An explain article

Hello, Brand.

When you deal with marketing, you're bound to encounter terms like Corporate Communication, Corporate Design, and Corporate Behavior. But what exactly do they mean and what on earth do they have to do with presentations?

Each of us has it: that one favorite brand. A brand that excites us. Maybe it has been with us for a long time or it joined our lives at a certain stage. A brand that reflects our ideal. That helps us communicate our own attitude and values to the outside world. Successful brands stand for more than their products. It doesn't really matter what industry this brand is in. Whether clothing, automobiles, or technology. As a consumer and customer, as a follower and fan, I know exactly what these brands trigger in me. What image they create in me.

Brands are very abstract. So why not transfer them to another abstract topic? A topic we encounter every day. Let's just see the brand as a person.

First Date

You’ve been looking forward to it for a few days now – the first date with someone you met on a dedicated platform. You're already at the venue ten minutes before the agreed time and you take a seat. Right on time, the door opens and he walks in. You wave briefly and the person walks towards you.

The first sentences are still a bit awkward, but then the conversation flows smoothly. You laugh, sip a glass of wine, both enjoy the food, and it's an entertaining evening. You have the same attitudes towards animal protection, tango, and tips. A successful evening and a new friend. What seems like small talk at first glance is much more on the second. Through seemingly superficial topics, you've actually explored his value system. You’ve tried to get a glimpse of your counterpart's identity.

That's exactly what we unconsciously do with brands. We connect with Primark or Patagonia because these brands either represent cheap shopping sprees or sustainability. Mr. Patagonia would certainly be the outdoorsman who prefers sunsets on a deserted island and sleeping on the beach, while Mr. Primark is up for alcopops at eleven in the morning and any kind of flat rates. If we manage to see a brand as a person, we can finally understand what marketing in a company (Corporate) actually means. What it involves concerning brand identity. And above all: how a brand can be shaped.

The brand identity (Corporate Identity) encompasses the complete perception of it. Its three important areas are communication, design, and behavior.

Corporate Communication

Is your date against whaling or active in a political party? Does his preference lean towards a short-term relationship or is he looking for someone to start a family with? Communication refers to the defined values and how and where these are communicated. What guidelines are there? The appearance on the social media playground, as well as all other marketing activities, are found in this area. If this brand personality had a specific dialect, a special youthful language, or extraordinary views, they would be described in this section.

Corporate Design

What is your counterpart wearing on the first date? Did he break out the snazzy pinstripe or bravely combine skinny jeans with sandals? Corporate Design is the area that defines a brand visually. Essentially the outfit of the brand personality. What does the logo look like? What about the website? What about business cards? Everything must match and be perceived as one unit. Ideally, at a glance. To ensure that the (often costly) developed design is always adhered to, there is the so-called Corporate Design Manual. This document is the holy bible of every marketing department. It defines not only the fonts, colors, and grids used but also the logo size, the protection zone, and much more.

Corporate Behavior

How does he treat the server? Does he tip? Does he throw your jacket to you, or is he perhaps long gone before you've even stood up? And what does he say in response to a homeless person's plea for help? Corporate Behavior vividly shows how a brand ticks. Some may now think: “Wait a minute, how can a brand behave?”. To them, it's said that the actions of individual employees contribute to the brand’s perception. For example, how one behaves towards suppliers and employees. What reputation does a brand have? How are customers treated? How are awkward competitors handled?

Presentations affect all three areas. Yet they receive far less monetary appreciation. When allocating some marketing budgets, one can't help but ponder. How can you invest €10,000 in a brochure but let a student intern create the sales presentation – essentially the first date with the customer? This very presentation is the first thing a potential customer sees from a company. Therefore, Corporate Presenting is not optional; it is an obligation.

The brand date.

The appointment has been in the calendar for two weeks, and today is the day. The new service provider has shown up to introduce themselves. Thankfully, an appointment was quickly found that suits everyone involved. You’re a bit excited yourself – after all, you were the one who recommended the service provider to the boss after thorough research. You found a company with a trustworthy web presence, matching references, and apparent expertise.

But what’s this? What you had announced as a contemporary, flexible, innovative company suddenly pulls out a ghastly collection of slides and projects it onto the wall with a beamer. The font size is too small, images are distorted, and it’s a monotonous monologue par excellence. The presenter is visibly embarrassed by their own slides. They try to skip slides and get stuck mid-sentence. How can this be?

What happened? It's the same thing that happens on a bad date. Except with PowerPoint. Your counterpart spends two hours talking about their resume, shows you photos from the last ten vacations with their former partner, and of their car. Meanwhile, they have a long nose hair that bounces with their head movements.

This situation is not only embarrassing. This situation is damaging to business and should have consequences. While in the private sphere you simply don’t want a second date, such business presentations remain in memory forever – or on YouTube. And worse: these presentations are the standard. Just like bad dates. Singles with extensive dating-experience will be nodding now.

Hello, corporate presenting.

That's why it's time to expand the model. It's about another area, one that translates all others for presentations. If it's important what a brand says, how a brand looks, and how it behaves, then how could it not matter how it is presented? How it appears on stage? Whether it's the grand stage of a trade fair or a smaller one like at the customer's site?

What is defined as corporate communication within a company should also be applied to the content of presentations. The example of a sales presentation shows how important it is to communicate in line with the brand. Imagine a sales team whose salespeople all strike different storylines with the customer. While the first one talks about the history that has grown over the years, the next one just shows current figures – that creates uncertainty. The more employees go out with a presentation, the more essential it is to have the same message. A message with which everyone feels comfortable and can present authentically. From the sales manager to the newly hired junior.

The translation of corporate design into the presentation context is essential. Unlike graphic programs, which not everyone can use, PowerPoint is used by almost everyone. Any employee can change, improve, or ruin files.

The nightmare of every marketing manager! While it's hard to recolor a logo in a finished brochure, PowerPoint even suggests creating more creative slides. A blessing and a curse at the same time, because not every employee realizes that the recognition value of a logo also depends on its respective color. And so it's easy to use and possibly recolor the logo according to one's own taste. Sure, it's just a logo. And of course, the success of a company doesn't depend on a selection of images. Nevertheless, the visual appearance of a brand – be it in print or digital – is an essential indicator of values or attributes that my customers trust. That's why there are predefined templates for PowerPoint, which not only ensure that everything is in the right place but can also greatly facilitate work. Provided they are well configured.

What use are the most ingenious statements about corporate behavior, if they are not lived by the personal bearers of the brand message? How do you deal with it when critical questions are asked? When a pitch is not won? When the investor asks pesky questions? Do we let 60 minutes of continuous drenching rain down on our viewers, or do we want to focus on our customers' questions?

Corporate identity is not unimportant for corporate presenting. On the contrary: it makes it even more important. Because no one wants to waste time on a bad date. Rather, to turn a lousy Tinder date into the love of one's life.