Advertising and marketing agencies have to deal with tough times as media budgets are being reduced globally. However, advertising possibilities are not entirely out of reach as current budgets need to prove unbeatable return on investment.
It is likely advertising agencies will be faced with a number of obstacles in terms of their budgets for the production of television adverts specifically, as currently budgets are being afforded to other forms of media that are of much lower cost.
Companies should look into animation as an alternative to television and commercial production as the budget required for animation is much more cost effective than that of live video productions.
Unlike video production, animation does not need all the additional equipment and manpower. As a result, marketers can save substantial sums of money by not having to pay for production teams, equipment hiring and shoot insurance. Not to mention the fact that there is additional money saved due to the costs related to time.
Added benefits of animation
Animated characters can be timeless. The orange Oros man is a good example. There are no limitations when dealing with animation. It can achieve the most fantastic special effects and be construed in the most intangible environments without the stress of logistics and possibilities. What ever the imagination can muster animation can achieve. Any idea can be brought to life at a very reasonable cost in terms of production methods. When used effectively, animation can also help in demonstrating a product’s full potential. A good example could be medical products such as toothpaste for instance; animated medical presentations can be employed. These generally take the form of a split screen with the advertised product on one side of the screen and a leading competitor situated on the other. The animation then proceeds to demonstrate how the product works and why it is more effective than a competitor brand. Animation is extremely effective when marketing a product aimed at children. They relate well to cartoon-like imagery therefore commercials that utilise animation grab their attention easily. A good example is the Kellogg’s Coco Pops adverts. They depict an imaginary island inhabited by eccentric animals. Generations of children have found this to be extremely appealing.
Animation is an inherently creative medium. The human mind goes through a thought process of depicting meaning from an animated aesthetic. It instigates thought in the way that advertisers can use to their advantage by inspiring thoughts of desire. When harnessed well, animation is one of the most multipurpose tools for increasing sales of any product or business or simply getting a message across.
When dealing with concepts that can not be expressed in words or with illustrations can be extremely frustrating for advertisers and marketers – This is where animation steps in. The fact that these concepts can be portrayed successfully and can make it easy for the consumer to grasp your idea or concept without any kind of explanations is unparallel tool in the advertising industry.
Animation in marketing and advertising is in a league of its own as a communications medium. While it has some of the same characteristics of other visual mediums such as video, it possesses unique characteristics that no other marketing medium can match.
When you combine the multitude of advantages animation has with the fact that it is so cost effect, it becomes evidently clear why animation has become a practical and affordable alternative to video productions.