Speed and Consistency a Corporate Imperative in eCommerce Product Photography
In the lightning speed world of eCommerce marketing or "eTail," as it's being referred to today, a problem major corporations are facing is how to move quick enough to outdo the competition without sacrificing quality and consistency.
Working with freelance photographers offers a certain level of quality (at a price) - however, what is sacrificed is consistency and/or speed. Freelance photographers on the most part aren't very much concerned with showcasing the product to be more attractive to sell, but their own individual style which is not conducive to selling a product and can slow down the process of moving large quantities of product, which is the primary objective of any major corporation.
While in-house photographers add a certain level of quality, at the same time they are not cost effective; they require a lot of training, equipment, and due to the fact that the world of eTail is constantly evolving, the in-house photographer is not likely to evolve quickly enough with the demands that that world puts on them, which is why currently there is a lot of turnover of in-house photographers. That turnover is costing corporations hundreds of thousands of dollars in time spent on acquisition and training of in-house photographers as well as in the time it takes to get the product from the company to the consumer, which is what sets that said company apart from their competition.
Another problematic option is relying on vendors to capture and edit eCommerce photography. The trouble arises with the fact that vendors rely predominantly on multiple freelance photographers as well as in-house photographers. All those cooks in the kitchen is a recipe for inconsistency which will hurt the viability of a corporation. Consistency is a key ingredient for success in differentiating as well as building credibility and trust in your brand.