Vertical Presentations: Why Sports Marketers Must Think Portrait
“Adapting to vertical presentation formats is no longer optional - it’s a strategic move that enhances clarity, engagement, and professionalism when sharing content through messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Slack. By optimising for how people actually consume information today, brands can create a smoother user experience and improve their chances of capturing attention and driving action.”
In today’s digital-first world, how we present our ideas is just as important as the ideas themselves. We’ve all grown accustomed to creating PowerPoint and Keynote presentations in landscape format—perfect for boardrooms and in-person meetings. But the way we consume content has changed, and sports marketing must adapt to keep up.
In recent years, I’ve noticed a key shift: the majority of the presentations I send are now viewed on smartphones through messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Slack, and email. With these platforms designed for vertical scrolling, the traditional landscape format creates friction, forcing viewers to rotate their phones or zoom awkwardly to follow along.
If social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat have taught us anything, it’s that people are used to engaging with portrait-format content. Whether they’re scrolling through videos or reading articles, they’re accustomed to a vertical experience. This raises a vital question: Why aren’t more sports brands and marketers using this vertical format for their presentations?
Portrait decks aren’t just a trend - they’re the new norm of content presentation. In this post, I’ll highlight the advantages of adopting a portrait format for your marketing decks and explain how to modify your existing templates to fit this mobile-friendly design.
Why Vertical? A Mobile-First World
The way we consume content has fundamentally changed. We’re no longer glued to our desktop computers when reviewing information—we’re accessing it on the go, using our smartphones for almost everything, from catching up on emails to browsing presentations.
Imagine this scenario: you’ve just sent a sponsorship proposal to a potential partner. They open it on their phone while commuting or during a quick coffee break. The deck, designed in landscape format, forces them to zoom in, swipe side to side, and generally struggle to read your carefully crafted content. You’ve instantly lost a critical opportunity to make a good impression.
Now, let’s flip that experience. Your prospect opens a portrait-format presentation designed for mobile, perfectly aligned to their screen. They can scroll naturally, absorb the key points, and finish reading the proposal with ease. The user experience is seamless, allowing them to focus on your message rather than the technicalities of navigating your presentation.
As sports marketers, it’s our job to adapt to the consumption habits of our target audience. With over 90% of internet traffic now coming from mobile devices, it’s time to prioritise vertical formats.
When to Use Vertical vs. Landscape Formats
It’s important to recognise that portrait presentations don’t replace landscape ones—they complement them. Each format has its own specific use:
Landscape presentations work best in in-person meetings or during live video calls, where the presenter controls the pace and flow. The wide format fits large screens and projectors perfectly.
Portrait presentations, however, are designed for mobile consumption. They’re ideal for pre-read materials, cold pitches, or any presentations meant to be viewed on a smartphone.
For example, when sending a pre-read proposal to a potential partner, sharing a portrait-format PDF enables them to quickly and naturally browse your content on their mobile device. The vertical format mimics how people interact with apps like Instagram Stories or LinkedIn posts, making your content feel familiar and intuitive.
By the time you meet for an in-person presentation (in landscape format), your audience is already familiar with the key points and is prepared to engage in more detailed discussions. This two-step approach—portrait first, landscape second—can create a stronger connection with your audience and set the stage for more effective communication.
The Key Benefits of Vertical Presentations
So, why should sports marketers start building portrait decks? Let’s look at the key benefits of adopting this format:
1. Mobile Optimisation
Your audience is increasingly accessing content via mobile devices. Vertical decks, designed for easy reading on smartphones, are perfectly aligned with how people already consume content. Whether they’re browsing your presentation on WhatsApp, email, or Slack, a portrait layout provides a frictionless experience.
2. Smaller File Sizes
Vertical presentations often result in smaller file sizes compared to traditional landscape decks. This makes them quicker to download, easier to share across mobile networks, and less likely to hit size restrictions in email clients. In a world where instant access matters, this can make a big difference.
3. Greater Engagement with Cold Leads
When you’re reaching out to new prospects or sponsors, making a great first impression is crucial. A cold email pitch with an attached portrait PDF, designed specifically for mobile viewing, is far more likely to engage the reader than a clunky landscape file that’s hard to navigate. Portrait presentations align with how people are used to viewing content, which can increase their likelihood to read through the entire proposal.
4. Enhanced Tracking for Better Insights
When sharing vertical PDFs, you can embed tracking links to gain insight into how recipients engage with your content. Imagine being able to see which sections of your proposal caught the reader’s attention. This data allows you to refine your follow-up strategy, focusing on the areas that matter most to your prospects.
5. Setting Yourself Apart
In today’s competitive sports marketing world, innovation sets you apart. Offering vertical-format presentations shows that you’re forward-thinking, tech-savvy, and aligned with modern communication trends. While others stick to traditional formats, you’ll position yourself as a brand that’s keeping pace with digital evolution.
How to Adapt Your Templates to Vertical Formats
Transitioning from landscape to portrait formats doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. With the right approach, you can create mobile-friendly presentations without overhauling your entire process.
Here are some practical steps to get started:
1. Reorganise Your Content for Vertical Viewing
In a vertical layout, less is more. Since mobile screens are smaller, you’ll need to simplify your content and use shorter sections of text. Focus on delivering one key point per slide, and use larger, bolder visuals to make an impact. The design should be clean and easy to navigate—think of it as a mobile-first web experience, where users swipe up to scroll through.
2. Prioritise Core Information
Vertical presentations thrive on concise, impactful content. Prioritise the most important information and avoid cluttering your slides with excessive details. Make use of high-quality visuals to tell your story. A well-chosen image or graph can be more effective than a paragraph of text, especially when viewed on a small screen.
3. Create a Dual-Format Template
Design platforms like Google Slides, PowerPoint, and Keynote allow you to create both landscape and portrait presentations. To streamline your process, consider building a master template that can be easily adapted to either format. This ensures brand consistency and allows you to modify content for vertical presentations without starting from scratch.
4. Test Your Content
Before sending out your new vertical presentations, test them. Preview the deck on your own mobile device to ensure the text is legible, the images are crisp, and the flow feels natural. By experiencing the content as your audience would, you’ll be better positioned to catch any potential issues before they arise.
Why Both Formats Matter
Adopting portrait presentations doesn’t mean abandoning the landscape format. In fact, using both formats strategically will enhance your overall marketing efforts.
Think of it this way: a portrait presentation is the perfect pre-read material or cold pitch document, designed to capture attention on a smartphone. Once you’ve secured a follow-up meeting, the landscape format becomes your tool for a detailed in-person presentation, where you can guide the conversation and dive deeper into the specifics.
In a competitive sports marketing space, this two-format strategy ensures your content is both accessible and effective, giving you a critical edge.
The Future is Vertical
As sports marketers, we need to stay ahead of the curve. The way we communicate with prospects, sponsors, and partners is changing—and portrait presentations are part of that evolution. They provide a mobile-friendly, engaging, and professional way to deliver information.
Yes, it might require additional effort to create both landscape and portrait decks. But the benefits are undeniable. A smoother user experience, higher engagement rates, and the ability to stay ahead of the competition make it more than worth the investment.
The next time you sit down to create a presentation, ask yourself: How will this be viewed? If the answer is “on a mobile device,” it’s time to think vertically.
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