Corporate vs. Nonprofit YouTube Animated Videos: Unveiling Key Differences

In our previous look at the top 40 Nonprofit animated videos on YouTube, we uncovered some interesting statistics. Now, let's take it up a notch because we are diving into the world of the top 40 corporate animated videos on YouTube, using the same criteria. 

Will the corporate giants, armed with extensive resources, overshadow the nonprofits?

Or, does the heartfelt connection nonprofits share with their audience give them the upper hand? 

Subscribers, Views, Likes, and Comments: Exposing the Numbers

On average, nonprofit YouTube channels have 1.4 million subscribers on average, slightly more than corporate channels with 1.2 million subscribers. But let’s take note that the reason for this is because of TED (a nonprofit)’s astonishing 23 million subscribers count.

It's noteworthy that nonprofits achieve this with significantly less financial resources. For instance, comparing the average revenue of the top five nonprofit organisations (approx. $7 billion) to the top five corporate companies (approx. $521 billion) highlights the substantial difference. 

However, corporate channels have higher views for their most popular animated video, averaging 6.5 million, while nonprofits with 2.9 million (a 124% difference!).

One possible explanation could be that these videos garnered a significant portion of their views when embedded on external websites, such as Amazon (the 11th most visited site worldwide with 3.9 billion monthly views!) 

When videos are embedded, viewers might have limited options to engage quickly by leaving likes and comments, contributing to the observed disparities in engagement metrics. 

This theory aligns with observations such as the “Give big, shop small business” video of Amazon which has fewer likes and comments relative to their view count. 

Nevertheless, nonprofit videos lead in engagement metrics, garnering an average of 14.7k likes and 1159 comments, compared to corporate companies’ animated videos with 4.5k likes and 453 comments on average. 

This could be attributed to the distinct nature of nonprofit content, which often focuses on evoking emotions and building connections, leading to a higher level of interaction despite a smaller audience. 

People feel less emotionally attached to big corporate brands (they may even detest them despite buying their products).

We also found out that for every 1 like nonprofit videos get 149 views and less than 0.1 comments, while corporate videos get 1445 views for every 1 like and around 0.1 comments.

Although corporate videos have more views, both sides showed an imbalance in their engagement metrics. 

Interestingly, nonprofit videos enable all likes on YouTube and have only 17% of their comments disabled. In contrast, corporate videos, surprisingly, disable 15% of likes and 27% of comments.

The reason for this is possible because nonprofit organisations may prioritise an open and inclusive environment, allowing all likes and minimising comment restrictions to foster community engagement. 

On the other hand, corporate entities might implement more controlled settings to manage their brand image or mitigate potential negative interactions.

While we are on the subject of comments, let’s talk about what we noticed in the comment sections of these corporate animated videos. The comment sections of nonprofit animated videos often feature viewers sharing personal experiences, receiving support, and engaging in critical discussions.  

Examining the comment section on corporate animated videos reveals a trend:

• My Story - Personal experiences

• Disagree! - Critiques of company practices and scepticism 

• Love It - Appreciation for animation quality and factual content

Going back to Amazon’s “Give big, shop small business.” video, the top comment is “As a former Pro Seller, I detest the way I was treated by this company. They are hypocrites…” from user @VIDEOHEREBOB

The user expresses strong dissatisfaction with Amazon, branding the company as hypocritical and hinting at negative personal experiences. It's impressive that Amazon chose transparency over safeguarding its brand, letting users express their thoughts openly.

Duration, Voices, Scripts, and Tone: Dissecting the Anatomy of Animated Videos

Our data suggests that corporate animated videos are shorter than nonprofit animated videos, clocking in at an average of 1 minute and 36 seconds while the latter clocks in at 2 minutes and 35 seconds. 

This may indicate that corporate animated videos prioritise conciseness for impactful messages. In contrast, nonprofit animated videos may aim for more comprehensive storytelling about their cause or message. Or perhaps nonprofits are naive about marketing/people’s attention spans? 

We encourage nonprofits to keep their videos short as possible, that way, they spend less time and money on production and better respect modern audience’s attention spans.

The shortest video we found was Banco Macro’s “Hacete cliente Macro”, a 12-second minimalist Spanish text-based animation encouraging individuals to open an account and enjoy the benefits of their services.

