Amid the noise of media – digital, print, still, moving, advertising and promotional – it remains a fact that a well-shot, eye-catching image will cut through the busyness and give a reason to pause.
Frasershot, established in Northampton 15 years ago, has built a reputation with some of the leading brands both locally and nationally for not only having an understanding of what makes a good photograph, but guiding clients in how to capture an image that sums up their brand and their marketing message.
The company was founded in 2007 by Craig Fraser and Jo Cameron in an office at their home, only moving to its first studio, approximately 900 square feet, on Northampton’s Lodge Farm Industrial Estate, in 2012.
Since then the business has gone from strength to strength, picking up household name clients including, locally, James and James, Crockett & Jones, Northampton Saints and Wickes, as well as nationally the likes of market-leading catering and hospitality services specialist The Compass Group, Starbucks and Sytner UK. The most recent contract has been creating content for beer giant Brewdog as it promotes its new UK flagship immersive craft beer bar.
Craig Fraser said:
“It’s been quite a journey and we’ve always positioned ourselves as a small, honest company that lives and breathes creative content with an edge. Although we’ve done work for all kinds of clients, we’ve found something of a niche in that around 80% of our work is in the hospitality sector. We’ve learnt what works and what doesn’t, we’ve built up a good understanding of what other brands in the sector are doing and can advise clients who are often looking for us to come up with something from their own brief.
“A lot of our clients seem to take the approach that they don’t want to work with marketing agencies because that might water down their own vision and the passion for their brand. So we are seen as more of a photographic agency – not just turning up and taking good photographs, but having input and helping the client create the content they need.
“In the age of social media, when someone might just catch sight of something on Instagram for a few seconds, the right image is vital. We can also advise and give the knowledge and direction to get their content seen by the right customer and demographic.”
Today, the Frasershot team numbers five full-time staff, creating video and social media content as well as photography. The team has recently produced all the content for the relaunch of Sytner UK – a huge body of work involving over 30 models and six locations across the UK, including high speed drone work around racetracks with Super Cars.
Most of Frasershot’s work comes through recommendation, particularly in the relatively tight-knit world of hospitality. In 2018, a client viewing area and kitchen was added to Frasershot’s new 2,000 square foot studio on the Grovelands Business Park and, in 2019, a store comprising a range of props, crockery, cutlery and surfaces was added, which has turned out to be a great asset not only to the team shooting food and drink products, but also as a resource available for hire by clients.
In 2020 Frasershot launched a new business, Small Giants Media, specialising in video content and social media content for brands, based on monthly subscriptions. The business is already showing signs of being one that will strive and grow quicker than planned for.
“When I look at what we have created I am incredibly proud,” said Craig. “Clients come directly to us 90% of the time and when I think that I am the MD of a company that has a team with talent so highly regarded that we are being picked out by brands like Brewdog to represent them, it gives me a real buzz.
“It’s amazing to travel all over the world with major clients – we’ve been to some amazing locations with Crockett & Jones, for instance – but it’s also a source of pride that we have long-established relationships with businesses like Travis Perkins and Warner’s Distilleries, who we’ve worked with since they rebranded to Warner’s from Warner Edwards, and we’d love to work with more companies close to home.
“It’s been hard work, positioning ourselves as a photographic agency, and making sure we’re always there for clients, sorting the intricacies, the logistics, the models and locations, but 15 years down the line, I’m confident we have created a strong business model to suit our future customers and current clients.”
Find out more about Frasershot or follow them on Instagram @frasershotphoto or @smallgiantsmedia.
