One of the first things we look for when building a brand strategy is whether the business has a reliable bank of original content. Without it, growth almost always stalls. Social media thrives on consistency and authenticity, and if a brand is relying only on stock photography, it’s difficult to show the quality of the product in a way that resonates with customers.
For Monark Wild Rice, this step is especially important. Our product is the highest quality wild rice possible. Local harvesters bring their rice to our processing plant, where we custom roast it for the entire region. When we come across the best grain, we buy it at a fair market price and roast it to our standards before packaging. That is what goes into every bag we sell. Unfortunately, the majority of stock photography available shows paddy-grown rice, which is not only inaccurate but a misrepresentation of what we offer. Building a social media content bank ensures that what people see online is a true reflection of the product in their hands.
For this shoot, we began with a clear vision of what we wanted to see. When you work with another creative team, it’s not enough to simply describe the result you’re hoping for. You need to provide visual direction, and one of our favorite tools for this is Pinterest. By building a board of textures, colors, and image references, we created a visual language that captured the look and feel we wanted.
We added the LBL Studio team to that Pinterest board so they could see exactly what we had in mind. This step is crucial for any brand or business that wants a strong outcome: when you come to the table with ideas and references, you give your creative partners a roadmap to execute effectively.
To bring the vision to life, we also sourced staging materials ourselves. A HomeSense haul provided us with pots, pans, linens, and dishes that matched Monark’s brand guidelines. These props won’t just appear in this photoshoot, they’ll continue to appear in future cooking videos, creating a consistent visual identity across all our content.
Once the vision was clear, Tony and his team at LBL Studio executed it seamlessly. Based in the GTA, LBL is well known for their wedding photography, but that’s only part of what they do. They also produce exceptional work in corporate photography, creative concepts, and professional headshots. We’ve collaborated with them across very different industries, from an auction house in LA to a small local GTA construction company, and their professionalism always makes the process straightforward.
Tony has a quote that perfectly captures the mindset behind his work: “If a picture is worth a thousand words, why would you tell a thousand boring words?” That philosophy shines through in every project we’ve done together, and it’s exactly the kind of thinking that makes a content bank valuable.
For Monark Wild Rice, the LBL team delivered exactly what we needed: original photography that was polished, versatile, and true to the product. These aren’t assets that live only on social media. They are visuals we can confidently use across our website, in print materials, and in pitch decks. High-quality content like this builds trust, reinforces brand identity, and ensures that every channel tells the same story.
A strong content bank is not a one-time solution. It becomes a resource that supports growth month after month. For food brands, that means staying consistent on social media, updating websites with ease, and creating investor decks or print campaigns without scrambling for visuals. Most importantly, it means showcasing the product in a way that reflects its real quality.
For Monark Wild Rice, that means highlighting our hand-selected, custom-roasted grains instead of relying on inaccurate stock photography. It means creating a visual identity that’s as carefully crafted as the product itself.
At Monarch, we see content creation as the foundation of every strong social strategy. A social media content bank gives brands the ability to tell their story accurately and consistently, which is why it’s one of the first steps we prioritize. With the right collaborators and the right process, you can create a content library that continues to serve your business long after the photoshoot is done.
If you’re curious to see more of the work behind this blog, we recommend exploring LBL Studio’s website and following them on Instagram.
Ready to build a brand content strategy that actually works? Let’s start the conversation.
Most agencies churn out content. Monarch Social Media builds systems that make content work. In 2025, showing up online isn’t just about being active. It’s about being aligned. For businesses like healthcare clinics, insurance firms, dental offices, and B2B service...
At Monarch, our agency brand has always been intentionally faceless. We believe in the power of teamwork over spotlighting one person. But in June, we decided to test something new: what would happen if we introduced a brand host? A creator whose role is to represent...