How to recognise authentic content
BELIEVABLE IMAGES YOU CAN ‘FEEL’
On a stock photography site like Alamy, you can search on keywords that fit to a certain ‘style’ of photography (copyspace, portrait, candid, ‘depth of field’) and build a collection of images you want to license. Keywords alone can’t describe how an image makes you feel, but the same emotions are usually experienced by everyone, so if the image can elicit emotional meaning with a ‘I know what that’s like’ response or empathy from the viewer, it’ll be more authentic.
ORIGINALITY AND CREATIVITY
Originality and creativity only adds to the sense of authenticity. Avoiding generic, anodyne images, and instead using photos that celebrate the uniqueness of different cultures and communities will boost the authentic feel and therefore the connection with your audience. Country-specific agencies like Maskot and Johner from Sweden show people in their home locations that look ‘lived in’, so their images are more original and believable. The high production values and unique style that different lifestyle agencies have to offer means there’s also more creative variety to be found in photographs than using AI-generated material. It seems ironic since it was reported that by August 2023, 15.5 billion images had already been generated by AI. But how many of those images can offer a different authentic ‘look’ that stands out in the marketplace? There may be other factors to consider when choosing images that align with your message, but for authenticity and connecting with your audience, using photographs taken ‘in the moment’, which are original, believable, and draw emotional meaning is one of the most effective ways you can enhance your campaigns.
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