIEW UEA Enterprise Centre. Bringing together the colour palette, forms and spacial connections inside the Enterprise Centre

©DennisGilbert/VIEW
UEA Enterprise Centre. Bringing together the colour palette, forms and spacial connections inside the Enterprise Centre

 

“The photography was the difference between it being a news item in an industry magazine or something that developed into an in-depth extended article because the photography was really good,” she says.

“Obviously, it is largely about the design merits of the building that forms the real meat of the content, but we do live in a very visual world and people like to see amazing imagery. Good photos are the first thing to capture peoples attention and for magazines in particular, it’s important for them to project themselves as glossy enterprises; if you’ve got great pictures you’re helping them to do that.”

Jessica couldn’t be more certain that investing in good photography delivers an excellent return on your investment.

“Photography can be an expensive exercise, but you have to way-up what the return is on a successful campaign.” says Jessica. “For example, at Architype, we never really advertise. We don’t spend money on placing ads because we get great editorial, and we get great editorial because we get great pictures.

“So although photography can seem expensive, if you’re getting five or six articles in industry magazines because of your pictures, then it pays for itself.”

 

Jessica has learned a few useful secrets. Here are her top tips for getting the best from your photography.

1. Be organised from the start

When it comes to setting dates for a shoot, make sure you have a few options, not just one. As the shoot gets closer, find out the weather forecast and make sure you shoot on the best weather day. Your photographer will be able to help with this – most of them are better at forecasting accurately than a weather man! Permission is also important. Do you have permission to go into the building you need to shoot? If it’s a school, do you have permission to photograph the children or can you only photograph sensitively? Perhaps there’s a good vantage point from a nearby building. Do you have permission to go in and take a picture from their balcony or rooftop?

 

©Leigh Simpson Children learning outdoors at Staunton On Wye Endowed Primary School

©Leigh Simpson
Children learning outdoors at Staunton On Wye Endowed Primary School

 

2. Make a comprehensive list of what you want from the shoot

Normally I’ll sit down with the project architect and make a list of everything we need and put it into a floor plan so we have something to work to. It needs to be accurate because you need to know which side the sunlight’s coming in on and work around the building in a way that follows the light.

 

3. Be really familiar with copyright laws

You can’t get this wrong because it causes upset and bad feeling if you share photos that haven’t been paid for. Respect the photographers you work with. It’s their living at the end of the day, so it’s really important that you honour any copyright agreement you’ve come to.

 

4. Employ a good photographer and share the cost with other project partners if it feels too expensive

Cost wise, there’s not much difference between the day rate of a mediocre photographer and a specialized one. And if you can organise sharing the cost, with three or four project partners it will be much more economical.

 

5. Spend time finding a photographer that’s going to match your brand

Someone who’s interested in architecture, if not an architectural photographer. Do some research for yourself as well as listening to recommendations. Call, get quotes, compare and interview people and see what their own interests are. Talk to them and find someone who can really capture the look you’re going for.

 

6. Accompany the photographer

Lots of photographers get commissioned and do their own thing, but it’s pot luck really what the results will be. If you can afford to have someone to go along with them and work together for the day, it really pays off.

 

7. You need to be patient, because good photography is not something that can be rushed

It’s worthwhile taking your time setting up the shoot and getting the right picture rather than relying on post-production where you can see it’s been doctored. Today, people are really savvy about what’s real and what’s not, so it’s better to get the right picture in the first place.

 

©Leigh Simpson Some patience required in getting this early morning shot at Coed y Brenin Visitors Centre, Snowdonia

©Leigh Simpson
Some patience required in getting this early morning shot at Coed y Brenin Visitors Centre, Snowdonia

 

8. Try to capture a building in use

Use people to bring animation and scale to your pictures. Part of our mission statement at Architype is to deliver uplifting architecture and a lot of that is about how people operate in a building. So putting people in situ always looks so much better.

