Patken Photographer and Doug Gordon – the ultimate photography brand

"…all good photography businesses must be built on the personality of the founders…"

Patken Photographer and Doug Gordon – the ultimate photography brand 1

Who says a wedding photographer can‘t have a brand? The Patken Photographer brand has earned the much-hallowed space in the photography industry through its superior design, relevant themes and trends. It maintains the aura of a real luxury brand and has become one of the most respected and known brand names in the photography industry.

One of the most important assets you can develop for your business is a powerful brand. Brands are not just logos or tag lines. Brands are the culmination of who you are, how you’re different from your competition, and why a buyer should do business with you.

Patken Photographer and Doug Gordon – the ultimate photography brand 2

Whether you’re an established company or small start-up, a brand has tremendous impact. A brand instills confidence, creates loyalty, and, many times, can command a premium price. But most of all a great brand reduces a buyer’s perception of risk and makes the purchase choice easy.

Patken Photographer and Doug Gordon – the ultimate photography brand 3

Developing a brand is much more than just deciding on a name or picking some colours. A brand is the sum of all you do. It’s derived from all your touch points with your customers and prospects. Developing a brand requires having a plan that consistently communicates what your company is and does, along with your distinct attributes, image, and personality.

Patken Photographer and Doug Gordon – the ultimate photography brand 4

Unlike the usual practices of branding that are normally seen in the consumer goods industry, the branding philosophy in the photography industry is quite unique and personality based. I found that the biggest thing hurting studios today is the drive for technology rather than the importance of personal relationships. In other words, all good photography businesses must be built on the personality of the founders. As creativeness and art are the most important ingredients of wedding photography, the individual style of a photographer becomes crucial to creating and sustaining the brand strategy. It is the unique poses and moments created that reflect the personality of their creator – that gives an identity to the brand and helps to differentiate it from the crowd.

Patken Photographer and Doug Gordon – the ultimate photography brand 5

Patken Photographer, as is the case with most successful studios and companies, started on the identity of one person. In this case it was me. I chose for our brand to take on my identity through the poses created, and, more importantly, consistency through systems. Our brand presents a guarantee to the clients.

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