Branded data room: Advantages & how to customize a VDR

By incorporating data room customization features, a branded data room not only helps build trust with clients and partners but also makes the virtual data room (VDR) experience more intuitive. Tailored data room solutions allow companies to align the VDR interface with their brand identity. It creates a cohesive and familiar environment for users.

That’s why, when exploring the best virtual data rooms, choosing a provider that offers robust branding tools can significantly improve both user experience and trustworthiness.

This article aims to describe the key benefits and features of a branded data room, explain its difference from a white-label data room, and illustrate how iDeals virtual data room provider can enhance your document management experience with its customization options.

What is a branded data room?

A branded data room is a secure online repository designed for storing, managing, and sharing confidential information during complex deals and business transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions, a due diligence process, fundraising, or legal proceedings.

What sets a branded data room apart from a regular virtual data room is the ability to customize it with a company’s branding elements, such as logos, color schemes, and personalized URLs. Enhanced VDR branding not only improves brand recognition but also provides a professional experience for users.

Here are the key differences between branded and non-branded virtual data rooms:

Customization

Branded virtual data room software offers extensive customization options, allowing the platform to reflect corporate identity in VDR. Non-branded VDRs, on the other hand, provide a generic, standardized interface with little to no branding options.

User experience

The branded virtual data room service enhances the user experience by providing a consistent visual identity across all communications and documents. Non-branded data rooms lack this professional touch, which might result in a less professional appearance.

Perceived value

Branded virtual data room solutions can improve the perceived value of a company. They demonstrate attention to detail and professionalism. Non-branded online data rooms may not convey the same level of sophistication.

Note that there’s a difference between a branded data room and a white label data room: 

• A branded data room is a virtual data room that is customized to reflect a company’s branding, incorporating elements like logos, color schemes, and possibly a personalized URL. While it presents a tailored experience that aligns with the company’s identity, the original data room provider’s branding might still be visible to some extent.

• A white-label data room is a more comprehensive rebranding. It allows a company to fully customize the data room and present it as if it were entirely their own product, with no visible reference to the original provider. This creates the impression that the company offering the white-label solution developed the software themselves, giving them full ownership over the platform’s appearance and interface.

Also note that a data room can be referred to as an electronic data room, virtual deal room, or online data room.

Use cases for branded data rooms

A branded data room can be used for any business deal requiring efficient and easy data management, user management, and data security. However, it’s especially helpful during:

1. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A)
   During M&A processes, a branded VDR ensures that the multiple parties involved in the process have a seamless, branded experience. This enhances the acquiring company’s image and professionalism throughout the transaction.
2. Fundraising
   Startups and established companies alike can use a secure virtual data room to present their business plans, financial projections, and other confidential documents to potential investors. The professional, branded environment helps build credibility and fosters confidence among investors.
3. Legal proceedings
   Law firms and legal teams can use branded data rooms to manage and share sensitive documents securely. The branding makes sure that clients and third parties see a consistent and professional interface throughout the legal process.

Advantages of branded virtual data rooms

Virtual data room providers offer several branding benefits of VDRs:

1. Increased brand recognition
   Branding your VDR with your company’s logo and colors reinforces your brand and makes it more recognizable. The consistency helps people remember your company.
2. Better user experience
   A customized VDR that matches your company’s style can make the platform easier and more enjoyable to use. Familiarity helps users navigate and manage confidential data more efficiently.
3. Differentiation from competitors
   A branded VDR sets you apart from competitors who may use standard, unbranded platforms. Differentiation can be particularly advantageous in competitive sectors, where showcasing your brand’s unique value proposition can be a deciding factor for potential clients or partners.
4. Strengthened corporate identity
   Incorporating your brand’s visual elements into the data room supports a unified corporate identity. This is especially important during significant transactions or projects, where maintaining a strong, consistent corporate presence can positively influence stakeholder perceptions.
5. Improved security perception
   A well-branded VDR not only signifies professionalism but also enhances the perception of security and reliability. Stakeholders may feel more assured that their sensitive information is being handled with the best security services, crucial during high-stakes deals.
6. User familiarity and comfort
   Personalized data room software provides a familiar environment for internal teams and external users alike. This familiarity can make the platform easier to navigate, reducing the learning curve and improving overall efficiency in document management and communication.

VDR branding is helpful for everyone. For clients and partners, it builds trust by showing a professional and secure environment. This reassurance is important for handling sensitive information. For internal teams, a branded VDR makes the platform look and feel familiar, which simplifies navigation and document management. Overall, branding makes the experience smoother and reinforces a professional image, making interactions more effective and trustworthy.

What customization options does iDeals VDR offer?

iDeals is a virtual data room provider that offers several data room customization features, allowing companies to tailor the interface with their branding, adjust security settings, and configure workflows to fit their specific needs. 

More specifically, iDeals offers features such as:

• Company logo
  Users can upload their company’s logo in the data room. This is done by clicking or dragging and dropping the logo image into the designated area. If needed, users can also edit or remove the logo later.
• User interface color
  The VDR interface color can be adjusted to align with the company’s branding. Users can choose from eight pre-set color themes that are optimized for both light and dark modes. Custom colors aren’t available, but these themes are designed to provide a pleasant and functional user experience.
• Login page background
  Users can customize the login page background with an image that reflects their company’s brand. The background adapts to fit various screen sizes and is optimized for fast loading, with a minimum resolution requirement of 1280×1024 pixels.

• Watermarks

Users can set up and customize watermarks that appear when documents are viewed, downloaded, or printed. They can also choose the pattern and color of the watermarks, and configure them to include information like username, IP address, and document access time and date.

• Headers and footers
  iDeals also allows to customize the headers and footers on documents that are printed or downloaded as PDFs. Users can adjust the content, font size, and colors to suit your branding needs.
• Flexible workflow
  Finally, users can tailor and automate the communication flow according to their project’s requirements. Manage actions and messages efficiently by routing questions and answers to the appropriate users based on their roles, such as question drafter or answer approver.

How branding affects user experience on desktop and mobile devices

Branding enhances the user experience on both desktop and mobile devices by providing a consistent and professional look. On desktop, custom logos, interface colors, and backgrounds create a cohesive and familiar environment, making navigation and interaction more intuitive. This consistent branding helps users feel confident and connected to the company.

On mobile devices, the branding elements ensure that the experience remains visually appealing and functional. The login page background and user interface colors adapt to fit smaller screens, maintaining a professional appearance across devices. This seamless experience helps users easily access and manage documents whether they are using a desktop or a mobile device.

Note: You can try all these customization features and more with our free trial. Our excellent data room service and dedicated project managers will assist you throughout.

Branded data room and security considerations

While the primary focus of branded electronic data room providers is on branding, customization, and user experience, their solutions still offer access control and other security features to protect sensitive data. 

Here are the key branded data room security tools typically also seen in a regular secure data room:

1. Multi-factor authentication
   Ensure users provide multiple forms of verification, such as a password and a mobile code, making unauthorized access significantly harder.
2. Granular permissions
   Set specific access permissions, making sure only authorized users can view, edit, or share documents. 
3. Audit trail
   Track all user activities, including document views and edits, and maintain audit logs for detailed monitoring, compliance, and document security oversight.
4. Redaction
   Remove sensitive information from documents before sharing or publishing.
5. Security certifications
   Verify that the data room meets industry standards for security and data protection. Certifications such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2 demonstrate that the data room provider adheres to rigorous security practices.

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