People are psychologically hardwired to seek out faces. And if that face gives signals of warmth, friendliness, strength, trustworthiness or any attribute that is appropriate to your marketing purpose, everybody wins.
"Executive" portraits aren't just for bankers and CEOs, anymore. Far from it.
The portrait setting is very open and flexible, too. A simple canvas backdrop works well for some serious-minded individuals (like the important gentleman in this picture). Some people may enjoy a more environmental background. Say you're shooting a marketing portrait for someone who owns a knitting supply store. Wouldn't that subject pop! off a background of a wall of colorful yarns? Especially set at a bit of an angle so the yarns shrink away into the distance? You start to see the creative possibilities.
If you do anything worth telling others about, you can benefit from a good, professional portrait.
