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In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, standing out from the crowd is the key to capturing your audience’s attention. The thing is, tons of new content is being produced each day– which means that today’s audiences only want to consume entertaining content with a lasting impression. And what better way to make a lasting impression than through the captivating power of animation? Gone are the days when marketing is pretty much about hard-pitching your products to your audiences and listing all the great features. With company video marketing, you can get creative with the storyline, characters, and marketing messages you want to deliver.
This article will explore how animation can breathe life into your marketing efforts, creating a distinct visual identity that resonates with your target audience and propels your brand to new heights.
What Is Animated Company Video Marketing?
Before we get into the nitty-gritty details about elevating your brand using animated marketing videos, let’s first brush up on the basics. What actually is company video marketing?
Animated company video marketing is all about using animated characters and creative plots to promote and market a company’s products, services, or brand. Instead of relying on plain text or live-action videos, they turn to animation to convey information and make the explanation much more engaging.
Think about your favourite cartoons or animated movies. The characters come to life with vibrant colours, catchy music, and captivating storytelling. In the same vein, animated company videos use these elements to create engaging content that captivates the audience.
From animated explainer videos that simplify complex concepts to product demos that showcase features in a visually appealing way, animated videos can be tailored to suit any company’s needs and preferences.
What Makes Animated Company Video Marketing Strategies Worth Investing?
Now that we understand what company video marketing is all about, the next burning question would be: why can animated videos be a powerful marketing tool for businesses of all sizes? Here are some reasons why:
Dynamic Visuals and Storytelling Enhance Message Retention
Dynamic visuals and storytelling are powerful tools for enhancing message retention for audiences of all ages. Through stories, even complex messages can be delivered in such a light-hearted way.
Visually engaging and interactive information stimulates multiple senses and cognitive processes, leading to better comprehension and memory formation. After all, humans are naturally drawn to visuals (65% of us are visual learners), and when combined with a compelling narrative, the impact on the audience is further amplified.
Instead of just throwing a bunch of facts at your audiences, visual storytelling takes them on a journey. It’s like a rollercoaster ride where you guide them through a logical and sequential flow of information. This way, they can follow along easily, understand everything, and retain the important stuff effortlessly.
High Potential for Social Media Sharing
Social media platforms are a home for short, entertaining content. That makes animation possess a high potential for social share due to its visual appeal and entertainment value.
You can repurpose the animated videos into different formats, such as GIFs or short clips, which are highly shareable across various social media platforms. This high shareability helps you to tap into a broader audience and potentially go viral.
Bring Any Concept to Life
One of the biggest challenges marketers face is getting as much information across the audience as possible without overwhelming them. Using animation, you can bring any concept to life regardless of its complexity or abstract nature.
In other words, animation transcends the limitations of reality. With animation, even concepts that are intangible, futuristic, or scientific in nature can be visualized and communicated in a visually engaging and accessible manner.
For example, in educational settings– complex scientific theories, historical events, or abstract concepts can be simplified and made more understandable through animated visualizations.
Meanwhile, in marketing or advertising, animation can demonstrate product features, showcase benefits, or depict scenarios highlighting a product’s or service’s value.
Evoke Emotions and Create a Personal Connection
Through carefully crafted visuals, character design, storytelling techniques, and sound design, animations can trigger a wide range of emotions.
Characters in animations can be designed to elicit empathy and relatability, enabling viewers to form a personal connection with them. It makes the viewers feel joy, sadness, or even nostalgia.
This connection can deepen the audience’s emotional investment in the story or message being conveyed. Whether it’s through humor, drama, or heartfelt moments, animation has the potential to create a lasting emotional impact and leave a strong impression on the audience.
Animation Creates a Unique Visual Identity
It’s a versatile and distinctive medium that lets you create a unique visual identity. Unlike live-action videos or static images, animation unleashes a world of endless possibilities for creativity and imagination. You can bring to life concepts, characters, and environments that might be tricky or impractical to capture through real-life cameras.
The distinct visual style and personality set you apart from others through animation. It’s like having your own signature look that screams, “This is me!.”
The graphic elements also allow for incorporating stylistic elements, such as color schemes, typography, and motion design, that contribute to your overall visual identity. You can use them across all your marketing materials, keeping things consistent and ensuring everyone remembers your brand.
How to Elevate Your Brand with Animated Company Video Marketing
We know that company video marketing can be a worthwhile tool for your overall campaigns. But, not all animations and video content perform well and bring you the desired result– only when you plan it and execute it well.
Here are some actionable practices on using company video marketing strategies to take your business to the next level.
1. Animated Mascot
From Kool-Aid Man to Chester the Cheetah, the animated mascot represents a brand, adding some brand personality and character to the business.
While leveraging animated company videos, develop a unique and memorable animated character that embodies your brand’s values and personality. Besides the video, you can use this mascot in other various marketing materials, such as social media posts and website animations.
