When it comes to the internet, we know that Faiba Internet is good. Why? Because Mbugua told us so. It is also common knowledge to everyone that Jamii Unga is quite cheap flour because Wafula recommends it to Koimett.
Why do we know these things? Animation
Many marketers are still using emails, texts, newspapers and other types of traditional media to attract clients. But many companies are now discovering the power of animations and they are using them to attract clients.
Some people may claim animations are a bit childish and it won’t capture the target audience fully. We were all raised up watching cartoons and fictional characters. I don’t believe that people wouldn’t like an ad that brings Clark Kent – Superman in the background—like for real. The truth, however, is that it has a sense of nostalgic memories even to the oldies. This is what is sometimes called Nostalgic branding/marketing. The viewers get more engaged as they are able to walk with the ad to refresh memories from the past. They know they’ll watch something nice, simple and fun, and also one that doesn’t demoralise the societal values—you know what I mean.
Animations are no gimmick. In my class, you’ll tend to see attention shift from our phones to the presentation screen when a lecturer surprises us with an animation infographic explaining the whole topic—it’s surprising because it’s not common for one to explain why “ X tends to zero but is not equals to zero” in a video, it needs hard stack maths :D. This explains the purpose of animations. They are able to bring up a complex knowledge into some easy and simple synthetics. It’s so common for us to look at the pictures in the newspapers and read their captions instead of reading a whole story. Plain text is no match to the synthetic power of an image; likewise, an image alone is no match when compared with the animation that allows its graphic elements to move, transform and come alive. This synthetic power is vital for any marketer that needs to explain a new product or service in a few seconds’ time.
“Everyone has a story to tell, and your job is to tell stories.”—Rayhab Gachango
We all think in the form of stories. We are brought up on stories— from our own childhood. Stories help us understand things and give us context. They build on simpler stories that we have been told before. For the case of Faiba, before we used to see Mbugua talking about owning his business, company, and real estate. Now we see him with his family, especially his son after passing KCSE. Then afterwards, we see his daughter bringing her boyfriend home. One can almost guess that the next scene will be a marriage scene where Mbugua has a live feed for their relatives. The point here is the stories give the audience an opportunity to learn through a more engaging process. An animated story does all these wonders—targeting our natural learning process and applying story-telling aspects to easily explain any brand.
But what about target audience?
Again, the situation of Mbugua in Faiba is close to every single Kenyan—having businesses in various cities, taking care of family needs, and the likes. The key is just to make the characters dress, talk, and act like your audience. This way, the audience can identify themselves with the fictional characters. Why is this great for your brand? Identification translates into trust and empathy in your company, which leads to conversions and sales.
If you’re wondering if animated video marketing is the right choice for your company, we’ve rounded up seven of the biggest advantages of promoting your company through the medium of animation.
1) It can make a complex story simple
Nothing beats animation for its capacity for economical storytelling. It gets straight to the key parts of the story, drawing customers in with a compelling tale. A few frames of animation can be more powerful than thousands of words.
2) Show, don’t tell
Animation gives marketers the chance to show anything – aliens landing on earth, the apocalypse, a bear eating the prime minister… The sky is the limit, which means that the most complex features of your business can be shown visually, instead of requiring lengthy descriptions.
3) Eye-catching
You need only look at the predominance of animated movies in the list of recent blockbusters to realise the power animation has to grab – and hold – viewers’ attention. If a good business idea can win customers’ respect, you first need them to notice you, and this is where the power of eye candy is paramount.
4) Transcends language barriers
A skillfully produced animation is a visual medium. This means it can surpass the limits of language barriers, allowing your marketing campaign to appeal to a much wider demographic.
5) Budget control
Consider all of the logistical considerations that go into filming a traditional live-action video: the crew, the catering, the location… the list goes on and on, expenses can quickly get out of hand. Not so with animation, where it’s much easier to keep a handle on costs and to keep them from spiralling out of control.
6) Distinctive style
Tone and atmosphere are easier to keep a handle on with animation, as the overall style of animation has a direct impact on the feel of the resulting video and the way it is perceived, meaning greater overall control of the message.
7) Closer to the edit
If the details of the company, the script or the product change over time, it is easier to go back and edit a voiceover than re-cut a live-action movie. So animations very often have a longer shelf life than other promotional films.
If you are looking to create an effective, state-of-the-art animated promotional video, it’s important to hire an animation company that knows the genre inside out and will be responsive to your requirements. But if you are looking to do some basic animations for a presentation or something not too fancy you can check out these sites that help you make cool animations in minutes.
Want to do more visual presentations? Leverage On The Power Of Videos To Take Your Business To The Next Level
