Why brands need AI custom image libraries

For many brands, sourcing high-quality visuals is a challenge. Usually, they have two options: investing in an expensive and time-consuming photo shoot or browsing a stock image library for the most appropriate option. While stock photos seem handy, they are far too overused to be effective. Here come custom image libraries, offering unique, AI-generated images that align with your brand. The advancements in AI imagery mean that brands can now create custom-made images that reflect their identity and vision without traditional photoshoots.

The problem with stock photos

Stock photos are typically the go-to solution whenever a brand needs visuals, but they tend to come with limitations. Generic and overused images don’t really capture a brand’s unique identity, making it a lot harder to stand out in a saturated market.

Costly, yet overused

Although stock photos can be a convenient solution, they still come at a cost—both literally and creatively. Companies pay large fees to access and use stock images, only to learn that the same images are being used by many other brands. The lack of exclusivity makes it difficult for a brand to be unique in a crowded marketplace. To grow, brands need visuals that reflect their unique identity and values, not blend in with their competitors. When consumers see the same stock images repeated across different brands, the impact of your message is weakened.

Weakening brand credibility

One of the downsides of using stock photos is that they don’t create a distinct visual identity for a brand. At best, this makes your brand appear boring; at worst, it can harm your credibility. When a brand doesn’t have an identity, not only does it become forgettable, but it can also appear as an unreliable scam. It can give the impression that the brand is put together haphazardly, which weakens trust, especially as audiences are quick to recognize stock visuals.

Lack of culturally relevant images

One of the struggles of using stock photos is that there isn’t a lot of diversity and culturally relevant visuals in stock image libraries. As a result, they offer generic and stereotypical imagery that doesn’t truly capture the nuances of the region we’re in. Being based in the GCC region, stock images don’t account for the traditional attire, local landscape, and cultural expressions. This forces brands to compromise on authenticity, leading to a disconnect with their audience.

The AI Solution: Custom image libraries for authentic branding

Standing out in the market isn’t just about great design; it’s also about authenticity. Stock images can feel generic and off-brand, making it hard for brands to establish their own identity. Enter custom image libraries—using AI to generate customized images can help you create assets that align with your brand’s particular aesthetics and message. AI helps with creating high-quality and on-brand assets for specific and culturally relevant visuals. With a custom image library, you can combat the reliance on stock images through:

Unique, brand-specific visuals

With AI, you can let go of stock images by generating your own high-quality, on-brand images customized to your message and audience preferences. Instead of settling for overused and generic stock photos, you can create unique assets that reflect your identity and enhance authenticity. Regardless of the purpose—social media, marketing campaigns, or product visuals—a custom image library ensures that all your images reflect your brand without the need for traditional photoshoots.

Cost-effective and time-saving

AI gets rid of the need for an expensive and time-consuming photoshoot. By quickly generating the images that you need, you can build a custom image library with assets that you can incorporate into your brand’s output across different platforms. Whether you want to create a fresh project or expand an existing concept, AI streamlines this process by delivering all these creative assets in a reduced timeline. With AI custom libraries, your brand can efficiently develop visuals at a reduced cost, without the typical budget or tight timelines.

Culturally relevant images at scale

Stock images fall short when it comes to more diverse representations, unsuccessful in how they capture cultural nuances. However, generating these images with AI gives you the power to customize prompts to align with local traditions and aesthetics. Instead of the generic, and oftentimes stereotypical, stock images, brands can customize their assets to create image libraries that feature authentic cultural representations that can resonate with the audience. This approach allows brands to be consistent with their material but also adequately produce imagery that relates to their context.

The future of visual content

As stock images often become the subject of mockery to audiences, brands struggle to preserve their authenticity and stand out in a crowded marketplace. But AI-generated custom image libraries now offer a solution that allows brands to create one-of-a-kind visuals that are unique to their identity and message. With uncommon and exceptional images, businesses can give themselves a competitive edge. By embracing AI-driven visual content, brands can enhance their storytelling and resonate with their audiences better, while still building a consistent visual identity, all while saving time and resources. Originality always wins, and AI is making originality more accessible than ever.

The days of generic stock photos are over; brands no longer need to compromise their identity for mediocre visuals. With AI-powered custom image libraries, you can create your own on-brand visuals that reflect your values and cultural background. At Prezlab, we’re bringing artificial intelligence to the forefront and helping brands with creative solutions. Whether you need quick concepts or a full image library, our AI services now make it possible in less time and at a reduced cost. Interested in incorporating AI into your creative strategy? Let’s talk!