Not only will it create brand recognition, but the mascot can also serve as a spokesperson or a relatable figure that engages with your target audience.
Remember that your brand mascot must be consistent with your overall branding message and visually attractive and emotionally engaging.
2. Tell Engaging Stories
Videos, in general, are a great medium to tell stories. By combining both visuals and audio elements, viewers can easily relate to the story you deliver. With animation, creativity has no limit, making it easier for you to simplify intricate concepts so they become more understandable and easy to relate to.
Whether a brand origin story or a customer testimonial, an animated company video can help you get any stories across. Creating captivating narratives that resonate with your audience and evoke emotions humanizes your brand.
Remember that sharing authentic and relatable stories allows your audience to see the people and values behind your brand, fostering trust and building a sense of community.
3. Animated Product Demonstrations
Instead of traditional static images or text-based descriptions, use animated videos to showcase the features and benefits of your products. Demonstrate how they work, highlight key functionalities, and illustrate different use cases.
Animation allows you to showcase your products’ intricate details, inner workings, and unique selling points. You can present your products from different angles, zoom in on specific features, or even show them in motion.
This level of engagement allows your audience to get a closer look at the product’s functionality and envision how it can fit into their own lives or solve their pain points.
4. Short Explainer Videos
The great thing about animated explainer videos is that you can break down intricate concepts or procedures into digestible, visual chunks.
Use animation to simplify complex processes or explain your product or service in a visually engaging manner. Whether you’re explaining a technical product, demonstrating a step-by-step process, or showcasing the features of your service, animation can bring clarity and coherence to the content.
By creating animated tutorials or explainer videos, you can educate your audience in an entertaining and memorable way. This can also help differentiate your brand by presenting information in a unique and unconventional format.
Also, the flexibility of animated content allows you to reach a wider audience across various channels, ensuring consistent messaging and branding while catering to the preferences and habits of your target audience.
5. Animated Behind-The-Scenes Content
Lift the curtain on your brand and share behind-the-scenes glimpses through animated videos. Animated company video lets you take your audience on a virtual tour of your production process, introduce them to your team, or showcase the creative journey behind a new product launch.
This transparent and personal approach can put a face on your brand. By putting faces and personalities behind your brand, you create a relatable connection with your audience, emphasizing the human element and showing that real people are behind your products or services. Ultimately, this strengthens the emotional bond between your brand and your customers.
6. Company Overview
For some brands in complex industries, such as healthcare, IT, real estate, and insurance, introducing their businesses and services isn’t a walk in the park.
The intricacies and technicalities involved can make it challenging to capture the attention and engage the audience effectively. That’s where animated company overviews come into play.
Through the power of animation, you can take your audience on a journey that unravels the layers of your business. Start by illustrating the key challenges and pain points your target audience faces, demonstrating a deep understanding of their needs.
Here’s an example of an animated company overview by Breadnbeyond. The company does not only explain its expertise but also gives its audiences some points that make them different from their competitors.
Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=squzQkDfIuk
Then, seamlessly transition into showcasing how your brand provides innovative solutions and services to address those challenges.
7. Animated Micro-Lessons or Tips
Offer bite-sized educational content in the form of animated micro-lessons or tips. Create short animated videos that provide quick and actionable insights related to your industry or niche.
These animated lessons can be shared on your website, social media platforms, or through email campaigns, positioning your brand as a valuable source of knowledge and expertise.
Each video should focus on a specific theme or provides a practical tip your audience can apply daily. The key here is to keep the videos short, typically ranging from 30 seconds to a few minutes, to ensure they are easily digestible and shareable.
These types of animated educational videos are suitable for features like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, or TikTok.
You can take Sisyphus as an example. The channel creates a short clip specifically for the Shorts feature on YouTube (whether it’s whole new content or a juicy-meat point for a full-length video).
8. Serialized Animated Content
To keep the audience stick around your brand, you can develop a series of animated episodes or stories that connect with your brand and its values. Release them periodically, creating anticipation and building a loyal following.
By providing ongoing animated content, you keep your brand at the forefront of your audience’s minds. They become invested in your storylines, characters, and brand universe, increasing brand exposure and fostering a sense of loyalty.
Consider engaging with your audience, listening to their feedback, and incorporating their ideas into future episodes, fostering a sense of community and co-creation.
Serialized animated content can engage your audience over a longer period and keep them returning for more, increasing brand exposure and generating ongoing interest.
Wrapping Up
Incorporating company video marketing into your overall business campaign can elevate your brand and set you apart from the competition. The graphic elements let you infuse creativity, personality, and authenticity into your brand messaging, effectively differentiating yourself in the market.
Remember, the key to successful animated company video marketing is to align it with your brand’s values, target audience, and overall marketing objectives. It’s crucial to be strategic in choosing the right animation style, tone, and messaging that will resonate with your audience and effectively convey your brand’s story.