Getty Images believes its push into non-commercial usage will help brands cut through the noise on social media, by giving it enough data to pinpoint what images will engage specific audiences.
In March this year Getty released Embed, a tool that gives non-commercial users the ability to use its photo database for free.
While it might seem a stark deviation from its primary business, creating imagery for professionals, Getty Images global senior VP of content and marketing Craig Peters told AdNews Embed will drive significant benefits for its brand and creative clients, who will be able to use the data to understand which images resonate with which audiences.
“We get a billion views on imagery which means we are getting significant data that is telling us what types of imagery people are engaging with, and the audiences that are engaging with that imagery,” Peters said.
“Starting to really look at that data, understand that data, and how consumers are interacting with that imagery gives us a really interesting capability to be able to inform our customers what type of imagery they should be using and what type of imagery we should be sourcing,” he said.
Peters said while the data is not specific enough at the moment, it will eventually breakdown enough to tell advertisers what images certain demographics in particular locations are engaging with. That in turn will allow advertisers to get a better feel of what imagery will engage their target consumer.
With social media getting more and more overcrowded, Peters said the need to stand out in an increasingly visual world is already becoming apparent. One of the visual trends Getty is seeing emerge from its client base into the new year is a drive towards “controversial” images for use in social media, as brands work harder to stand out.
“The power of visual communication is becoming clearer and I think the images that can make you stop, think and converse are the ones that stand out in that cluttered world of imagery and information that is out there,” Peters said.
Traditionally, controversy has not been something brands wanted to align with. While Peters admits that the trend is in its infancy, he said it’s certainly something Getty is seeing an up-tick in demand for.
“There is a lot of value in their brands and they tend to be fairly cautious as they approach stepping out into maybe more controversial or differentiated positions but they’re clearly doing it. They’re figuring out that they need to stand out and if they don’t start out their brand is going to lose relevance,” Peters said.
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