Intention, Purpose and Brand Identity

What’s the purpose behind branding your business? What effect do you want it to have?

When developing a brand identity, a good starting point is to think about intention.

A brand’s intention might be about conveying a certain image or message, differentiating you from others in your space, or creating an emotional connection with the people you want to reach.

A luxury car brand, for example, may want to communicate exclusivity and prestige, while a children’s toy brand might aim for something playful and fun.

In that sense, intention is the underlying promise a brand makes — the thing it stands for.

In her book How to Style Your Brand, Fiona Humberstone talks about the importance of understanding this intention and using it to guide the development of a brand’s visual identity.

She writes that, “Intention will make the difference between a superficially pretty brand and one that has traction. One that captures the essence of your business and wins you work.”

By clearly articulating that intention, and being consistent across your brand touchpoints, it becomes much easier to ensure that everything you put out into the world aligns with that promise and communicates it clearly.

Photography plays a big part in this.

Humberstone highlights the importance of carefully considered, high-quality imagery, noting that:

“Photography plays a huge role in your brand identity. From your website and blog to packaging, stationery, marketing literature and everything in between, images that capture the essence of your business are a real asset to your brand.”

Photography can instantly communicate tone, personality and values. It has the power to create an emotional response and help people feel something about your business before they’ve read a single word.

She also stresses the value of originality — choosing authentic imagery over stock photography to avoid looking generic and to create a more personal connection with your audience.

And in a point I wholeheartedly agree with (yes, I’m biased), she adds:

“Enjoy the process: beautiful photographs really unlock your creativity and transform your design. In a nutshell, if you want to create a strong first impression, invest in beautiful imagery.”

When your imagery is aligned with your intention, it does more than just look good — it supports your message, strengthens your identity, and helps the right people connect with what you’re about.

If you’ve been thinking about how photography fits into your brand, that’s usually a good place to start.

Ready to invest in your brand? I promise you’ll enjoy it - let’s go!