Have you ever walked through the grocery store and noticed in the cereal section a large selection of generic cereal in bags rather than those highly branded, colorful and well designed boxes? Which ones are priced higher? Which ones seem better? Which ones seem cheap?

This isn’t the case only for cereal. If you are delivering your finished portraits in a plastic or paper bag with no protection from being bent or scratched and absolutely no elegance about it, you are generic cereal!

Your portraits are a highly customized and highly valued work of art. Not only should your packaging include the same high standard as your portraits, but it should remain consistent with the image of your studio.

When my clients receive their finished portraits, they are given a very nice looking package that makes it seem like Christmas. Each of our orders is packed in a chocolate brown box that is tied up with leopard print ribbon and displays our gold foil logo on the lid. Inside, their portraits are safely packaged and protected in our signature leopard print tissue paper. Of course, doing all this extra packaging is an added expense, but it is one that my clients’ appreciation for a high-end product far exceeds. And for my business, it is part of our branding. Leopard print and chocolate brown colors are our thing and you will see it throughout on everything we do.

Suppliers for packaging are available all over the Internet but I am especially favorable to Bags N Bows. They have a large selection to match any branding need and are priced reasonably.

Remember that it is not only the larger chain stores that must brand their company. Small business owners like photographers can take advantage of branding to create loyalty and remembrance among clients and prospects. The important thing to remember is to be consistent in all of your marketing efforts. Everything should work cohesively; letterhead, business cards, web site, packaging, and yes even the décor of your studio.