Are you considering introducing videos into your marketing efforts but aren’t sure whether you need a video or animation?
Maybe you’re not sure which medium will best help you convey your message. This can be a particularly difficult decision in the medical device industry, where a lot of complex scientific information is involved.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help!
In today’s fast-paced digital environment, capturing the attention of your target audience is key. Effective communication requires a considered selection of mediums that engage and resonate with viewers.
That’s where live footage and animation come into play, offering two distinct pathways for conveying information and captivating audiences.
In this article, we’ll help you unravel the decision-making process, providing valuable insights and a handy checklist of questions to help you figure out what works best for your company.
We’ll explore the benefits and considerations of these two powerful mediums. So, let’s dive in and explore the essential questions that will lead you toward the right choice for your medical device company.
What is the difference between live footage videos and animation?
To start, it’s a good idea to define what we’re actually talking about when referring to live footage and animations so that you have a good understanding of their differences before we dive into the pros and cons of each.
When discussing live footage, we basically mean videos filmed live through a camera—for instance, this might be interviews with patients or product demonstrations. Either way, something is happening live that is being captured on video.
On the other hand, animations are computer-generated and don’t actually require any live actions to be displayed.
Although both produce a video to be watched at the end of it, the way they are created and what the video looks like differs.
The advantages of live footage videos
When it comes to utilising live footage, medical device companies can harness a multitude of benefits to enhance their communication efforts.
Let’s look into the advantages of incorporating live footage into your marketing strategy.
Building authenticity and relatability
In a world flooded with staged content and polished visuals, live footage stands out by providing an authentic and relatable experience for viewers. By featuring real people in your videos, whether it’s patients, healthcare professionals, or satisfied customers, you create a genuine connection with your audience.
This authenticity fosters trust, as viewers can see the real faces and emotions behind your brand. They can relate to the experiences and stories shared, leading to a stronger sense of credibility and establishing a deeper connection.
Credibility
One of the most compelling aspects of live footage is its ability to showcase your medical devices in action. By capturing live demonstrations, you can effectively highlight the functionality and effectiveness of your products.
This hands-on approach allows potential customers to witness the practical applications and benefits of your devices firsthand.
Incorporating testimonials from real users adds another layer of credibility and influence. When viewers see actual individuals sharing their positive experiences with your products, it builds confidence and instils a sense of reliability, making it more likely for potential customers to consider you.
Emotional impact
Live footage can evoke emotions and create a lasting impact on viewers. When people see the genuine emotions and reactions of real individuals in your videos, it humanises your brand and story.
Whether it’s the relief on a patient’s face after using your medical device or the joy expressed by a healthcare professional when discussing its efficacy, these emotional moments can leave a profound imprint on the audience.
Emotions drive engagement, making viewers more likely to connect with your brand, share your content, and ultimately take action.
By harnessing the benefits of live footage, medical device companies can tap into the power of authenticity, demonstrations, testimonials, and emotional impact. These elements combine to create a compelling narrative that engages your audience, builds trust, and positions your brand as a reliable and relatable authority in the industry.
Live footage considerations
While live footage offers many benefits, there are several key considerations that medical device companies should review before getting started.
Let’s explore these considerations to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the challenges associated with incorporating live footage into your marketing strategy:
Production challenges
Capturing high-quality live footage requires careful planning and execution. It requires appropriate equipment and skilled videographers who can effectively capture the essence of your message.
You also need to consider the logistics, such as location, lighting, and sound. These must be carefully managed to ensure a professional end product. Balancing these production challenges with budget constraints and time limitations can be a daunting task.
Working with experienced professionals and leveraging their expertise is always an option to help you overcome these obstacles.
Filming days can be tough, so you have to make sure that you’re prepared. If you want to learn about the best way you can prepare for your filming day, have a look at our article on how to prepare for a videography day.
Ethical and privacy considerations
When featuring real individuals in your live footage, it’s crucial to respect their privacy and obtain proper consent. When operating in a medical setting, the ethical and privacy considerations surrounding live footage become even more critical.
Given the sensitive nature of medical procedures and the potential exposure of internal organs or personal health information, you must prioritise privacy and have explicit consent from individuals featured in your videos.
This means following strict ethical guidelines and legal requirements to ensure compliance with privacy regulations and maintaining the confidentiality of patients. Collaborating with legal advisors or seeking appropriate permissions can help ease any potential legal or ethical risks associated with using live footage in a medical context.
