How to Use Animation to Increase Customer Engagement

Engagement. Dedication. The term is used so frequently that it has begun to lose its meaning. Can you remember the last time you’ve been involved in a campaign?

True dedication is a state of mind. Campaigns that accomplish this would not only result in better marketing measures such as “likes” and “share” but will also turn audiences into loyal customers.

Animation generates emotional bonds that other types of media do not have. It’s unforgettable. This is relatable. It’s quite available. Animation is a strong communication tool for brands who need to convey nuanced messages to their customers.

Why is Animation so Powerful?

Marketing and creative teams sometimes misinterpret animation. It’s a lot more than just a form of video. Animation has a single strength that outweighs the common Live-Action techniques used in campaigns: it can build the impossible. Through animation, we can reveal the intangible, build new worlds, and create powerful memories. Humans are drawn to the campaign. It’s normal, man. It’s instinctive, man.

The special strength of animation is that it incorporates three powerful components: filmmaking techniques, illustration and sound. These qualities lead animation to become a successful brand awareness media. Video and sound go side-by-side, and we can understand their effect by evaluating businesses investing heavily in marketing videos and podcasts.

Illustration has also proven to be highly successful as a brand recognition method, instantly identifiable when bringing key facets of products to their consumers. Companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, Dropbox, Mailchimp, Oscar, Headspace, Airbnb, and many others have been using illustration as part of their message for some time now. For example, in 2017, Facebook created an illustration and animation guideline called Alegria. This move allowed the organization to interact more with its large user base. By promoting “Joy” (Alegria translation), Facebook’s special vivid character colors made it easier for users to feel connected and reflected on the site. It has been introduced across the entire platform and has been a memorable bond between users and the Facebook brand.

Choosing Between Animation and Live-Action Video

Video continues to be the most powerful way for brands to communicate with their customers. The story is in the details. 49 percent of people watch more than five videos a day. By 2022, more than 82% of all internet consumer traffic will be video.

We can’t neglect video as advertisers. But we have to select which type of video is most effective for our clients, and that always comes down to the choice between animation or live action.

While many live-action promotions have achieved great success, they typically rely heavily on actors. This can lead to a lot of problems when they get addicted to your brand material. Their image can become a brand image, and any negative association with their appearance can directly impact on the brands they identify with.

Animation videos do not run the risk.

The convergence of the two extremely immersive worlds — illustration plus video — is animation, allowing material to stand out in a crowded environment.

Working with animated characters can eventually result in a more accessible video for your target market. Celebrities and actors have a distinct physical presence that resonates very well with part of the population, but may exclude those who do not see themselves in this individual. Since animation characters can take all sizes and shapes, it’s easier to create more inclusive campaigns, making it easier for the viewer to reach out more broadly.

Another significant advantage of animation is the versatility and power it offers. Brands using this platform have complete control over the look and sound of the characters that eventually come to represent their message, enabling them to communicate with more consumers.

How Animation Creates Connection and Brand Loyalty

Companies, including those described earlier, have recently introduced animation as their strategy to generate better interaction. Headspace is a perfect example of this. Now with 2 million active users and more than 65 million downloads in total, the meditation and awareness app has become the number one on the field. With a simple style and adorable animations, Headspace helped make meditation approachable, and that’s one of the key reasons for their success.

Headspace’s customer engagement experience has gone beyond social media participation — with over 85 million views of their videos. It built an aura for the brand and converted consumers into true fans of the platform.

Using a powerful media format (video) and distinctive visual appeal (branded illustrations), animation allows marketers the ability to build stories in the way that their consumers need to receive them.

Delivering Your Message Through Animation

Even though people have been calling themselves “storytellers” for a long time, storytelling is not a cliché, but a very powerful technique. Animation is all about story-telling. It brings stories to life through movement and sound in ways that are profoundly related to people.

Human characters are not the only weapon at your disposal when you use animation to tell a story. Graphic elements and text are only a few examples that exploit animation storytelling. In the end, animation and motion rely heavily on metaphors to make messages more appealing to their viewers.

An element can change its shape and form in animation transitions, linking distinctive scenes in a story. It can be made with precise cuts (like in live-action) or with morphing elements. The latter makes space for mysteries and expectations. Without understanding how and when something is going to change, to become something different, it creates interest that leads viewers to keep watching. Strong motion sections and campaigns are typically associated with powerful transitions.

There are some special forms animation has to stand out in a competitive marketplace. They’re easy to find. They’re really interesting. They are unforgettable — maybe more than live action.

Concluding

Just like consumers expect ads to do more than just sell to them, they expect more from brands than just goods. They want to feel connected to them in order to take the next step. Engaging customers is about being able to create these relations. Not just the message that you want to send, but the way you send it is extremely significant. Animation takes campaigns to the next level by incorporating two extremely strong forms of media: animation and film. But more than that, it has unique ways to stand out in the crowded marketing world we all live in, and it has the ability to tell stories like no other media can.

Cream is a motion graphics studio that transforms brand messages, compelling stories and big ideas into meaningful visual experiences.