Managing Director of Sarah Coggles Mark Bage discusses the ‘model vs mannequin’ debate

Whether or not to use models in product photography is an important consideration. Having trialled both approaches, it’s one I’m still debating myself.

One strong argument in favour of using models is that it can help with add on sales, alerting shoppers to shoes and accessories that compliment the item they are viewing.

But few retailers have the budget for the kind of fashion photography that will achieve this level of aspiration – and falling short can have the opposite effect, actively putting off customers.

The debate is further complicated by research that suggests women are less likely to buy an item if they think the shop assistant is better looking than them. Could the same happen online?

Clearly the choice of model(s) is a crucial one with many factors that need to be considered – not least the demographic diversity of target consumer, the brand identity of the retailer, the labels it stocks, its marketing strategy and so on.

Ultimately, smaller retailers will be constrained by costs, but as they grow there is a danger that they will look up to the big names for their benchmark, making the assumption that using models in product photography is crucial if they are to compete.

In reality there may be no right or wrong answer and although sites such as ASOS and My Wardrobe continue to test the ‘Model Vs Mannequin’ format, retailers are perhaps best advised to consider their unique circumstances before making a decision.

Written by Mark Bage, Managing Director of Sarah Coggles (www.coggles.com)