Following its remarkable success in the entertainment industry, animation proved to be equally effective in advertising and came to play a bigger and bigger role in the business, helping to create the pre-digital era of promotion through commercial animation.
Initially, animation was a somewhat expensive and time-consuming marketing tool, but as technology evolved, it became more widely available. Soon, smaller businesses could now afford animation for marketing, not just big multinationals.
They were able to produce better outcomes faster and cheaply thanks to the development of computer animation. Any company or brand may now make use of animation’s unique benefits. It enables businesses to show the audience virtually any good or service, often making it difficult to realise it isn’t real.
Because of new technology, we are now living in a time of boundless possibilities; computers have helped us rethink our boundaries, particularly those about communication. As a result, there has been a substantial change in how businesses reach out to their target audience and convey their message to sizable groups of people using technologies like 3D commercial animations.
3D animation is a broad term for animation produced with computer software that enables the generation and manipulation of 3D objects and structures. Animation in 3D is far more flexible and appealing than animation in 2D.
When used appropriately, many forms of 3D animation will unquestionably accomplish their goals and deliver results. 3D video elements, whether entirely or partially created in 3D, achieve effects that are difficult or impossible in 2D or live-action videos.
3D Animation and its history
Animation is a process of drawing pictures that move, change shape, or become transparent over time. Animation is often used in movies, TV shows, video games, commercials, and educational programs.
It is a technique that involves photographing a series of repeated drawings, models, or even puppets to give the impression that they are moving. Since our eyes can only keep a picture for about a tenth of a second, the brain blends numerous moving images that appear in rapid succession.
Sequential art has existed for thousands of years—or even longer, depending on how you interpret cave paintings—but the development of the film strip was the only thing that allowed for the process that led to the modern form of animation. However, as we can see from Simon von Stampfer’s phénakisticope, the optics of animation have been understood since the early 1800s (1833).
On his Praxinoscope, one of the forerunner technologies to the film camera, the French artist and inventor Charles-Émile Reynaud actually painted one of the earliest animations on film by hand.
Warner Bros. launched Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies in the 1930s after rival companies realised there was money to be made in animation. The American Golden Age of Animation began in the 1930s with Mickey and Bugs’ friendly competition and eventually led to the power play Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the first full-length motion picture produced completely of hand-drawn pictures.
What follows is history. Another American animation pioneer, Hanna-Barbera, entered the scene with the rise of colour TV in the late 1950s.
Not because animation appeals to various groups, but rather to all of them at once, maybe its greatest strength. Artists can use animation to evoke that innocent wonder and amazement of not believing our eyes, but they can also use it to communicate stories and even conduct business in a more sophisticated way.
The Importance of Animation in Marketing
Because it is a far less expensive alternative to traditional advertisements and is successful in reaching the audience, animation is popular in most areas.
Since there is far more room for error and delays with live-action than with animation, which only requires a small number of animators and voice actors to generate a high-quality end result, live-action may be quite expensive. More businesses are using animation to market their products, services, and concepts for a variety of reasons.
An animated commercial will provide you with a chance to make your point before the viewer moves on by summarising the complete marketing campaign in a quick visual with music. When creating a story, animation makes it easier to construct people who don’t have to be realistic and to imagine virtual worlds that are worlds apart from our own.
Enhancing contact with potential clients is one function of animation in advertisements. Instead of reading dozens of pages of text to comprehend your goods, the majority of people would prefer to watch an engaging animated movie.
Animation often draws in more viewers and is more entertaining to watch than traditional advertising. Additionally, it has humorous or comical features that keep viewers entertained for extended periods of time and frequently promote sharing for more marketing chances.
Since practically anything may be depicted in animation, unlike live-action videos, you are not constrained by what is realistic or possible, allowing you to be much more inventive. Including elements of the magical in the story can help hold viewers’ interest for longer.
Advertising animation typically comprises brief videos that convey information in a memorable way while speaking effectively and fast. Most of the time, animation offers humorous relief, which increases spectator engagement overall.
Why use animation while promoting a brand?
The first thing we tend to think about when it comes to marketing is how to get people to buy the device. How do we make them understand what we have to offer? Who are we trying to reach? What is the best way to tell them about us? And, finally, what can we do to ensure they remember who we are and what we are offering?
In today’s world, we often forget that “simple is beautiful,” and instead try to go overboard with our creativity and graphics. We overthink our messages, spending hours designing, animating, and testing before we even put out a single message.
Many companies spend their entire budget on advertising campaigns that fail to make an impression on customers. So, how should brands approach digital marketing? By using animation!
Animation is a powerful tool that is simple to implement and does not require you to spend thousands of dollars on fancy equipment. Moreover, animation brings your brand to life and makes it easier for consumers to relate to.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways animation can help your business.
Engage & Educate Consumers
Animations work great at engaging audiences and educating them on items and services. Whether you want to promote your latest device launch or simply inform your audience about your company’s mission, animations are a wonderful tool to use.
Many brands have turned to animated videos to educate their target market on topics like social responsibility, sustainability, and global warming. As long as your video is informative and entertaining, you will surely find success.
Animation creates interest and curiosity
Animations create interest and curiosity about a brand. By adding animations to your website, people are more likely to click on your links. In addition, they’re more likely to share your content. People love sharing great stuff!
Build Trust
Do you know anyone who doesn’t trust brands? If you don’t, then you probably know someone who does. That is why building trust among your target market is so critical to your business. Animations are perfect for this purpose because they are fun, creative, and relatable.
