Can your business benefit from hiring a commercial food photographer during a recession?

We’ve all been feeling the recession woes for a while. Is it coming? Is it already here? Should I stash my life savings in a shoe box under the bed?

Our instinct is to panic and protect what’s ours. I’ve recently seen this pop up in conversations with food and beverage clients; businesses everywhere are re-evaluating their operating models and cutting back.

One of the first budgets on the chopping block - marketing.

It makes sense. During a recession, businesses often face budget constraints and have to make tough decisions about where to allocate their resources. In the food and beverage industry, where margins are already tight, reducing your marketing spend can feel like the life raft you need to get to the other side.

But at what cost?

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The downside of cutting your marketing budget

Marketing your food or beverage business is a long-term game. The impact of your actions isn’t immediate, and there is no telling when you’ll see results. Reducing marketing spend during a rough economy seems logical because our instinct is to protect what we have now. But that action is rooted in short-term thinking.

Changes to your marketing strategy could reduce brand awareness, impact customer loyalty, and even make it difficult to differentiate from competitors. Plus, there is no way to know when the market will recover. A company that has reduced its marketing budget may be unable to capitalize on recovery when the recession ends, ultimately slowing its growth or delaying its business goals.

Smart marketing investments during a recession

How you handle marketing during a recession will vary based on your goals and business lifecycle. Focusing on smart marketing investments, strategically aligning with your goals, and maximizing your budget are essential.

While it may seem counterintuitive to spend money on a commercial food & beverage photographer during a recession, hiring the right professional can positively impact your business.

Three benefits of investing in premium food and beverage photography

1 - Improved brand image and customer trust

A commercial food & beverage photographer can bring consistency to your photos and convey your brand values. Having a consistent look and feel goes a long way in establishing trust with your target customers.

When the economy gets rough, the purse strings get tight. Consumers must stretch their dollars, so they default to brands they know and trust. Customers who get mixed messages from your marketing images can see you as a risky investment and spend their money elsewhere.   

2 - Versatility and consistency in your online presence to stand out in a crowded market

We live in a visual world. Getting in front of customers and staying relevant requires an online presence and engaging content. Reusing old content will only get you so far, and you won’t survive a recession if people know you exist. 

Investing in a commercial food and beverage photographer can help you stand out in a crowded market. Why? Because they can help you get strategic with your content and create versatile, consistent photos.

Versatile photos are more valuable and save time because they can be easily shared across marketing platforms. Consistent images increase brand recognition and trust. Strategic photos help showcase your products or services in the best possible light, making them more appealing to potential customers.

3 - A cost-effective investment for your brand

Have you ever forgone a premium product in favor of a cheaper alternative? It saves you money in the short term, but it can cost you more over the long haul. You saved money saying no to that fancy blender, but you’ve replaced the cheap one six times. Add those up; are you still saving?

 Investing in a high-quality food and beverage photographer will save you money in the long run. Because just like that crappy blender, cheap photography will only go so far before it dies on you. Hiring a commercial photographer who creates premium imagery means you get photos with a strong visual identity, leading to increased brand awareness, trust, and, ultimately, sales.  

Wrapping up…

I hope you found this article beneficial! Hiring in a commercial food photographer is an investment that can bring a lot of value to your business. I am here to support you! If you’d like to chat about how we work together, head over to my contact page or email me at hello@nikicutchall.com.