Do images of satisfied people work in B2B advertising?

Satisfied people

We always wonder if the images of people in an office, completely satisfied of the product they just used is really effective?

The typical satisfaction images:
- Businessman taking a satisfied laid back position in his chair, preferably looking upwards.
- Businesswoman raising her arms in joy and satisfaction, with wide open eyes.

Do these images actually work?
Do they really generate interest, leads?

We would believe such images just classify the product in the ‘doubtful‘, or ‘get-rich-quick-schemes‘ category.

Picturing a B2B product?

We are aware of the problem:
How to picture or express a B2B product?
A B2B product or a solution is more difficult to show, present and define.

In B2C the picture can show the improved product, the benefits of the solution or the before/after.

In B2B the result, effect or benefit of applying the product is more difficult to portray.
How to show?
- less costs
- more efficiency
- more time
- less hassle
- more bottom line profit
- automated solution (firing the workers?)

Our example image here might be a bit dodgy, but there’s an overall recurring theme of happy/satisfied looking people wearing business suits. We are so used to these images that we only notice them when they’re missing. Still… they usually don’t seem to add much value or tell anything about the product or service itself. Should they ?

It is at least an attempt to trick our subconscious mind into wanting us to look as happy, satisfied and beautiful as the people portrayed.

After all it still seems better to use such images instead of no images at all. People like something to look at and images can liven up a page and make a wall of text less intimidating.

Our example: the blurred image concept

We had the same problem with our website visitor identification. We chose not to go the traditional B2B advertising route and try something else:
- Using pedestrians walking in the street as they window shop incognito, just like website visitors.
- The blurred image of people walking in the street (actually it is a train station) expresses you cannot see who these people are: you need glasses.
- Our solution reveals the identity of the people by company name and should sharpen the view on whatever they are doing.

Maybe it is not obvious, but there is a story, a concept: this is your current situation, we provide the glasses.

Besides that, we really liked the image and the colors, which is probably a far better reason than choosing an image for a concept that needs explaining.

Do you like our headline picture?

Would you prefer a typical satisfied business person?

What images do you use on your B2B webpage or advertising?

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