Every company has one. The official slide template. Logo top right, date bottom left, footer with company name. It ensures "brand consistency." But does it ensure impact?
The problem with corporate templates
Templates are designed for uniformity, not for persuasion. Every slide looks the same: a header, some bullet points, a small image squeezed into the remaining space. The audience already knows what the next slide will look like before you click.
And here is the thing. Your audience already knows the date. They know your company logo. They know the context of the meeting. So why waste precious visual space repeating that information on every single slide?
The power of full-screen visuals
January 9, 2007. Steve Jobs walks on stage to introduce the iPhone. His slides? ALL visuals full screen. No templates, no bullet points, no footers. Just powerful images and a few words that hit hard.
That presentation changed an industry. And it showed the world what slides are really for: visual support for your story.
Why this works
Full-screen images create emotional impact. They grab attention. They make your message memorable. When a striking visual fills the entire screen, the audience stops reading and starts listening to you.
That is the goal. You are the presenter. The slides support your story, not the other way around.
But what about brand guidelines?
Use your corporate template for the title slide and the closing slide. That covers brand consistency. For everything in between, break free. Use high-quality images that reinforce your message. One image per slide. Minimal text.
Your marketing team might raise an eyebrow. Your audience will thank you.
The verdict
Ditch the template for your content slides. Go full screen. Make every visual count. Your presentations will be more engaging, more memorable, and more persuasive.
This is article #6 in the "Either/Or?" series.
Want to transform your team's presentation skills? Contact Zenith.