 

©Leigh Simpson The hall in use at the Willows School

©Leigh Simpson
The hall in use at the Willows School

 

9. Try to get animation from seasons as well

It’s not always possible to shoot in summer, which is obviously always more preferable. But if you have a building finishing in the middle of winter, you can still get nice shots with a low-lying sun. You just have to make the most of the situation.

And a final word from Jessica. “Last year we launched our new branding and that’s really coming into its own now. The photography we commission really complements that,” she says.

“Our buildings speak for themselves, but we have to represent them with the same quality that we design them with. Good photography is the cherry on the cake and it reflects the ambiance and vibrancy of our projects as well as their physicality.

 

“Although photography can be expensive, if you’re getting five or six articles because of your pictures, then it pays for itself.”

 

More Information

Learn more about Architype

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Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: architectural photography, architecture, Architype, Dennis Gilbert, Jessica Taylor, Leigh Simpson, marketing, photography, UEA Enterprise Centre

Free Your Mind – An Essential Tip for Better Business

21st September 2015 By Ian Winterton Leave a Comment

Potton’s Self Build Academy® gives away hard-earned knowledge and expertise to self-build enthusiasts – for free. Marketing manager Fae Perkins explains how an innovative, free-thinking approach can benefit your business, and its customers

Fae

 

For most of us, protecting our possessions comes naturally. If a stranger in the street asked to borrow your iPad or drive your car, you’d politely – or maybe not politely – tell them no. But there’s a growing trend for businesses to dish out valuable knowledge and expertise for nothing.

It’s an innovative way of marketing yourself – and one that self-build experts Potton are particularly passionate about.

It’s Potton’s business to design bespoke homes for self builders. It’s a challenging arena to be in, with the UK lagging behind the rest of Europe in its number of self builders. It’s in Potton’s interest to sell the self-build process to more and more people and dispel the myths that shows like Grand Designs often purvey – that it’s an option only for the elite, or an emotional rollercoaster that you have to be brave to ride.

 

Information and Inspiration

Potton had this objective in mind when they set up their Self Build Academy®. It was created to offer education, information and inspiration to aspiring self builders across the UK. It brought together a unique range of workshops, events and seminars, each providing potential self builders with the knowledge and confidence to pursue their dream. And they decided to run a large number of them for free.

DSC_0011

On the surface, it might sound like bad business to give away your time and knowledge for no fee. But according to Potton’s marketing manager Fae Perkins, it’s a reliable way of building long-lasting relationships with a committed community of self-build enthusiasts.

“The objectives of the academy are to increase enquiry levels, position Potton as a one-stop shop for self builders, deliver consistent and valuable content, and offer support through education at each stage of a customer’s project,” said Fae.

 

Building Trust

“The way we see it is that by offering complimentary information and education we are building trust with our potential customer base. It would be pretty unlikely that many people would work with us through the academy, then decide to self build with another company they know little about. If they did, we’d have done a poor job through our courses, in reality!

“It goes back to the old ‘know, like and trust’ theory. We aim to impart our knowledge in the hope of encouraging people to pursue self build and ensuring they do it right with Potton.”

The Self Build Academy® contains four core workshops and seminars, each targeted at different stages of the build process. Together, they guide self builders all the way through the process of building their dream home and help them develop the skills needed to successfully complete their project.

On top of that, Potton hosts networking events and pop-up shows to allow people to meet like-minded self builders and visit live sites across the UK. More than 1,000 people came through the academy last year and Fae thinks numbers in 2015 will far exceed this.

Photo: Chadwicks

Photo: Chadwicks

 

Finding Land and Moving Forward

“What the academy does well is aid customers in moving from one milestone to the next,” she says. “For those who would love to self build but have not found a plot, we educate them in how to do it successfully, allowing them to find land and move forward.

“For those who have placed their frame order, but are perhaps apprehensive about moving forward, we offer a seminar on preparing for frame delivery, where they also meet their dedicated Potton contracts manager, who can answer any questions and give them the confidence to progress. The academy acts as a general comforting catalyst for those going through the self-build process.”

