Videos are the most versatile content type interacting with the human psyche. We, humans, perceive the information from the video at the audial and visual levels simultaneously. It gives us a more comprehensive view of the subject and a better understanding of the key message.
In the current pandemic conditions, the video has become an even more compelling way to interact with the audience in the digital space. It affects our emotions, feelings, thoughts and encodes a certain attitude towards some brands, products, and services. Does it sound a little bit frightening? Maybe, but that’s the actual influence of video content saturating our social networks, news websites, web magazines, and other spots on the web.
With the popularity of videos on the rise, marketers can’t ignore them as powerful tools for audience engagement anymore. On the contrary, they should learn about using them in digital marketing masterfully and be well-aware of the best video marketing practices.
Animated Videos. Almost Everyone Loves Them
- Image by Ekansh Saxena via Unsplash
Animation has been one of the most favorite content types before, and it still is gaining momentum now. Brands across different industries incorporate animated videos in marketing on social media, their positioning on other online places, and even show them on large screens at shopping malls. These companies have already experienced all the real benefits of animated videos for business. Cartoons have been, are, and always will be loved by the audience because they remind us of sweet childhood, make us think of the good, and give us fun.
Animation as a Trust-Building Component in Emotional Branding
We trust animated short commercials because it seems that they don’t sell anything like ordinary cartoons. We believe that they are a kind of entertainment rather than a marketing campaign because they are funny and raise our mood. We trust them because we believe that the Good always wins the Evil, and cartoons are the most obvious demonstration. We believe that every story has a happy end like in cartoons.
We got used to happy ends. We believe that the happy end will happen without our involvement because this is the norm of our daily routine. Is it always the reality indeed, or does somebody try to teach humanity that everything is good and the happy end is the norm?
We do create every happy end. Or not. It’s everyone’s choice and right. And if we give up using this right, then someone else will use it instead of us. Brands should leave the right to choose for their potential customers and be unobtrusive in their video-advertising.
The Hidden Power to Affect Opinions (Whether It Sounds Bad or Good)
- Photo by Warren Wong via Unsplash
Every stick has both ends. Video marketing has them too. Videos, in particular, animated commercials, are powerful means of transferring and landing information into human minds. On the one hand, you can use them to manipulate the opinion, shape the attitude toward things through marketing (or rather psychological) mechanisms, distract from the by-products through entertaining elements, and emphasize the sexiest product aspects instead.
On the other hand, brands can use video-content as a powerful tool to build something bigger behind public opinion about their products. Short commercials can deliver a double message to customers: the first layer can unobtrusively promote the product. The second one can aim to evoke kindness, humanism, and tolerance towards others. This is how companies can promote their commercial value and the more subtle values important for everyone at the same time. With the video-marketing, you can kill two birds with one stone: increase audience engagement and contribute to the global educational process to teach people about empathy and compassion.
Animated videos are how brands turn directly to kids inside each of the customers and call for initial empathy toward those near. Your marketing videos can remind people that they can be “good” and educate them that everyone creates something that we used to name the happy end.
Something Eternal Behind Video-Marketing… Brands Can Use It to Deliver More Value to People
- Photo by James Ting via Unsplash
Honestly, when starting the article, I was going to write about video marketing trends expected in 2021. Hopefully, I will write about them in my next piece. However, I suddenly understood that trends come and go. They change like everything in the world. However, there is an infinite process behind all this, and we can’t ignore it.
It’s the self-evolution of you as a personality, you as a brand, and you as humanity. We all are interconnected in the world, and brands have the power of influence over their communities. So, use it wisely. Animated marketing videos are just one of the plenty of powerful and beautiful marketing tools able to help us take seeds of the Good, put them into the soil, and help them grow.
Why Take a Stand for Social Issues in Video-Marketing? Down-to-Earth Business Benefits to Motivate You
Be The First in Your Niche With Animated Commercials That Emphasise Social Values
Animated marketing videos that emphasize social values is a comparatively new trend. We have already seen many video marketing campaigns that draw attention to social issues. Remember how Airbnb aired an ad during the coveted Super Bowl spot in direct response to President Trump’s decision to close America’s borders to refugees temporarily. Remember P&G’s “We See Equal” video campaign designed to fight gender bias and work towards equality for all.
Let’s now consider how powerful animated video campaigns are. McDonald’s animated commercial promoting a new mobile app ended in 7 million-strong downloads within just two years after it was launched. With more than 11 million views and currently a #5 spot in the Health and Fitness category in the Apple store, Headspace has clearly done something right when producing a straightforward animated commercial explaining how their app works. Another great example is an animated video for Boostation created by Explain Ninja.
Suppose you can combine these two effective marketing practices, emphasizing social values in commercials and animation, into one. The two powers mixed into one, and we can name it animated social commercials. It can be an explosive marketing innovation. And you can be the first in your niche to try out this new video marketing trend.
Dana Kachan is the Author, Speaker, and Digital Marketing Consultant advising tech startups and businesses in the USA, Asia Pacific, and Europe. Content Manager at Fireart Studio, boutique design and software development company in Warsaw, Poland. Author of articles about customer experience, business and marketing on Yahoo Finance Singapore, ReadWrite,… View full profile ›
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