Professional Photographer Uses Imagery To Promote His Clients

NANAIMO – While re- lated, professional photographer Tim McGrath emphasizes to his clients that there is a real difference be- tween marketing and branding. “Branding tells your customers and your suppliers what to expect from you. Marketing is essentially pushing the goods and services that you produce and sell, it’s pretty straight forward,” he explained.

“Branding is far more than the difference between fast food and fine dining, branding is created from within you as the business owner – who you are, what you want to be and how you want your customers to perceive you. It’s far more personal, it’s more like the restaurant’s or company’s personality, reflected in all aspects of the business.”

The owner of ITS-Food. ca, McGrath is a professional photographer who has focused on the niche market of food photography for the past decade. Working for a wide range of clients McGrath’s work is routinely used in many different marketing mediums including newspaper advertising and in online promotion, as well as in everything from menus to illustrating cookbooks.

“Branding has to be an integral part of all aspects of a business and is found in everything re- lated to that business, from the logo, to the uniforms worn, to the menu, to the website and on and on. Branding is essentially how the restaurant is perceived.”

McGrath describes branding as the experience portion of the phrase: The Dining Experience. “In reality that dining experience is at least partly composed of branding, the image your customers have formulated about you based on your promoted image. If reality falls short of the expectations of the customers you might never see them again.”

Marketing, McGrath explains, is a push technique, pushing a product while branding is not. “Branding is what makes you want to come back time and time again. Branding never stops, you don’t just do it once and then let it slide. It has to be employed across all venues, including in Social Media and it will touch all aspects of the business including the people you hire,” he said.

“It has to permeate throughout the business, it’s like a personality. You just can’t be honest once, you have to maintain that integrity all the way through.”

For more information visit the firm’s website at: www.its-food.ca.

Written by David Holmes