By upholding these standards, you can protect the rights of individuals, maintain trust with your audience, and safeguard your brand’s reputation.
Limited control and editing flexibility
Unlike animation, live footage offers limited control over the captured content. Unforeseen events, technical glitches, or unscripted moments can occur during filming, which may require adaptations or compromises.
Editing options are more restricted with live footage compared to animation. While editing tools can enhance the captured footage, they are limited in altering the original content. It’s crucial to carefully plan and storyboard your live footage to avoid potential challenges during the production and post-production stages.
Budget considerations
Producing high-quality live footage can be a significant investment. Costs can vary depending on factors such as equipment, location, crew, talent, and post-production requirements. You can learn more in our guide to video costs.
You should evaluate your budget constraints and weigh them against the potential return on investment (ROI). Careful planning, cost estimation, and resource allocation are necessary to ensure a successful live footage project that aligns with financial considerations.
By carefully considering these production, ethical, control, and budgetary considerations, you can navigate these challenges and transform your marketing.
What are the advantages of animation?
Animation is a versatile medium for medical device companies to engage their audience. Here are some key benefits of incorporating animation into your communication strategy.
Unlimited creativity
Animation provides boundless creative possibilities. It allows you to visually illustrate complex concepts, procedures, or product features that may be challenging to capture through live footage.
With animation, you have the freedom to create dynamic visuals, explainer videos, or even 3D simulations that vividly depict your medical devices and their functionality. The power of imagination knows no bounds in the world of animation.
Flexibility and adaptability
Animation offers unparalleled flexibility and adaptability. You can easily modify, refine, or update animated content to align with evolving requirements or changing market trends.
This kind of flexibility enables you to keep your communication strategies fresh and up to date without the need for costly reshoots or extensive post-production editing. Additionally, animation can be easily localised or translated, making it ideal for global audiences and markets.
Precision and consistency
In the realm of animation, precision and consistency reign supreme. You can gain full control over every visual element, enabling them to ensure accuracy, consistency, and the ability to emphasise specific details or features.
Animations can highlight crucial aspects of a device, zoom in on intricate mechanisms, or demonstrate step-by-step procedures with absolute precision.
By maintaining control over the visuals, you can guarantee a consistent representation of your products across different marketing materials. This consistency instils confidence in viewers and reinforces brand credibility. Learn more about consistency here.
What are the drawbacks of animation?
While animation offers immense creative freedom, there are certain drawbacks that you should keep in mind when opting for this medium.
Let’s explore these considerations to ensure a well-informed decision:
Skills and expertise
Creating high-quality animation requires specialised skills and expertise. Finding skilled animators who understand your industry, medical terminology, and visual storytelling techniques is important to ensure a high-quality end product.
Collaborating with professionals who have experience in medical animation can help ensure that your message is conveyed accurately and effectively. Conduct thorough research, review portfolios, and seek recommendations to find animators who can bring your vision to life.
Budget allocation
While animation can be more cost-effective than live footage in some cases, it still requires significant investment, especially for complex projects.
Factors such as animation style, duration, complexity, and revisions can influence the overall cost. Check out our article on medical animation costs to learn more about this topic.
It’s a good idea to research and consider the costs of animations thoroughly before starting a project so that you can set a realistic budget based on the long-term value the result will provide. Working closely with experienced medical animators to establish clear expectations and timelines can help manage costs effectively.
Balancing realism and engagement
Another consideration when using animation is striking the right balance between realistic representation and engaging visuals.
In the context of medical devices and complex procedures, accuracy and realism are of utmost importance to convey information effectively. However, it’s equally crucial to engage and captivate the audience through visually appealing animations.
Achieving this balance requires a deep understanding of both the clinical aspects of the device and the principles of visual storytelling. It’s a good idea to collaborate closely with animators who have a comprehensive understanding of the medical field to ensure the animations align with scientific accuracy while being visually compelling.
Video or animation? Which one is best for me?
Choosing between live footage and animation can be a challenging decision for medical device companies. Each medium has its own merits and considerations that should be carefully evaluated based on your specific goals and audience.
By considering factors such as authenticity, demonstrations, testimonials, emotional impact, production challenges, costs, legal compliance, creativity, flexibility, and expertise, medical device companies can harness the full potential of live footage and animation to captivate audiences, build trust, and drive meaningful engagement.
To help you, we’ve created a quick checklist of questions to ask yourself before making a decision. We encourage you to consider these questions carefully and have a clear answer to each of them, as it will help reduce costs in the long run.