It’s 1995. You’re sitting in a dark theater when a desk lamp hops onto the screen, and the world’s first fully computer-animated movie begins. At the end, you think, “How did they make talking toys look so real?”
Pixar was one of the first on the animation scene, but now, “talking toy technology” is more accessible than ever. All kinds of organizations use animations to engage viewers — including medical device companies, pharma brands, and health systems.
Does medical animation have a place in your healthcare content strategy? If most of your video content up to this point has used real people and b-roll footage, brush up on the benefits of animation for healthcare products and services.
A medical animation is a series of moving high-definition digital images, typically focused on the body. In healthcare, animations can show:
Animated medical videos tend to be short (5 minutes or less). They can help patients better understand their condition, a treatment, or a medical device — ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Animation is valuable to each healthcare industry in different ways.
MedTech companies can use animation for medical products like insulin pens or inhalers. You can also use it to show how pharmaceutical treatments interact with the body, or explain how a new medical device works in a clear, non-graphic way.
We all know video content is a must-have in every B2C and B2B healthcare marketing strategy. The body is complicated, and so are the treatments and products offered by healthcare organizations.
Video helps with comprehension. Especially when paired with a patient-friendly medical video script.
Your content also needs rich multimedia to keep performing in today’s search market. Videos:
Related: How multimedia boosts healthcare SEO, with examples
First, this isn’t an “either-or” scenario. You can use both healthcare animation and live-action footage in your strategy — and even in the same video.
Both have pros and cons, which is why it’s important to know when to use each format.
Live-action videos can feel more “real.” They’re great for introducing prospective patients to your physicians and letting them see your facility. But live videos of surgery or bodily functions can get gruesome. In those situations, medical animation is better.
Fun fact: For a “Magic School Bus” vibe, go for 3D medical animation that accurately depicts cells, blood vessels, and the inside of the body.
Related: Learn more about healthcare video marketing.
Want to produce a 3D medical animation explainer or pharma product video but need to secure the budget for it? Here are some talking points you can use to convince leadership that medical animation is worth the investment.
Not everybody wants to know what the inside of the body looks like. Medically accurate animations allow patients to visualize a procedure or bodily function without getting the ick.
Think of the show “Dr. Pimple Popper.” Some people couldn’t look away, but many of us changed the channel whenever it came on. You don’t want your marketing to evoke that response.
Not to mention, animations work well to keep things PG and make conditions or treatments seem less scary (for kids and adults). Below, Cincinnati Children’s uses a cute animation to teach pediatric patients about hemophilia and how clotting factor works.
Offering a visual way to understand complex information benefits everyone.
Let’s say you’re creating content for moyamoya disease, a problem with the blood vessels in the brain. Treatment may include a surgical procedure called encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS).
Not only is the name hard to read (if you stopped reading after “encephalo-,” same), but the procedure is also hard to explain.
Readers with low health literacy will have trouble decoding content about EDAS. And regardless of reading proficiency, not everyone has the time or mental energy for reading dense medical info — even physicians! (Our report found that doctors and B2B healthcare decision-makers prefer plain language content.)
No medical content can remain fully evergreen — science advances every day, after all — but animations are as close as you can get. You don’t have to worry about animated healthcare videos growing dated because of:
Even if something in an animation gets outdated, it can be replaced. For instance, if a new surgical instrument comes out for EDAS, medical device animators can digitally add it into the clip.
The same goes for pharma. Even if something in a pharmaceutical animation changes — like dosage or labeling — it’s easier to update than reshoot an entire live-action sequence.
Watch an example of a pharmaceutical animation that shows how aspirin works. By not including stylistic elements like the person’s hair or clothing, this video will stay timeless until there are changes made to the medication or guidelines for use.
People want to feel represented in the content they consume. But marketing teams can’t represent every audience member in every piece of video content.
Using animations makes it easier to create inclusive healthcare content. You can produce medical animations that are neutral to race, ethnicity, age, gender, or any other demographic.
Live shoots with professional video production agencies can be expensive. The cost of one premium video for your website could surpass $50,000.
Plus, live shoots pull physicians and staff members away from their work to participate in filming. Your organization may need more team members on staff during shooting days to keep up with patient care. That staffing cost adds up.
Animations are less disruptive and often more cost-effective. This is especially true when you’re working with a medical animation company that offers licensing options, like our friends at Nucleus.
Medical animation isn’t always the best format for the job.
TL;DR: Live-action video is better for things like facility tours and “meet the doctor” clips in provider bios. But medical animation is a good tool to have in your pocket, especially for marketing medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and complex health treatments or procedures.
Interested in animation but not sure where to start? Talk to our strategists to see how animation might complement your health system or medical product marketing strategy.
AUTHOR
Ahava is a leading expert in healthcare content strategy and is recognized for her ability to make complex medical information accessible. She has spent nearly two decades transforming how healthcare organizations communicate with their audiences. Ahava is trusted across the industry for her clarity, evidence-based approach, and thought leadership.
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