VISUAL RESONANCE—PART 9
As a member of the Social Media Club of Kansas City , I was privileged last month to attend a very exciting meeting at which Stefan Mumaw (Director of Creative Strategy at Hint) was the presenter. Drawing from his rich experience, Mumaw did an excellent job sharing an amazing array of ideas, tips, and observations that would be helpful to anyone involved in social media strategy, advertising, and marketing. His presentation was entitled “Visual Resonance.” It focused on the characteristics of images and videos that help to evoke a passionate audience connection and result in increased shares. Mumaw defines visual resonance as:
“ The ability to evoke or suggest personal images, memories, and emotions. ”
Mumaw emphasizes the power of story in our images. I absolutely agree with him. Everyone loves a good story and we all have them—we’ve all lived them. Therefore, images that evoke story will connect. People will remember those images. Because a picture is worth a thousand words (and then some), an organization’s brand is strengthened when those kinds of images are wisely used.
This is where the creative element becomes very important to your strategy. Every picture tells a story, but not every picture tells the story that you want it to tell. Pictures must be chosen carefully. Some of the tests by which your picture should be evaluated include:
- A focus group.
- Perceptions derived from the culture.
- Correlation with current events.
- Conventional and societal etiquette.
- Your gut. (Never forget the gut check.)
The organization or creative that wants to connect with its audience must always remember the power of story. That is why finding the right image is so very important. Pick the right one and your story will be told for a very long time.
