Are you thinking about creative and engaging ways to promote a product or service, make an announcement, explain a process or even just tell the stories that your contacts love to hear?

2D corporate animations are a great way to do this. Here are 10 top tips for your animation project. Get this strategy right and you’ll maximise the return on your marketing investment.

1. Purpose – What message do you want to communicate?

If you are considering a 2D animation, what do you want to achieve from it? Some examples include:

• Announcing news that needs to cut through lots of digital noise on your website and social channels
• Boosting interest in a product or service
• Explaining a process linked to a service you offer, or the unique way you provide it
• Sharing an experience, which perhaps communicates the values of your organisation.

Knowing the purpose of the animation, and your audience, will help you understand what you want to achieve with the final product. Any SMART goals that you can associate with this purpose will also help you to assess return on investment, so make your targets Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based.

2. Storyline – Are you telling a story?

Most animations have a storyline or a plot. Stories are an engaging, relatable and memorable way to communicate. For example, when promoting a new product, the storyline could revolve around somebody dealing with a problem. The animation can then show that the product or service you wish to promote can directly help your audience with this issue. Structuring a script that tells your story effectively is definitely a good idea when planning your animation.

3. Duration – How long does it need to be?

Knowing where you want your animation to be shared and what the purpose is will determine the duration. If you are sharing your corporate animation on social media, it will be a good idea to keep it short to hold the viewers attention. Although, if you are using your corporate animation as a screensaver for meeting displays then it would need to be long enough to play without viewers noticing the repetition.

4. References – Do you have any visual references or inspirations?

Did something inspire you to want an animation? If so, be prepared to share your inspiration, it will be useful during the storyboarding process. Mood boards are a great way of visualising how your animation could look. Equally, if you’re not sure what you want, a blank page can be an exciting opportunity to develop an animation style that is a great fit with your brand!

5. Voice-overs and narration

Having your story or message told by a real person gives your video more credibility and persuasion. This human touch makes an animation more personable. A professional voice adds credibility and enhances the overall viewing experience.

6. Maintain brand consistency

Your animation should consistently reflect your brand identity. Use your brand colours, fonts, and tone of voice throughout the animation to reinforce brand recognition and credibility. Animations can become an extension of your brand collateral.

7. Kinetic and animated text – Add fluidity to your text through movement

Animated text effectively brings more mundane, static text to life. Kinetic messages have more visual impact, which makes them more memorable.

8. Music – Create emotion by adding music to your animations

Music will help you to establish emotional connotations, making it easier for your target audience to feel excited, intrigued, or nostalgic. This emotion supports the mission to make your corporate animation distinctive and memorable.

9. Illustrations

Illustrations are a flexible resource when it comes to visual communication. They are effective in explaining abstract concepts, especially when the idea is challenging to capture on camera. Illustrations are also a cost-effective way to bring your story to life, avoiding the need for filming equipment, actors, or crew.

10. Have a call to action (CTA)

The animation should drive a desired outcome. Whether it’s visiting a website, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting your company, include a clear and compelling call to action at the end of the animation.

In summary, there is a lot to think about as you develop a plan for your corporate animations. Yet they are a powerful way to communicate with your audience and oodle would be delighted to share our expertise with you. Let us know when you’d like to chat.