Learn How To Create A Branded Background

As video calls have increasingly become a standard way of communicating for work, branded backgrounds have turned into an excellent tool for conveying a sense of professionalism while communicating your organization’s brand and tone. Have you ever thought about creating a personalized background? Read on to find out why you should and learn some tips on making an effective background.

Why create a branded background?

A branded background sends an important message: “This meeting is important to me.” Showing preparedness at the start of a virtual meeting gets you off on the right foot and announces you are ready and focused. Alternatively, having your camera turned off or showing a messy background can signal the opposite: The meeting is a necessity but not a priority. You’ll never start off at a disadvantage if you come with a plan and a professional environment. Branded backgrounds give you the advantage of both. Many people use custom Zoom backgrounds or green screens as a way to hit these marks. While digital backgrounds do have a few things going for them—they’re usually simple to set up and most have a variety of backdrops to choose from—they often have technical issues. Proper lighting and darker color schemes can suffer in front of a digital backdrop. (In some scenarios, it may make your video call look like bad CGI.) And the uncanny juxtaposition of the “real” you against your “fake” surroundings can create a mental distraction during your meeting. Lastly, maintaining digital backgrounds may also strain your computer if you’re running multiple programs at once. The effectiveness of your custom Zoom background will vary based on the quality of your hardware (computer) and software (application). If you’re willing to settle for a simple solution with risks and varying quality, a digital backdrop might be good enough. None of the above is ideal for projecting the professional image you want for your brand. So what can you do to incorporate your brand into video calls in a subtle yet seamless way? Use a physical branded background instead—a collapsible backdrop that displays your company logo or other standardized image. Physical backgrounds are more reliable than digital backgrounds and present a consistent experience for communication across your organization. They also pose less of a challenge technically, and won’t affect your computer’s performance (or the user’s appearance!).

Branded Backgrounds & The Benefits Of Environmental Priming

Physical backgrounds also carry a hidden benefit: a psychological practice called environmental priming. Priming is a phenomenon where a person’s exposure to one stimulus can subtly influence their mind’s response to a subsequent one. Research shows that our brains subconsciously prepare us for the future based on tiny “primers” in our current environment. In other words, by creating a physical workspace in the form of a personalized background, you can subtly “turn on” your brain and encourage it to delve straight into work mode. This is a valuable tool when your workspace and living space overlap!

Company Backgrounds: Design Tips For Personalization, Logos, & Colors

If your organization plans to implement company backgrounds, consider coming up with a standardized professional image. Most company backgrounds should have the organization’s name or logo on them. If your logo is small and occupies a roughly square space, place it in the corner. If your logo is considerably wide, make it the centerpiece of your background. A singular logo is preferable to a wall of icons (called “step and repeat” design). Busy backgrounds can feel intrusive. Your logo should be used as a personal branding tool rather than a commercial tool. Some additional tips:

The tone of your brand should match the color of your company background.
Avoid dark colors (they can feel too brooding) and overly bright colors (which can feel washed out).
Avoid perfectly white backgrounds. Webcams set their gain to the brightest color they detect, so people look washed out in front of a white background. White also tends to look sterile and clinical. Looking hospitable is your goal. (Looking like a hospital is probably not.)

Customize Your Own Personalized Background With Anyvoo

Branded backgrounds are an invaluable tool for the virtual and remote professional worker. It’s worth putting in the time and preparation to make sure you have the best tools for the task. We at Anyvoo have carefully curated our line of personalized, double-sided backgrounds to give you all the options you need. Check out our store page to find the perfect branded background for you!