The power of whiteboard animation
Despite the growing popularity of animation as a use for marketing, you may still be skeptical about how whiteboard animation works, and that's completely understandable. Many companies fear that animation on whiteboards is too simple, or doesn't come across as persuasive or informative as a talking head of flesh and blood, the so-called "talking head." But embracing animation as a medium for your message can be a great leap forward.
Over the past 10 years, whiteboard animation has proven itself time and again as the favorite for reaching viewers with complex, nuanced information. Everything from product explainers, detailed software launches and updates to fictional storytellers benefit from whiteboard animation. Scientific evidence is a key metric these days, and consulting it, we see that whiteboard video consistently wins over "talking heads."
Obstacles
The power of animation is rooted in the way our brains process information, especially complex ideas, new concepts and challenging topics. We are just not very good at absorbing large amounts of new information at once, especially when each new piece of data, is based on the previous point. It's a matter of memory retention, and the problem is focus. People just don't stay focused when (complex) content is told. Thus, the speaker himself is an obstacle. From the moment we see another person, we measure their reliability and authority against a complex background of previous experience. This is something a creator of a video cannot possibly take into account.
Dr. Carla Clark
Neuroscientist and PhD Carla Clark explains how we process data and why whiteboard animation is almost perfectly tuned to convey information:
"The simpler the object is, the less effort the brain needs to process and relate the image. By applying this neuropsychology to whiteboard videos versus talking heads, we are connected to pay more attention to the simplicity of whiteboard videos. This frees up processing power to digest the story". Animation avoids misinterpretation and distraction and replaces them with digestible graphics with embedded concepts. Whiteboard animation is a palette cleanser and appetizer in one, leaving viewers both satisfied and hungry for more.
Even the movement of the hand in a whiteboard video production is part of how our brains connect plot points. The structure of the message - the hand moving across the canvas as it draws - draws viewers into a clear, linear message that is built in. Dr. Clark appoints attention to this "vivid visual progression, where viewers consume information step by step in a logical sequence." She argues that animation "keeps viewers engaged, and it prevents attention span." More importantly, perhaps, when the hand draws an image, the viewer is naturally engaged in trying to anticipate the next stage of the video based on what they are doing. As the image is drawn before their eyes, the outcome for the viewer is either satisfaction with an image they expected (they are rewarded with a little dopamine). Or they are surprised by an unexpected image that appears (another bit more dopamine) and are drawn further into the story. Whiteboard animation literally rewards viewers for paying attention.
(Source: Forbes.com).
Expiriment
To test this theory, psychologist Richard Wiseman showed 1,000 people two videos with the same script. The only difference was that one was a talking head video and the other was a whiteboard animation. Both videos contained exactly the same speech. The results? 92% of viewers remembered key information from the whiteboard video version, while only 70% of viewers remembered key information from the talking head version. Wiseman calls the 22% difference "absolutely huge." "Simply by adding animation," Wiseman continues, "you see a very big increase in not only fun and entertainment, but also in knowledge transfer. And that's absolutely key as we see a huge shift to online learning. " You can make several improvements and tweaks to your animated video that increase engagement. Higher production value, quality voice-over talent, an engaging soundtrack or original score, extensive character development and professional scripts all improve the viewing experience. Once you embrace animation as a medium for your message, it is literally "the sky is the limit."
Creating a quality marketing video can be both time-consuming and costly, especially if you are aiming for good video and sound quality. Whiteboard animations are done by the minute, and because you approve the script in advance, you can influence the final cost. After all, you only want to see the essential topics included. That way you'll never have any surprises!
Temporarily starting at only €250 per minute, where average prices are between €1000 and up per minute! Ask me about the conditions!