When you create a video that tells a story, viewers naturally begin to care about the characters and become invested in the outcome. People love to watch stories unfold, and that is exactly what animations allow you to do. If you want to build trust among your target market, start off with a video.
Increase Conversions
Conversions are the end goal of any campaign. Animation increases conversion rates. When users see an animated video, they tend to watch it longer than static videos.
You may be thinking that you already have conversions; however, if you aren’t converting enough visitors into buyers, then you aren’t doing your job right. When you add an animation to your website, it helps increase conversion rates.
Because you’re telling a story, people tend to engage more with your content. Furthermore, animated videos are an excellent way to keep users engaged with your site. If you want to improve your conversion rate, consider adding an animation.
Create Awareness
When you add an animation to a website, you are increasing awareness around your brand. If your brand isn’t well-known yet, getting people to notice you is a difficult task. However, if you use animation to spread your message, you will have a much greater chance of achieving this.
Your target market will be able to easily recognise who you are, where you are located, and what you are selling. Additionally, they will feel that they already know you. If your brand is unknown, animations are a great way to get attention.
Grow Sales
Animations are an effective means of generating sales. A study conducted by Animoto revealed that videos with a strong narrative performed twice as well as those without.
According to the same study, when people watched an animation, they were more likely to share it than a static image. In addition, consumers were 27% less likely to leave a page due to an animated video. Therefore, if you want to generate more sales, make sure to incorporate animation.
Animation helps improve SEO rankings
Adding animated images to your site can help your search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines look at the number of pages indexed by a web crawler (called robots) and their speed. To rank higher, you need to have lots of indexed pages and fast-loading pages. Adding interactive elements like animations makes your page load faster.
Animation attracts social shares
Adding animation to your website will attract more shares on social networks. Users want to share things that are fun and attractive. So, if you add a funny or interesting animation, they’ll be more inclined to share it on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, etc.
Animation motivates customers
Some people get motivated by seeing others doing something good. An example of this would be someone who sees a child running around playing and encourages them to play sports. Or could influence them to buy a unit. Animations can motivate people just like this.
Animations can help boost your business in numerous ways. From educating to engaging, building trust to increasing conversions, there are endless opportunities to expand your brand’s reach.
Happy marketing team
Animated videos contribute significantly to the marketing plan in addition to being interesting and sales-oriented.
Fun and unique animated videos are easily shared on social media, which increases their likelihood of becoming viral.
You can anticipate search engines favouring your page if your video is embedded on your website and posted to YouTube. Additionally, animated movies can be used in presentations, blog posts, paid advertising initiatives, and email newsletters.
An effective marketing tactic that can be applied to any platform is animated video. Don’t undervalue this material, and be sure you understand the advantages animated video may offer your company.
Ways to use animation for promotion
There are many different ways to promote products online. One way that is becoming increasingly popular is using animated videos. Animated videos have become popular because they make a direct connection with consumers and allow them to get to know your brand more easily.
So what exactly makes an animated video effective? Here are some tips to help you create an animated video that gets results.
- Keep it simple
Animated videos are best when they keep things simple. If you use too much text, graphics, or music, people may not even bother watching your video. Instead, focus on keeping your content short and sweet.
- Use a professional voiceover
The voice of the narrator should sound professional. You don’t want to use someone who sounds unprofessional or amateurish because it will reflect poorly on your company.
- Include a call-to-action
At the end of your video, you need to provide a clear call to action. After watching your video, what do you want the audience to do? Do you want them to click a link to learn more about your design? Click here to buy now. Whatever you decide, just make sure that it’s crystal clear.
- Create a memorable message
Your video should leave people feeling inspired. Make sure that you’re providing something valuable to them. People might feel bad if they watch your video and realise that it wasn’t worth their time.
- Get feedback
Avoid putting all of your eggs in one basket. Before releasing your video, you should test it out and ask others for their opinion. Find out what works and what doesn’t work. Then, continue making changes until you find the perfect version. Once you’ve created your final version, it’s time to release it!
- Simple and entertaining ways to tell your tale
Still popular now is the use of stories to convey information. You can always turn whatever message you wish to convey—whether it’s informational, educational, or introductory—into a story. Not only do people adore wonderful stories, but they also frequently recall them. Your animated videos will be more memorable if you use the power of storytelling.
A lot of businesses that offer software and technical solutions have previously benefited from animated videos. These businesses are aware that any subject involving a lot of technology or numbers may be made into an engaging and clear illustration. Any animated graphs and charts that come with a voice-over will be more well-received.
Conclusion
Research indicates that over 40% more animation has been used in commercials just in the past year demonstrating how increasingly more businesses are realising the benefits of using animation to sell, illustrate, and train. Well-designed animated ads boost website traffic, Google search engine optimization, and conversion rates. Advertising that is animated is both affordable and successful.
One animation output might be preferable to the other depending on the ultimate objective and location of your video. Always begin with the end in mind while deciding on a project’s course of action.
A strategy built on animation for content may be the greatest fit for a lifestyle business that strives to be present in every moment of a customer’s life and that wants to grow a fan base with an audience that is mostly on Instagram. However, an animated advertising campaign would be the greatest option if the same lifestyle firm wanted to increase sales in the upcoming quarter.
The development of animation is difficult on many levels, as are the numerous ways it may enhance a brand. To achieve a brand’s objectives, several animation languages must be combined with the appropriate output.
Gaining a deeper understanding of these variations can improve your strategic thinking, help the animation team comprehend the complexity and scope required for the project, and increase the success of the animation you create for your next customer.
