Now is a better time than ever to consider what motion graphics can do for your brand. At a time when safety is paramount and video production is mostly limited to cell phone recordings, motion graphics can save the day. It has been explored as an artform for many years, and has proven to be a versatile outlet for brand communications.
The usefulness of this approach (especially right now) was a message we wanted to get across—and what better way to represent the engaging nature of motion graphics than with an engaging motion graphics video? It was a story worth telling, and for our audience, we wanted to make it a story worth watching. In order to understand how something like that can work for your brand, you have to understand motion graphics.
What It Is
Motion graphics is—you guessed it—graphics in motion. A subset of “animation,” it’s the craft of applying movement to 2-dimensional artwork and text. In doing so, it creates visual interest that catches the eye. In our case, we used a current and timely topic to inspire a video that tells a story by leading the eye through the narrative. But not all uses of motion graphics are as complex as our example. It can be treated as:
- A simple addition to video footage that adds information or visual interest
- A complement to video footage that helps support the message
- A supplement for video footage that carries its own weight entirely
Using it as its own medium allows it to really shine. As our Motion Design Director, David, says, “Motion graphics can be done in any style: character-based, text-based, photo-based, graphic-based—it can be flat or textured, hyper-realistic or impressionistic, created from existing assets or built from the ground up. It’s an artform of its own. It gives us the opportunity to think differently about video.”
Logo animations, explainer videos, social posts, TV show openings—there are so many uses for motion graphics that it’s impressive to consider the return it can generate with such limited input. The usual production needs, like a video crew, equipment, and travel, are not a factor here. Plus it can be endlessly re-adapted to suit changing needs. These features offer a great alternative for a volatile time when video production is difficult to organize and safely execute.
What It Does
The usefulness of motion graphics stems from its ability to grasp attention, generate interest, and make an impact. And knowing how much video marketing has grown, it’s usually the best vehicle for getting your message out there. One 2016 statistic showed social videos generating 1200% more shares than the combination of static text and images. Add in the versatility of graphics, and you’re on your way to some real engagement.
Motion graphics is a sweet spot for certain communications initiatives, including:
- To Educate: Share information that supports your initiatives—both internally and externally
- To Showcase: Get your product or service in front of your audience in creative ways
- To Energize: Use the excitement of music, art, and motion to get people interested in your message
- To Engage Socially: Use motion as a conduit—grab the attention of followers and scrollers-by
The purpose of our video, for instance, was to energize people and get them excited about motion graphics by experiencing it first hand. Once that was accomplished, the underlying initiative could come into play, which was to educate (and here we are). Educating is one thing motion graphics does exceptionally well, particularly when it comes to simplifying information.
Fourth Source calls it “the video marketing era’s answer to the infographic.” Graphics have the ability to present complicated information in clear and memorable ways. Adding motion makes it more approachable while incorporating a flow that helps guide the viewer’s thought process and makes complex material easy to digest.
Beyond educating your viewers, motion graphics helps solidify your brand’s presence for them. By applying the same treatments across video executions, you support a cohesive look and feel that your audience perceives as “your brand.” This kind of consistency means a lot in terms of recognition, especially when studies show that enjoyment of a video increases brand association by 139% among viewers.
How It Elevates Your Brand
The positive brand associations that your audience develops when watching your videos are a catalyst for engagement. When people like your brand, they are more willing to interact with it. Which brings us to one big reason why motion graphics is so important in today’s oversaturated content landscape: it’s a truly powerful way to tell your brand story.
Storytelling is a big word in advertising right now—and for a good reason. Years ago, brands really only spoke in terms of selling points, which meant identifying a need that people have, then providing a solution to that need. It works, but there is a much better way. Considering the emotional nature of humans, it’s not surprising for research to show that a story is 22 times more memorable than plain facts.
The power of stories was at the heart of our video execution. Rather than just telling the viewer that motion graphics can be dynamic and visually captivating, we put more stock in showing them by using our brand as a narrator. When done right, telling a story produces that coveted personal connection with the viewer. It humanizes your brand and gives it depth. And since the flexibility of motion graphics gives you complete control over how you present your message, it’s going to help you develop a much more meaningful relationship with your audience. This is a big consideration when creating something that people want to watch.
To have your audience become invested to the point that they want to engage in your content is certainly an opportunity worth exploring. We’ve been exploring it for many years, and we love to take the artistry, strategy, and impactfulness of motion graphics videos into new territories.
How can we tell your story through motion graphics?
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