It all starts with a name...

In 2010, I had decided to start a photography business. I had just completed a wedding and loved the thrill of it. At the time, I had called my business, Rivera’s Photography.  But I had instantly realized that I was competing with many other “Rivera’s” within the photography industry. I remember sitting down with two friends an tried to determine a name for my photography business. At the time, I wanted a name that would be different but also rememberable. We had unintentionally realized how branding an organization could hinder progression or growth capability if selected poorly.

This week in our Marketing Management MK640-45, we discuss product positioning, branding, and product line strategies. As we discuss branding, I was reminded of my time trying to generate a company name for my photography business. I had never realized that my roundtable discussion with my friends about generating a company name, had followed the basic rule of our marketing management class.

To help with the exercise the team, generated a “Who is our Target Customers?” and “How can I offer value to our target customers?” list. The exercise wasn’t easy, but we were forced to evaluate and determine what products would be offered. I had to evaluate my product line strategies and how they would fit into our business model.

My product was a service for photography. Thus, to help determine my new organization's name, I had to evaluate my products in the sense of what was my images showing, or stating. I had realized that I had a common theme in my photos. While editing photos, I would create a focus within an image by incorporating a Vignette. A vignette is a reduction of images by burning the outer edges to provide a focus of the center. I had realized that the majority of my photos had incorporated this artist appearance. Initially, the goal was to create a functional name, however, based on the textbook, an experiential name for the organization was created.

Vignetting Photography was officially born on Aug 25, 2011. A mission statement was also created to help define what our products promoted, “With one focus in time, the moment is captured forever.” We attempted to generate market share by presenting our images of focusing and dedicated to our clients. However, over time, it was realized that throughout the photography industry, the mission statement we created was common with other photographers.  

To differentiate ourselves from other photographs, I started to evaluate a path forward with a better-defined focus and mission statement for Vignetting Photography. I had realized that Vignetting Photography captures important moments of all sizes in the lives of our clients. We were family- and religion- centered and worked to preserve God’s love through our photographs of our client's special occasions. We want our clients to be fully aware that we cared and love doing what we do. From this, I was able to create a focus mission statement of “Photography focusing on Love, Family, & God’s Grace.”

To help determine a brand name, it helps to truly understand the product and services that are being provided. With the name of Vignetting Photography, “Vignetting” helps tell our clients that we are providing a deliberate and artist focus on their event. With the word “Photography” we tell our clients that we provide a service of art through the practice of creating an image with our equipment. The benefit of the business name being broad allows the organization to increase our service and product to not only weddings, but to other events such as sporting, family portraits, and special events.