Animated videos have found their way as an effective marketing strategy in the digital world. According to a social media agency Hong Kong, these types of video formats are set to boom in social media marketing this 2021. It is because they have a unique storytelling power to uplift brands. They also never run out of style and are the most beloved types of online video ads. They are very engaging, fun, and informative to watch. History has shown how powerful animated videos are when it comes to marketing.

• Nike’s “Air Max Reinvented” brought back the glory of the air max shoes in 2013.
• Cadbury’s “Dancing Alien” revolutionized a new dance craze and taste push in 2016.
• McVitie’s “Sweeter Together” cemented the company’s position as the number 1 UK biscuit brand in 2018. 

Let us now take a peek at how to tell your brand story through animated videos. If you do them right, you can hit the sweet spot of your target audiences.

What Are Animated Videos?

A video marketing agency Hong Kong defines animated videos as cartoons, puppets, and quirky objects converted into video mode by adding music and voices. Unlike regular videos captured by a camera, animated videos are a series of illustrations compiled together to simulate a short video format. An animated video ad commonly lasts for 15 to 60 seconds to quickly promote a brand, product, or service. Creating animated video ads is more difficult than curating a regular video ad. It requires creativity, precision, and the right technology.

There are a lot of ways to use animated videos in advertising. Some companies use animated videos to create a character for a brand. Animated infographics are a lighter approach to educating clients. Explainer videos help people better understand the benefits of a brand. They can also be used to create a story where either the brand or customer is the hero. So, animated videos are not just for kids. Around 80% of people – young and adults alike – love animated videos.

How Can Animated Videos Boost ROI?

No matter how funny or serious a brand is, no matter what product or service you sell, animated videos can significantly boost the return of investment (ROI). According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, animated videos rock in hitting a brand’s goal.

• Animated videos help a brand stay ahead of its competitors. It makes a brand stand out as creative, futuristic, and innovative.
• By guiding and inspiring a brand’s target audience, it turns customers into buyers.
• Embedded animated videos increase a brand’s visibility on search engine results. Thus, it boosts traffic to landing pages.
• Explainer animated videos help customers better understand a product.
• They are also cost-effective, avoiding the expense of hiring humans to act on a video.
• They can easily bring ideas into life through simple drawings.

How to Tell a Brand Story Through Animated Videos

Modern consumers prefer videos over images and written content. They search for videos to learn about new products, how to use them, and hacks to make their lives better. Through videos, they can save time by learning a lot in just a few minutes of viewing. Animated videos are a great way to tell your brand story. To build an online presence, here are ways on how you can use them.

Brand Imaging

Many brands have to use animated videos to create a persona representing their characters. Animated video is a budget-friendly way of making the viewer’s imagination fly by using augmented reality. A great example of a branding story using an animated video is Toyota’s “Stories for Better.” Toyota has successfully shown in the Paris Motor Show event that their cars made lives better. Rather than promoting a single car model, the company advertised their suites of vehicles through creative and fun animations. 

Cartoon Stories

Stories can evoke emotion and help gain customer loyalty. Cartoon videos are an excellent way to create human connections in the absence of real-life actors and actresses. In 2017. Heinz Beanz: A Can Size for Every Aussie successfully captured the heart of Australian households and created a large community of loyal followers for the brand. The animated cartoon story showed how Geoff innovated a can size Heinz Beanz for one, two, and four people highlighting the value of love and family.

Demo Videos

Using animation allows brands to introduce their products and services in a fun and creative way. It has no limit in adding characters, locations, and styles to the video. This format allows brands to demonstrate their product details and features and how to use them. Even modern tech companies tap on the power of animated videos for their product demos. Western Union, for one, used an animated demo video for US Mobile Payments. With a consistent and minimalist design approach, it has provided simple and to-the-point information on how to use Western Union mobile payments.

Explainer Videos

The best way to use animated video in telling a brand story is through explainer videos. It can help brands communicate complex ideas by using unlimited images and effects to engage the viewers. As such, brands can clearly show how they solve the customer pain points through entertaining animations. Apple’s “How to Move from Android to iPhone” has greatly helped Android users in switching to iPhone devices. It has successfully highlighted that the iPhone is easier to use than Android with spitting at Android’s face. That’s good marketing!

Reference: https://customerthink.com/animated-brand-storytelling-how-brands-can-use-animated-videos-to-grow/