Story by Gemma Warriner
Photographs by Kitti Gould
With so many new bars and restaurants opening, finding ways to stand out from the competition is tough. Social media is saturated with high quality food and drink photography, making it more and more difficult for your content to get noticed online.
The good news is that there are simple (and affordable) things you can do to make sure photos of your venue and offering have a point of difference. Here are some tips and tricks for all budgets.
Introduce a Brand Pattern
Using a bold pattern or illustration in your branding is a very effective way to add personality to your brand. For Corretto, a coastal abstract blue pattern was introduced to add a dynamic layer within the venue and to help build brand recognition with customers on social media.
Brand patterns and graphics are very flexible and can be used in multiple ways. Within a venue, they can be applied to wall murals, signage, menus and even upholstery. In a digital space, the same pattern can be used on your website, throughout marketing collateral and as a background in drink and food styling. The Corretto pattern was printed onto large pieces of paper and placed beneath cocktails during a photoshoot to create a series of drinks photos that have a strong visual connection to the brand.
Dress Up Your Drinks
If your customers are taking photos of your offering and uploading them to Instagram, it is a wasted opportunity if your branding doesn’t appear in their images. Printing or etching your logo onto glassware is an easy way to build your brand exposure on social media.
What goes inside the glass matters too. Ice stamps are the new craze, and are a surprisingly simple way for your bartender to literally impress your customers with your brand. More importantly, it’s these small details that create a unique and memorable experience for your customer – something that they will want to share on social media.
Give Your Customers Styling Props
What printed collateral do you have on your tables? Are they eye catching and does your branding appear on them? Coasters, menus, greaseproof paper and napkins are all great styling props if designed well. Consider adding some colour, patterns, quotes or graphics to your collateral to make them more interesting and attractive to your customer. If they look good, then your customer is more likely to photograph them.
Make sure you are consistent with the use of colour and graphics across all touchpoints to ensure sure your brand aesthetic doesn’t go astray.
The Bar Brand People are a Sydney based design studio specialising in brand design for bars, restaurants and hotels. You can get in touch with them at hi@thebarbrandpeople.com or visit thebarbrandpeople.com.
