In this very short and concise video blog Brian discusses the advantages of physical branding behind speakers at conference or when presenting. Branding at conferences can so often be left to a projection on screen. It’s cheap and visibly effective. But is it?
The whole point of branding on a stage area is to get the most effective marketing of that brand, not only for the audience there but also for the wider audience who might see the resulting photography coverage in press or web reporting of the event.
You may have paid out a large sum for an important guest speaker, how much more mileage are you going to get if images of that guest speaker has your branding included?
Projected Branding has several disadvantages, first it’s only on when the speaker isn’t illustrating their talk with informative slides, therefore you are reducing the time a photographer has to capture shots with your branding in view, second it is only in the one location, so restricting the possible angles a photographer can shoot your branding.
Branding on screen, which by its very nature is unlikely to be directly behind a speaker can be a nightmare for a photographer. In fact on a wide stage the speaker can be quite a way from the screen resulting in the only option for the photographer who wants to get both aspects included in his shots is an almost side on view of the speaker.
The extra cost of having physical branding manufactured and installed somewhere over the speakers shoulder pays dividends with all the extra potential shots a photographer can shoot, multiple angles to give you more choice. Options not to show display graphics that might be off message.
There is also the one aspect that is often overlooked. With today’s digital cameras it is possible to shoot natural light shots even in quite low lighting situations. It makes a much more acceptable image than when flash had to be used to bring the exposure levels up. It produces an image that many attendees will recognize easier as the event they saw.
If the exposure level of the back projected screen and the lighting or lack of it on the speaker is not reasonably well balanced it is possible to have either totally burned out screen images or shadowed speakers.
If you have physical branding in the same lighting ratio to the speaker one can always guarantee correct exposure of both speaker and branding. Lastly multiple branding used on a background is the best possible option for the marketer who wants to get their brand across no matter where the photographer may be shooting from.
These are all simple and logical tips you might think while reading this but you would be surprised at how many people still get it wrong.
Brian Russell
copyright 2014