Photo: Chadwicks

Photo: Chadwicks

As we touched on before, it also gives Potton the opportunity to present an honest image of self building, which rarely squares up with the image of high drama and emotion that, let’s be honest, we love to see on TV, but really don’t want to experience ourselves.

 

Sexed-Up Disaster Stories

“TV shows love to ‘sex-up’ self build by portraying disaster stories, diminished budgets or nightmare project management,” says Fae. “It creates viewer excitement, so they’re less likely to show a flawless build. In reality, yes, things do go wrong, but nothing that can’t be fixed. We have lots of top tips on the Self Build Academy® website – one explains the importance of planning and making decisions at the early stage, to avoid costly amendments on site.”

Potton’s free spirit has brought lots of benefits to the business, including building greater trust in the brand and creating new business leads.

“People generally trust brands that are transparent and give value for money, and we achieve both through the academy,” says Fae. “We want to portray to our future customers that we are experts in our field, so we have no problem standing in front of a room full of people and covering topics such as energy efficiency, scaffolding requirements or why you should opt for timber frame as a structure.”

DSC_0054

 

Bring Your Dream to Life

“We’re also fortunate to have four, soon to be five, fully furnished show homes at our Self Build Show Centre in St Neots. This is a real asset to our brand and allows people to visit the properties and imagine what it would be like to live in one. I think when you’re investing such a large amount of money, the biggest purchase of your life, it’s definitely important to see, feel and experience the end product.


“The academy also does a good job at bringing new people to Potton’s door. Prospects feel comfortable in the academy space as it’s not a sales one. It’s hard for us to accurately measure the results, but we know it’s working hard for the business.”

 

Innovative Marketing Solution

Overall, Fae feels offering free training is a sound marketing solution in today’s multi-media marketplace.

“We welcome all self builders to the academy, not just those building with Potton, so it may put our brand in front of someone who hadn’t heard of us,” she says. “If they then decide to build with us, or come to us for their next build then the academy has done its job.

“The academy has definitely forced us into creating much more worthy content. We still have a way to go, but have populated the academy website with blogs, top tips and resources. I think it has also played a part in strengthening our place in the self-build market, enhancing our position as market leaders and experts. We are fortunate to have a staff team with a vast amount of experience and knowledge, and we are capitalising on this and sharing it.”

 “People generally trust brands that are transparent and give value for money, and we achieve both through the academy.”

If you’d like further information on the courses and events offered through the Self Build Academy, visit www.selfbuildacademy.co.uk

 

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: custom build, marketing, Potton, Self Build Academy, self-build, show home, sustainability

What is the Process of Making a Video?

28th February 2014 By Ben Adam-Smith Leave a Comment

Are you wondering whether you’ve got the resources to make video?

Is there a set procedure that most people follow?

In this article I look at why video is accessible at all levels . . . but you have to begin!

 

In the late 1980s, aged 11, I discovered that our new neighbours owned a camcorder. There was something very alluring about this state-of-the-art device and its magical function of being able to record directly onto VHS tapes, which led to me asking if I could borrow it. Yes, they were trusting, kind and tolerant (because this became a habit).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Video Marketing Tagged With: how to make a video, marketing, process, video

5 Reasons to Spend Your Advertising Budget on Content in 2014

10th December 2013 By Ben Adam-Smith 2 Comments

As we approach the end of another year, we suddenly start to look ahead to the next year and plan for all the exciting things we want to make a reality.

Part of that routine may be looking at advertising and marketing budgets, and thinking where to spend that money.

I’m sure you could find lots of outlets quite happy to take your money but what if your money could be better spent in a new area?

content

In this article I want to share 5 reasons why your company should reduce its advertising and marketing spend in favour of funding content creation.
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Filed Under: Content Marketing Tagged With: advertising, marketing, niche

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