Corporate animated videos average 145 words per minute (WPM), designed to align with dynamic visuals and quickly engage viewers. This is in contrast to nonprofit videos, which tend to be slightly slower at 140 WPM, aiming for a balance between clear information delivery and maintaining viewer interest.

Costco's “Dulcolax Laxative 200 Tablets” ad, with its speedy 176 WPM, certainly doesn't waste any time, much like the product it's advertising.

We were surprised in the previous blog that 28% of the videos on the nonprofit list use open captions. On the other hand, corporate videos recognize better the importance of making content accessible with a 53% rate, showcasing marketing savvy in catering to diverse audiences.

Furthermore, corporate videos have a 19% closed caption rate, while nonprofit videos maintain a 23% rate. Surprisingly, both big nonprofits and corporations don’t use closed captions more - they’re not difficult or expensive to do (in fact many services will automatically subtitle your video in a range of languages in a matter of seconds). 

In corporate animated videos, female voiceovers are used in approximately 64% of cases, while male voices account for about 44%. The combined total surpasses 100% because nearly 6% of these videos feature both male and female voiceovers. In contrast, nonprofit animated videos have around 70% female and 33% male voiceovers, with the total exceeding 100% due to roughly 3% of videos using both genders for voiceovers.

Corporate videos intensify the use of music, with 95% incorporating soundtracks to build a memorable brand identity. In comparison, nonprofit videos also rely heavily on music for emotional impact and storytelling, but at a slightly lower rate of 90%.

Unlike nonprofits, some corporate corporate animated videos include sung scripts, adding creativity. For instance, Allianz's "Be Curious and Explore" features a catchy musical animation where the lyrics of the video, such as “Be curious and explore” and “Believe in yourself and your start-up” convey a message of encouragement and empowerment. 

Nonprofit videos use limited humour (17.5%) for a serious tone, perhaps reflective of the serious issues nonprofits deal with. On the other hand, corporate videos emphasise entertainment more with higher humour (33%).

This is evident in Volkswagen's animated video, "Best Performance with Volkswagen Service," featuring a lively animation. In this scenario, Volkswagen cars worldwide get together to disco dance - a fun and engaging portrayal of their preparation at the Volkswagen Service.

In our nonprofit animated videos on YouTube blog, we rated the tones of the videos on a scale from 0 to 5, with 0 being scientific and 5 poetic. Nonprofit videos, scoring 2.9, balance information and emotions. Corporate videos, at 2.6, also aim for a balanced approach, intertwining technical details with emotional resonance. This scoring reflects a conscious effort by both sectors to appeal to viewers on both intellectual and emotional levels.

Corporate Marvels: Noteworthy Picks of Animation from Corporate Giants

Our first pick is from Kroger’s “Lower than low deals” corporate video. The video captures the humour of customers dancing to Flo Rida's "Low" as they navigate Kroger's aisles. The video is presented as an invitation to save on fresh products while enjoying the shopping experience.

The video prompted a comment from user @jones_22, saying “As a Kroger employee, I'm sitting here wondering what our marketing team was smoking…” 

On a heartwarming note, users like @hackneysaregreat express appreciation for the animation quality in Honda's "Paper" video, stating, "That was really true art. Much respect for the people who created this." 

This mesmerising production features multiple animators skillfully manipulating thousands of hand-drawn illustrations to bring to life the rich history of Honda over the past six decades.

We also have BMW’s very beautiful CGI animation with its all-new BMW M240i xDrive Coupé becoming fully playable in the immensely popular Esports game, Rocket League. 

In this thrilling virtual world, players can drive, jump, and even fly using the jet-powered BMW M240i xDrive.

Conclusion: Decoding the Differences Between Corporate and Nonprofit Animated Videos

Nonprofit videos, with their emphasis on emotive storytelling and building meaningful connections, achieve impressive engagement metrics, fostering a sense of community. 

On the other hand, corporate videos, often briefer in duration and tailored for specific audiences, focus on controlled settings to manage brand image while still striving for a balance between technical details and emotional resonance.

We're eager to hear your thoughts, especially if you’re a marketer or communications person at a nonprofit organisation – what comparisons or themes would you like us to explore next?

Your input guides our future research as we continue unravelling insights and trends in the world of nonprofit videos. Share your ideas with us!