Branding has always been an integral part of any visual presentation, whether it is an in-house showcase of talent and upcoming projects or something aimed at a wider audience like an industry event. In recent years, there has been a much-necessary pivot to virtual and hybrid events to accommodate the risk management needs of professionals during the COVID pandemic. As a result, it is now more important than ever to understand how branding works in a virtual setting and how to translate your presentation skills into the online space.
Create Your Brand’s Identity
A stable brand identity is important, but it also has to say what you intend it to say. Start by figuring out your brand’s attitude and ethos. Its ethos is basically its character, the things it will and won’t do and say. This determines how you deal with inquiries and customer service, because everything about each professional communication relates back to your brand’s identity, either reinforcing or undermining it.
Once you know what you want to present, it is a matter of finding the visual elements that speak to those values and traits. Here are the steps to take, whether you are branding online or off.
- Choose two to four consistent colors, try for two pairs of complementary tones that contrast with one another
- Use color theory to inform your choices so they align with your brand’s attitude, ethos, and ultimate mission
- Find consistent language and a visually consistent font for communications, including provisions for the use of headings or titles
- Choose graphics that fit the brand’s theme and your presentation, including both iconography like your logo as well as photos or illustrations related to your presentation that have been formatted to fit your branding
- Take all these elements together and craft a Google Meet custom background that sets the tone for any slides or other visual elements that come up during your presentation
This simple version of the process works for both personal branding and choices that reflect an entire business, so don’t be afraid to add to it as needed to suit your situation.
Stay Consistent
Setting the right Google Meet background image for your brand is important, but branding is a total presentation process. On top of that, it only works if your brand is recognizable, which means you need to commit to a consistent set of presentational values no matter how big or small your audience. It also means that visual appeal needs to be consistent across settings whether they are virtual, in-person, or hybrid setups. Contemporary brands that are prepared for virtual settings are ones that make choices that look sharp and communicate well in any arena.
This consistency also means setting the tone with your brand when meeting with your own team. Using the brand internally reinforces your corporate culture and the brand’s values, making it easier to work from within them when dealing with customers and members of the general public. That makes learning how to add virtual background in Teams just as important as learning to set one when you are giving an open presentation for a wider audience.
