If you need a new corporate video, animation might not be your first choice.
You might be worried that it looks unprofessional, or that it clashes with your brand visuals. Besides, wouldn’t it be easier to film a “real” video with real people?
Those are all legitimate questions and concerns.
But after working with hundreds of companies, we can say from experience that animated corporate video is the best way to present your business message to potential customers, hands down.
In today’s article, we’re going to explore why that is. Below, we will examine the benefits of using animated corporate video that you might not have considered before.
You will learn:
- Why it’s a worthwhile investment, even if it doesn’t quite align with the rest of your branding.
- The surprising reasons that make it a great sales tool and an even better teaching tool.
- What makes it more cost-effective than live-action video.
And more.
Sound good? Then read on.
1. Animated corporate video is impossible to misunderstand
Think back to the last live-action corporate video you’ve watched.
Best-case scenario, it featured a montage of stock visuals with voiceover. Worst-case scenario, you saw some executives talking to the camera with the sort of despondent, “when-can-I-go-do-some-actual-work” sort of look in their eyes.
With live-action video, there’s always a disconnect between what’s being shown and what’s being said. And unless you have unlimited budget to find – or make – exactly the right visuals, like a Hollywood director, this disconnect is always going to be there.
Now, animated corporate video starts with the same basic element: a script, a message. But everything else can be designed specifically to match, enhance, and build on said message.
With animation, you can create any kind of visuals. Your characters can look like anyone, and behave in ways that real actors or presenters can never imitate. Reality is not a factor – so you are free to craft a cohesive message without any constraints on creativity.
As a result, you get an easy-to-understand video – and a lot fewer confused viewers!
2. Cartoons are engaging – even if they don’t look great
We’ve already explored this topic in detail in previous articles, but here’s a quick recap:
For whatever reason, the human brain is fascinated by cartoony imagery. Even when it’s done poorly, it still makes us pay attention. Consider a webcomic like xkcd, or a blog like Wait But Why. Those are some of the most popular digital media in the world – and yet their visuals are just plain stick figures!
Why does it happen? Well, we aren’t neuroscientists, so we can only speculate. But here’s the best explanation we’ve found so far (supported by research):
Our brains and our eyes evolved to perceive a “live-action” environment – in other words, the real world as it looks to us right now. Cartoon visuals and animation look very different. When we encounter them, our brains have to work harder to parse what exactly we’re looking at. This makes us pay closer attention, and creates powerful engagement.
That’s why, if you want your customers to pay attention to what you have to say, animated corporate video is your best bet. With that improved engagement, you can use it to educate people, sell your products and services, and spread the word about your brand more effectively!
3. Animation is more entertaining – and more memorable
Nothing keeps customers away quite as effectively as boredom. So when you’re trying to get your brand message across, you want to make it as entertaining as possible. Anything goes.
Just to be clear, though – you don’t have to pull out all the stops and make an over-the-top goofy animated corporate video. But as long as you can entertain your viewers without sacrificing the clarity of your message, or taking away from its impact, you should.
And when it comes to entertainment value, nothing compares to animation! You can put whatever you want into your animated corporate video, like:
- Animals aliens, or even inanimate objects as characters
- Explosions, epic fights, and other action scenes
- Fantastic environments like outer space
The only limit is your imagination – just don’t forget that entertainment value should not detract from your message!
Entertaining your viewers provides you with long-term benefits, too. If you manage to make them laugh, smile, or think (or all of the above), people will remember your animated corporate video for a long time.
How long? Well, depending on who you ask, it’s not unusual for customers to remember an animated video for 30 days after viewing. As you can see, it pays to go the extra mile and make your content a little more fun!
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Click here to download your copy of “Top 10 Ways to Use a Whiteboard Video”
4. Animated video is a great sales tool… because it’s not salesy
Animated corporate video can help you sell more of your product or service, for one simple reason – it doesn’t look, or feel, like a sales pitch.
Your customers have a very specific picture in their head about what “being sold to” looks like. Most of them imagine a sleazy salesperson who pushes them to make a purchasing decision without learning about their situation, making them feel at ease, or giving any valuable information first.
A well-made animated video does exactly the opposite. It makes an effort to educate, entertain, and help. To provide value in advance. Of course, it can still mention the offer along the way – and be quite upfront about it. But because the emphasis is on education and entertainment, your viewers won’t see it as a sales pitch. As a result, they will be much more receptive to your message.
Note: Inevitably, a vocal minority of people will complain. They will be upset that you even dared to mention your product or service in your ridiculously engaging and entertaining animated corporate video. But these people will never become paying customers – so you should never, ever worry about what they think!
5. Animated corporate video is perfect for tackling tough subjects
Here’s something you don’t hear about very often:
Some topics are almost impossible to handle well if you’re using live-action video. You risk coming across as cheesy, or tone-deaf, or insensitive, or awkward – or all of the above.
What kind of topics are we talking about? Death, violence, illness, divorce, addiction – any kind of trauma or tragedy, really. If discussing your product or service requires you to tackle any of these, live-action video might not be a good choice.
Here’s why:
- If you use actors to tell your story, it’s very easy to create something that feels “off” in its tone and presentation. Unless the actors, the script, and the direction are all top-notch.
- If you just cite facts and figures with a motion graphic or a presentation, then you’re robbing your message of its emotional impact, and it comes across as too clinical.
- If you get people from the street to discuss their experiences, it might get too real – and using these stories as a sales vehicle could be seen as insensitive.
When your marketing deals with hard-hitting subjects, animated corporate video can be a game-changer. It presents these hard, challenging topics to customers “in abstract” – from a distance, metaphorically speaking. At the same time, through the use of characters and compelling visuals, animation helps you retain the emotional component of your message.
Win-win!
6. With animation, video production is easier, faster, and cheaper
Most people think of animation as something expensive and difficult to make. And it’s true – if we’re talking about a big-budget animated movie, for example.
But chances, are you’re not making the next Oscar-winning, feature-length masterpiece!
When it comes to short, engaging corporate videos, using animation is actually more cost-effective. It’s also faster and easier – plus, the final product looks far more impressive than a live-action video you could make on the same budget!
With animation, you don’t have to worry about finding the right location, hiring actors, getting high-quality equipment, renting a studio… you name it.
Besides, if you want to make changes to backgrounds, characters, props, or anything else, you can take care of it in post-production very easily. With a live-action video, you would need to go back and re-shoot the parts you didn’t like, and then do post-production on top of that! It’s a painful, complicated, and lengthy process.
And that’s what makes animated corporate video such a great choice for most brands.
Want to create an animated corporate video of your own? Book a risk-free pow wow today
Yes, whiteboard and cartoon animation videos are normally our “thing”… but guess what – we make awesome animated videos in other styles, too! Just check out our animation samples here.
We would be thrilled to create a high-converting, custom-animated video for your business. Let us know what style you’re interested in, or take your pick from:
– Motion graphics and cartoon animations
– Virtual Reality Animation
– Digital stop motion animation
– 2D character animation
And more.
If you’ve ever watched a slick animated corporate video and thought, “I want one!” – today is the day! All you need to do is enter your details below, and we’ll arrange a free, no-strings-attached pow wow to talk about your awesome idea for an animated video!
