We are living in the age of digital transformation. Last year, over 3.8 billion people, or 51 percent of everyone on earth, were connected to the internet. A number that's grown by an astounding 50 percent over the past 5 years. In the US, adults spend an unprecedented average of 6.3 hours per day interacting with digital media, just over 5 hours for Australian adults.

Digital media is becoming more and more pervasive in our daily lives. We rely on it to find out the weather, find a coffee or find a life partner. It’s a life-line to friends and loved ones across the globe or across the room. For many, picking up their phone and checking social media is the first thing we do after waking up and the last thing we do before falling to sleep.

The exponential rise of digital communication has created exciting opportunities for brands to connect and engage with consumers, 24/7. It has also inspired one of the fastest-growing trends in branding – the shift from static, lifeless logos to dynamic animated brand identities. What was once considered a frivolous novelty by marketers, has now been embraced by many of the world’s leading companies as a key driver of brand performance. Here are seven reasons why.

1. ANIMATED LOGOS ARE MORE ARRESTING

Animated logos tap into the way our brains are wired. As human beings, it’s in our DNA to notice things that move – a bias towards motion is an in-built survival mechanism dating back to our early beginnings. Objects that move cause us to pause and take notice compared to static objects which can easily become wallpaper. A recent study by Intel Corp reported that animated content was 400 percent more attention-grabbing than static imagery.

Neuroscientists have also discovered that we are innately drawn to things that are new and novel, perking up the reward system of our brains. Animated logos and animated brand identities are still relatively new in the branding and marketing landscape, this novelty factor alone is guaranteed to capture the attention and imagination of consumers.

After two years in the making, Netflix unveiled its new logo animation in February this year, designed with the intent of setting themselves apart from streaming rivals Disney, AT&T, and Apple, the animation

The animation begins with the familiar Netflix “N” ribbon animation, but then it warps the viewer through a spectrum of light creating a sense of depth, like the feeling of walking into a movie theatre.

A spokesperson for Netflix explained that the “barcode visualisation” was meant to give a more cinematic feel and was inspired by “the idea of turning Netflix’s own show thumbnails sideways, like records on a shelf.”

2. ANIMATED LOGOS ARE MORE ENGAGING

According to numerous leading authorities on marketing performance, animated content is a key driver of consumer engagement in the digital world. Here are a few compelling stats;

• Animated content is 12 times more likely to be watched than text is to be read

• Animated content on landing pages is capable of increasing conversion rates by over 80%

• Visuals—gifs, images, and video—boost engagement with social media, boosting views by 48%

• Adding moving content to marketing emails can boost click-through rates by 200-300%

Human nature is also a key driver of engagement. We are inherently curious beings, and as such we are compelled to see how things play out. And the longer we are engaged, the stronger the impact. Animated logos can run for anywhere between five seconds to a looping infinity, making them very effective engagement tools.

The Xbox animated logo is an extraordinary, mesmerising animation of morphing shapes that compels you to watch to the brilliant end where the complete logo is the visual reward.

3. ANIMATED LOGOS ARE MORE MEMORABLE AND IMPROVE BRAND RECALL

One of the most important dimensions in brand management is for consumers to remember a brand. The consumer’s ability to recognise or recall a brand is central to purchasing decision-making.

In a study by Cleveland based market research firm Insivia, researchers discovered that viewers retain 95% of a message when seen as a video or as animated content, compared to 10% when reading as static text or graphic.

One of the reasons for this phenomena is that the majority of us fall into the category of visual learners, 65 percent to be precise, and so we rely on visual stimulus to effectively process and retain information.

Animated content allows marketers to package up a brand’s message into a succinct, intriguing, and sometimes entertaining narrative that will stick in consumers’ minds in a way that static logo or text can’t.

The Intel brand is synonymous with the tag line ‘Intel inside’. This animated logo helps to bring this positioning to life.

4. ANIMATED LOGOS CAN HELP TELL A STORY

From the earliest recorded history, storytelling was a method used to communicate, educate, share, and connect. It is a fundamental human ritual that unites and drives stronger deeper relationships.

Today, storytelling is a fundamental aspect of effective brand marketing. It has been proven to help consumers make emotional connections with brands and in turn, build stronger more enduring relationships. This sentiment is backed by research which discovered that 55 percent of consumers who love a brand’s story are willing to make a purchase.

Uber’s animated logo visually and intuitively communicates how they are a dynamic and high tech company in the business of connecting people.

5. ANIMATED LOGOS CAN EXPRESS YOUR BRAND PERSONALITY

A distinctive personality is a key asset of an effective brand. And it makes sense: in an impersonal digital world, we’re craving connection and personality.

Animated logos can express a personality that attracts consumers, creates positive emotions, gains rapport and builds loyalty.

One of the most recognised and loved logo animations would arguably be Pixar’s. The energetic lamp, affectionately named “Luxo Jr.” bouncing across the screen, eventually stopping and stomping on the letter ‘I’ with defiance. This expresses the company’s cheeky culture, which at the time was owned by Steve Jobs. “Luxo Jr.” became an integral part of the Pixar brand, serving as the mascot and appearing at the start and finish of every film since it’s debut in 1986.

6. ANIMATED LOGOS CAN HELP INCREASE YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING PERFORMANCE

Animated logos have proven themselves to be an invaluable asset for digital marketing, achieving greater cut-through, clicks, shares and likes.

When you consider that 93 percent of online experiences start with Google, brands need to perform at their very best here.

Animated logos increase your SEO due to several factors. Because consumers like and prefer to watch video content, Google’s algorithms are increasingly prioritising websites with video content.

Animated logos also increase the amount of time people spend on your website which leads to an increase in dwell time and a decrease in bounce rate. Two metrics Google uses to choose which websites to prioritise.

People are more inclined to actively engage with animated content. A recent survey found that Facebook users are 39% more likely to share, 36% more likely to comment, and 56% more likely to “like” online video content over static text.

Google are masters of using clever and creative animated variations of their logo to commemorate significant dates, to make each search a fresh and new and to make us smile. This logo animation brings to life the distinctive elements of their brand iconography whilst visually launching their sounds innovations.

7. ANIMATED LOGOS HAVE A HIGH RETURN ON INVESTMENT. 

Priced between $1,200 and $9,000, animated logos are a low-cost brand asset that can be used effectively across many marketing communication channels and platforms including; TV ad end-frames, digital advertising, website, social media posts, YouTube, digital signage, landing pages, PowerPoint presentations, and screen-savers. A single asset that can be implemented across multiple channels creates a seamless, engaging and impactful brand experience.

The CBBC (Children’s BBC channel), developed a new dynamic animated logo with the primary objective, according to Controller Cheryl Tayor, “To keep one step ahead of this agile age group – celebrating their immersion in all things digital.” The animated logo was designed to work in every space whether, on a large screen, TVs or handheld devices. Cheryl also described the animation as “bright, mischievous and sophisticated – just like the CBBC audience who helped us to choose it and have told us they love it!”

CONCLUSION

Animated logos are an important marketing trend predicted to drive brand performance in the coming decade due to their many extraordinary qualities. They are much more arresting, engaging, and memorable than their static counterpart. They are also effective at increasing the performance of digital marketing – everything from increasing SEO, clicks, likes and shares.

If you’d like to find out more about animated logos, some inspiring examples, our experience, or the process and pricing fill out the form below to learn more!

Written by Grant Davidson. See original article here.