iStockphoto, a leader in the microstock world, has just made a shift, a change, an improvement. They are rebranding their company, iStock, and just started the changes this week with the logo reveal. Build, an agency in London, England, re-designed their old logo with the new name iStock. The term photo was dropped and intentionally dropped, with by Getty Images now added to the logo. Steel, a Seattle based digital media company, is assisting with the launch of this new image, an image that iStock is holding near and dear to its heart.
iStock is more than just photos
iStock felt that this branding shift was important during a time when microstock is shifting as well. When iStockphoto opened its doors in 2000, photos were their gig. In 2006 Getty Images purchased iStockphoto and started to incorporate more inventory, including stock video, stock vectors, stock audio, and stock illustrations. With online content including all of these assets in 2014, iStockphoto wanted to give a shout-out to their customers and soon to be customers that they are more than photos!
The intention behind the rebranding is the following:
- iStock wants to show everyone that they are more than just photos. And they are!
- iStock wants to differentiate itself from the new stock agencies that are opening up and make them be viewed as more high-end, though their prices are coming down. This high-end profile is more about the quality of images and files and seems not to be related to prices.
- iStock wants to show that they provide a more premium service, so they added the premium stock name, Getty Images to their logo. The affiliation between Getty Images and iStock is well known in the underground of stock photography but it was not well known within the public stock photo buyer audience. Now it is front and center.
iStock keeps making changes, making them fresh again in the stock industry
iStock is a household name and the are well known in the circles of stock photos. Designers have used iStock as their go-to agency for years, but it is not until social media and content became king that other audiences have been looking to stock photo agencies for their content. iStock is rebranding itself to reach this market, set themselves apart from all the new stock photo agencies that are springing up and show buyers and contributors that they are here to stay, are current and that they are cool. The new look of the homepage reflects this new attitude, the new logo cements it, and the digital marketing that will soon follow could be fun to watch. We don't think this is the last we will hear from iStock and we will wait for their next identity and stock photo agency shift.
Check out our review of iStock and see what this stock agency is all about.
Amos Struck
I am a publisher and entrepreneur in the stock imagery field. I focus on providing knowledge and solutions for buyers, contributors and agencies, aiming at contributing to the growth and development of the industry. I am the founder and editor of Stock Photo Press, one of the largest networks of online magazines in the industry. I am the founder of Microstock Expo, the only conference dedicated to the microstock segment. I created several software solutions in stock photography like WordPress plugins. Plus I am a recurrent speaker at Photokina Official Stage, and an industry consultant at StockPhotoInsight. I am passionate about technology, marketing and visual imagery.
