by Matthew Schwartz, ANA Magazine (excerpt)

In a recent ANA Magazine article on the rise of animation in digital advertising, Brian Solis advocates for content that is tied to “human empathy, strong storytelling, and brand values.”

From the article:

“There’s an increasing volume of animation, but most of it is poorly done,” says Brian Solis, principal analyst and futurist at research and advisory firm Altimeter, a Prophet company. “The opportunity for animation is not because it’s faster, cheaper, and quicker. The opportunity is to connect in a different and emotional way with audiences.”

Solis stresses that animated ads and branded characters can be an antidote to a rapidly shrinking national attention span. “Animation is at its most promising when it’s tied to human empathy, strong storytelling, and brand values,” he says. “The experience and message count for everything.”