Case study: Using animation to promote authority

Author: Sam Willet | Posted on: 16 June 2017

We might not be aware of it but when faced with a set of choices, we often come up with a set of criteria to help us make a decision. There are a number of emotional and rational factors at play, but one of those is authority.

We’ve covered the importance of authority in persuasion in our One-Minute Content Marketer series. The basic principle is that most people are more likely to trust and follow real experts. The challenge, then, is how you use this fact to differentiate yourself from the competition, establish your credentials, and show why you can be trusted to deliver.

This is where industry bodies come into play. The video above is a short animation we produced for The Centre of Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX) that helps its advisers put this principle of persuasion into action.

CEFEX provide certification to financial advisers that proves that they will always put their client's interests first — otherwise known as the fiduciary standard. To achieve it, advisers need to meet a comprehensive set of best practice requirements. The brief was to produce a short animation targeted at end investors that explains what the certification is, why it’s a good thing, and why choosing to work with a CEFEX certified adviser is a wise decision.

The production was a collaboration between us and CEFEX. They wanted to be heavily involved in the production process, so they provided feedback on all the scripts, storyboards, style visualisations (colour scheme and illustrations), and voiceover casting. It was all signed off by them in pre-production before we started animating.

Frames from the CEFEX storyboard.

Frames from the CEFEX storyboard.

The approach suited us for two reasons. Firstly, honing and amending a storyboard creates a short video that the producer, the client, and their audience can follow. Art and entertainment projects can indulge in ambiguity, but as marketers, we need the messaging to be crystal clear. This way of working made sure the final video would be easy to understand.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly for clients, approving the storyboard and style prior to animating means you won’t have to pay to revise the work further later in production, saving time and money.

If you want to demonstrate your authority and expertise with animation, contact us. We’d love to work with you.

Author: Sam Willet

Sam is a Producer and Client Manager at Ember Television. He has worked in online media since graduating with an MA in Film and TV from the University of Birmingham, and loves a good human interest story. You can contact him at [email protected] https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=294919697&authType=name&authToken=k-zK&trk=prof-proj-cc-name https://twitter.com/ember_samw