There’s always someone telling us about an amazing film we just have to see, that seminal new band revolutionising music, or a great restaurant we simply must go to. It’s a world of ‘the next best thing’, but does that new thing truly live up to the hype? Does it do everything it promises? Or, is it something the world will forget in two weeks?

Whiteboard animation has been around for a long time and promises a lot. Can it really capture the full essence of you and your message? Will it engage viewers in what you have to say and create a good ROI? Are whiteboard animations still effective?

In short, does whiteboard animation live up to the hype? Read on to find out.

Does whiteboard animation actually work?

First things first, what is whiteboard animation? How can it help you reach your audience and deliver your message? Whiteboard animation is a form of 2D animation that evolved from live scribing. Whiteboard videos bring together visual thinking, storytelling and information-mapping to make information engaging, understandable and memorable.

All of this means whiteboard animations work very well. They are a powerful way to share your message, launch a product or service, or explain a complex idea. Whiteboard animations are versatile, they can handle any subject, from the most every day to the most complex or abstract. Whiteboard videos are also perfectly placed to take your messages far and wide, working well everywhere, from YouTube, social media and smart phones to smart TVs, live events and billboards.

The proof is in the pudding. An early whiteboard success story was the RSA Animate series; we loved creating these animations and after their massive success, we worked with Professor Richard Wiseman to understand audience reactions. Together, we compared a ‘talking head’ video with a whiteboard animation that used the same voiceover. We found:

• Viewers were 66% more likely to share the whiteboard animation

• The whiteboard animation resulted in a 15% increase in information retention

• The whiteboard animation was 33% more entertaining

5 reasons to use whiteboard animation in 2023

Video has gone from strength to strength in 2023, and in this section, we’ll share just five of the many reasons to use whiteboard animation. Wyzowl have found that 92% of marketers surveyed say video gives them a good return on their investment and 89% of those surveyed said that watching a video has convinced them to buy a product or service. The strengths of whiteboard animation allow it to benefit marketers and audiences.

1 - Each animation is unique and tailored

Every audience, message and organisation is unique. To give your video the greatest possible impact and ROI, it needs to deliver your message perfectly and feel relevant. Every whiteboard animation is unique and gives you the opportunity to tailor your video to your audience. Whether it’s the choice of visual metaphors, characters, cultural references, or literally any aspect of the animation - you can tailor your video to give your subject the perfect treatment and feel relatable to your target audience.

2 - Whiteboard animations make information memorable and engaging

Our brains are wired for storytelling. Delivering information through a narrative makes it engaging and, by holding our attention, narratives make information more memorable. Whiteboard animation puts storytelling at its heart; it harnesses these twin strengths to help your message cut through other distractions and stay with viewers long after watching.

3 - Connect with audiences and humanise your business

Whether it’s reaching out to your audience or showing the human side of your organisation, whiteboard animation gives the opportunity to set the ideal tone, include the perfect references and build an emotional connection. This can be done at every stage of the video, but areas that let you do this best include the choice of cultural references, voiceover artist, music and character expression.

Whiteboard animation can take connection building and humanising even further by allowing you to connect your message and individual points to your organisation’s purpose and broader goals.

4 - You can feature humour and charm

Humour, where appropriate, and charm can give your animation an edge over other videos in the same space. Humour can boost engagement by making your video more memorable and show viewers that you understand them. Charm doesn’t go for a viewer’s funny bone but does go for the feels, making an audience saw ‘awwwww’, sticking with them long after watching.

5 - By including CTAs, you can drive conversations and interactions

Most whiteboard animations end in a call to action (CTA). It might direct your audience to a website or service, or leave them with an idea or question. Whichever route you choose, CTAs build on the narrative you’ve created and take the message or goal of your video onwards into actions and conversations. Depending on how you host your video, you can even make the video itself clickable.

How does whiteboard animation beat other formats?

So, whiteboard animation lives up to the hype, but why choose it over a shot footage video or a 3D explainer? Well, whiteboard animation has a few more tricks up its sleeve:

• Connecting the small picture with the big picture - whiteboard videos allow you to link one small detail with the big picture. This is invaluable because it means you can show how all parts of your message connect with each other. This linking can happen two ways, through creative and careful information mapping, and by developing an illustration throughout the animation to show the evolution of an idea.

• You don’t need actors or locations, everything can be illustrated - actors and locations can be some of the most expensive parts of the video production process, and sometimes you can’t get who/where you wanted in the first place. Whiteboard animation gives you the possibility to design the perfect characters and set your video anywhere, real-world or otherwise.

• Pure creative freedom - not every message is easy to visualise; more abstract or complex subjects can be difficult to explain using live footage or less information-focused formats. This is where whiteboard animation comes into its own. Being a blank canvas, you can illustrate anything you can imagine and use visual tools like metaphors to make more challenging ideas or concepts understandable.

• Showcase your branding and personality - whiteboard animation provides a great way to relate and connect with your viewers. An important part of this is the way you share your personality and feature your branding. You can do this at every stage of the animation process, from the language you use and voiceover artist you choose to colour choices and creatively incorporating your logo.

When it comes to sharing your messages and leaving a lasting impression on audiences, whiteboard animation doesn’t just do what it says on the tin, it goes above and beyond. Far from being outdated, whiteboard animation brings many benefits and is packed with features. These make it the ideal choice as an explainer and give it an edge over other formats.

We love what whiteboard animation can achieve and are always here to answer your questions about how it could work for your project. Book a free creative consultation or contact us today!