It has been said that no one ever effectively advertised anything without great imagery. There is value in the images you use in marketing – be it a logo, a photo, a video or some other form of art. If you are going to be effective in marketing, you must have strong visuals.

Made you look!

People are drawn to images like a magnet to steel. Why is this? We are both visual beings and extremely curious. That combination drives us to follow viral, trending posts and to watch a scary movie scene again and again. In fact, we find it hard to look away from a compelling image. That is why there are museums full of artwork we have deemed "masterpieces.” We put a high value on what we see.

In marketing, we are tasked with grabbing the attention of our target market. The best way to gain someone’s attention is with an image that represents your brand. I have posted several segmented logos at the top of the page. They have been stripped down to their images only – no words. But I would guess that you can name all of them. That’s because you have seen the marketing of each of these brands and have associated the name of the brand and what they represent. Notice that the first row are all animal images. The second row are all abstract images. The third row are representational icons. The fourth row are all mascots. Some of these images are representative of the brand name. For instance, Puma, John Deere, Red Bull, Shell, Apple, Dominoes, Taco Bell and Quaker Oats all have images that illustrate the same name as the brand. Other logo marks are not as descriptive of the brand name, but they have been effectively marketed to help us identify the products or services they represent. Without any thought, we see them and know they simply symbolize their brand. The Olympic rings, Pepsi, Mastercard, Adidas, the Michelin Man and Mr. Pringles are all examples of this.

In some cases, the original meaning of the image is no longer important, but the image still remains strong. In the case of the NBC logo, it was first introduced when the TV network started broadcasting in color instead of black and white. That was the initial reason the colorful peacock was used. We are living way beyond the days of color TV transitions, but the peacock remains a strong image of the NBC network. The same can be said for the KFC logo which still uses the image of Colonel Harlan Sanders in its logo. The restaurant chain was originally called Colonel Sanders’ Kentucky Fried Chicken. Over time, the brand was changed to KFC, but the image of the Colonel remained a strong mascot icon for the brand.

Images can have a deeper meaning

Visuals can carry intense feelings with them. You would get happy feelings if you watched the E-Trade babies in an ad. They make us laugh. You would get another reaction if you were watching the opening scene from the movie "Saving Private Ryan.” Think about images that grip us and we cannot shake the emotion that goes with the visual. Watching the videos of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Towers does that to me because I had been in and out of those towers for years. Images do that to us.

Think about iconic images like the swastika and the deep-seated repulsion that is felt by it. Few people would know it today, but the swastika was actually an image used by many cultures and it was always used in a positive way before the 1930s. Hindus in Southeastern Asia used it to represent four directions in life. Particularly in India, it was used in architecture, jewelry and clothing. It was used as a sign of good luck in Denmark in the early 20th century. The Navajo Native Americans used a swastika as a sign of friendship. Images can change their meaning over time. Marketing helps make the change. We assign feelings to images by the brands we associate with them.

How strong are the images you are using for your brand? Do they help define your brand? Do they evoke emotion? Are they tied to something negative that would reflect poorly on your brand? The images you use are very important, not only to catch the attention of your target market and help them recognize your brand, but to leave them with good feelings.