THE POWER OF THE POSTER

As the world becomes increasingly digital, the sight of paper posters in urban areas is growing rarer by the day. We may still see ads in a ‘poster format’, but more and more frequently they’re now digital screens, not physical paper.
 
That said, I want to shine a light on the power of paper posters. For me they’re an often-overlooked but highly effective medium for conveying complex information quickly. Even more so than most people’s regular go-to: PowerPoint.

PowerPoint drawbacks

In most companies today, it’s the default tool for presentations. Its use is rarely even questioned. But it’s a format with inbuilt challenges for audiences. One is that dividing information into individual slides makes it hard for them to see the whole picture, and to grasp the relationships between different ideas. The information you present will be received in fragments, and that can hinder understanding.

Then there’s the fact that PowerPoint has limitations on how much information you can effectively present on a single slide. Overcrowd it and you risk your audience losing focus. But break it up into too many slides, and they may well struggle to keep up with the content.

So what’s a better approach? A poster. Yes, a poster.

Poster pluses

Posters provide an instant overview. And that’s important. Senior executives often have limited time, and you won’t have long to make your pitch, even if the topic is complex. So you need to ensure they understand your key points within the first five minutes. This is why a well-designed poster works so well: it  helps viewers grasp the big picture quickly, identify the key points, and ask relevant questions. They won’t be getting trapped in discussions about minor details on endless individual slides.

Moreover, when comparing multiple ideas, posters make it easier to visualize the differences side by side on one big sheet. PowerPoint can include comparison slides, but not at the same time. Clicking back and forth between is cumbersome. And confusing.

Then there’s physical interaction. Executives can get up and gather around a poster, rather than sitting still through slide after slide. And this change of environment – however small – can foster better engagement, especially for people accustomed to a series of chair-bound, back-to-back meetings. Yes, there are limitations—only about seven people can comfortably gather around a poster —but for presentations to small, focused groups, just getting out of the chair to take a closer look can definitely be to your advantage.

The effective poster

So what should an effective, memorable poster include? Here are my six key ingredients. It should state:

1. Your value proposition.
2. Customer research highlighting market demand and existing problems.
3. Current market size and potential for growth.
4. Benefits for the customer.
5. Alignment with the company’s goals and direction.
6. Your proposed solution, building on the company strengths.

Above all, remember this: regardless of the topic, it’s crucial that your poster design enables viewers to understand the content at a glance. If you find this difficult, then I’d recommend hiring an information designer or graphic designer to create the charts, diagrams, and illustrations you need. To make a compelling message that doesn’t need lengthy explanations.

Add a flyer

There’s one other thing you can do to reinforce the impact of your message: consider creating a smaller, ‘flyer’ version of the poster. Yes, you can send everything your audience needs to know in an email. But emails are easy to ignore, or simply forget if it’s just one among many. Having a physical copy on an executive’s desk will serve as a constant reminder of your proposal and may well prompt further discussion. I can back this up from my own experience: executives I’ve made presentations to have often asked for a poster to hang in their office. Which for me is a clear demonstration of its impact.

The silent pitch

I started out with a  quote about the power of an elevator speech. A poster is essentially a silent version of such a pitch—it’s a visual tool that communicates your ideas without the need for words from you. There are your ideas, all in one place, assembled in an easy-to-understand format. You don’t have to explain every detail. You don’t have to click through endless slides. All you have to do is express your passion and belief in your proposal.

And let the poster to do the rest.