Building Visual Narrative In Content

There is a difference between content and visual narrative, and for brands that are working for longevity and status, the difference matters. 

A lot of brands invest in content without a clear visual narrative. The results are often a library of images that look fine individually but don’t say much together, and don’t position the brand as a leader in its field. This is where documentary photography can be used to support a long-term visual narrative for a brand looking to set themselves apart, in the long term.

Documentary photography works differently, and over time works to build a visual language that brands can be instantly recognised by. Not everyone will remember a logo of a brand they’ve interacted with, but they will remember how that brand made them feel.

Documentary photography presents and reminds customers of the feeling.

It gives brands a visual language built on repeated faces, familiar environments, moments that show cause and effect, and the in-between moments that feel familiar to everyone. This kind of work doesn’t just illustrate what you do, it explains why you do it, without relying on captions or supporting copy. 

If you're commissioning content with longevity in mind, it helps to ask: Will these images make sense in a year? Could someone understand our purpose just looking at them?

And keep in mind, you don’t need to abandon polished visuals to achieve longevity when utilising documentary brand storytelling. What you are doing is anchoring your visual strategy in documentary thinking, giving your brand a foundation that doesn’t need constant reinvention.