Welcome to our new executive photography!

You’re among the first to see our most recent visual branding efforts as Founders of Outfront Solutions. Below, we share the story of how we developed and acquired these new visual “assets,” and provide some thoughts on why visual branding is so important today, how to get it, and what to do with it.

Oh! And we’d love to hear what you think about any of it, so please send us a note. Here’s our “Contact Us” page!

We get a good number of inquiries from people and companies who ask us to create a logo for them. They think a logo is a brand. It’s not (we’ll discuss this later). But logos and graphics are branding tools. Similarly, headshots are personal branding tools. Like a logo, a headshot represents who you are or want to be.

Below, we discuss headshots as a visual branding tool: why they’re important, why you need them, and how to get good ones.

Your headshot needs to work for you

Let’s just quickly set the scene by talking about the difference between brand, branding, and marketing. A brand is a collection of ideas, values and beliefs that stand for a company, product, or person - lodged into the minds of an audience. You can suggest these things, but it’s not a brand until people believe and internalize what you’re saying. (And trust is in short supply these days.) Branding encompasses the actions you take to embed the collection of ideas in people’s minds. Marketing can do that too (you can market a person, place or thing), but marketing goals typically relate to stimulating a behavior or belief.

You’ve watched the death spiral of the attention span. Blame it on digital distraction. But the result is that we all have nanoseconds to connect. That’s why Instagram and Tik Tok are so popular.

“Visual inputs come first in the hierarchy of human senses. The human brain rapidly and effortlessly recognizes visual objects and categorizes them.”

That’s why visual imagery is so important in our lives, and why we need it in branding and marketing as a tool, or “asset” (we call them “assets” in the marketing biz).

“Good” visual assets

Now that we’ve covered why imagery is important and why you need it, let’s talk about how to get “good” visual assets.

The Founders of Outfront Solutions recently had new headshots taken. Why did we want to spend $2,500 each on new photography? Simple: the old ones don’t represent who we are now. They’re not telling the story of our ideas, values and beliefs anymore. Times have changed.

We chose four outfits:

• Business

• Business Casual

• Casual

• Elegant

We’re frequent conference, webinar, panel and paid keynote speakers; have been known to host a gala or two; and our social media strategy is helping people get to know us and our values in a more personal way. Snap! We have imagery for all of it. But how do we know if it’s good?

Note: Choose your favorite clothing and jewelry. The stuff that makes you feel great. Color and contrast are important but avoid complicated prints.

What’s “good” is rarely subjective

We’ve discovered that we all pretty much agree when something is really good.

For me, it was on set filming a PSA (public service announcement) with Julia Roberts. We’d fussed and finalized - everything’s set - and Roberts delivers the lines with perfect pitch, inflection, emotion, and comes in at exactly .26 seconds - just right. As it unfolded, everyone in the room became electrified and still - we all recognized perfection when we saw it - and she delivered. I asked for another “take,” and she said, “Why?” I had no answer. She also knew it was perfect.

We’re not all Julia Roberts, and it doesn’t really matter how young, old, beautiful, or plain you are. You’ll look great in a proper headshot with make-up, hair, and the right photographer. It’s your story. You tell it your way. It may be the toss of your head, the twinkle in your eye, or your fierce gaze. Or what you’re holding in your hand. Find a photographer who can help you capture that.

Here’s how to get a good headshot image:

• Ask the photographer their secret to getting a great headshot

• Think about how each picture can tell a story

• Connect with your eyes (no dead-eyed stare)

• Use a plain / white or grey background so you can use the photo many places

• Think about how you’ll use each image you shoot

• Ask the photographer for direction to get your best angle — be sure the photographer knows what you want to achieve

• Take 3 long, slow and deep breaths (to reset your parasympathetic nervous system, which sends a signal to your brain to tell the anxious part that you’re safe and don’t need to use the fight or flight) and go for it!

Working it

With visual assets in hand, it’s time to deploy them to greatest advantage. Use your new headshots across all your owned media (website, social, newsletters, Zoom, speaking submissions, email, etc.). Of course, you’ll use them in your bio, resume, speaker sheet, LinkedIn profile, etc. At the same time, think of upping your virtual game. Consider your video conferencing or Zoom background. Does it support who you are or aspire to be?

You have some control over how your audiences see you

You can’t control what people think about you. But you can give them the words and imagery you think represents you correctly. If your imagery is powerful, and you apply it consistently, people will form opinions based on what they’ve seen, and you will be building your brand.

Having said all this, here’s the best part: since the pandemic, we’re all evolving. We’re more forgiving of each other and our bad headshots. Whether you might be a little late for a call or you can see the dog chewing a shoe in the background, we “get it.” We’re all human. So, if you can’t get to updating your headshot right away, it’s okay. Just start thinking about your brand and how you want to shape it, and then put one foot in front of the other. Our blessings for a safe and fruitful journey.

About Outfront Solutions

From startup to IPO or exit, Outfront Solutions works with leaders to adapt their brand, marketing, and business development to build a new future for a new world. Tailor-made for entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and visionaries, we increase the power and marketability of your products and ideas and help open doors and close deals. We identify growth strategies that help you nail revenue goals, increase valuation, raise the next round, or find the path to exit.

We’re CMOs and business builders who help organizations steer a course through complex business events, cultural shifts, and crises. By clearly defining and articulating your brand, developing a go-to-market plan, and creating business development approaches that break through the noise, we build a foundation for success.

We’ve rolled up our sleeves to create and implement global growth strategies for companies like Andra Capital, Glispa, Peak Games and Organic. Hewlett Packard and Accenture have relied on us to build their internal messaging capability and create their messaging guides used by tens of thousands of employees worldwide.

Along with bespoke services tailored to your needs we provide:

·      Brand strategy and Positioning

·      Messaging

·      Investment/valuation positioning

·      Market research and consumer/business testing

·      Personal/executive branding

·      Go-to-Market plans and implementation

·      Business development

·      Crisis response & communications

To learn more about this project and inquire about technology and cannabis industry Branding, Messaging, Go-to-Market Plans, and Business Development contact: Nicole DeMeo at Nicole@outfront.solutions and (415) 533-2599