Animated explainer videos have long been the darlings of tech startups and fintech firms, but they’re hardly exclusive to the tech scene. In fact, a whole host of traditional B2B industries across the UK and Europe are now embracing animation to communicate complex ideas in a simple, engaging way. It makes sense, visual storytelling can break down complicated processes into digestible moments as noted by B2W’s explainer video guide. With 91% of businesses using video as a marketing tool today, it’s clear that video content isn’t just for Silicon Roundabout startups. From hospital wards to factory floors, animated explainers are proving they’re just the ticket for conveying information effectively. In this article, we explore B2B explainer videos by industry, highlighting five sectors you might not expect to be using animation, and the unique benefits they’re reaping.
1. Healthcare: Educating and Engaging Patients (and Professionals)
Making Complex Medical Topics Understandable
When it comes to healthcare, there’s no room for misunderstandings. Yet medical information can be jargon-heavy and intimidating to laypersons. That’s where animated videos step in as a friendly translator. Hospitals, clinics and health tech companies are using healthcare explainer videos to simplify complex health topics for patients. For instance, a procedure that might seem scary or confusing on paper can be visualised step-by-step with animation, making it far easier to understand. Healthcare organisations have found that videos help simplify complex information, turning what could be dense medical jargon into clear, visual narratives.
Increasing Retention and Engagement
Crucially, these videos don’t just inform, they also improve viewer retention of the message. People retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to only 10% when reading text. For a healthcare provider, that can mean the difference between a patient remembering how to take their medication correctly versus forgetting vital instructions. Animated explainers have been used for patient education (like explaining how to manage diabetes or the importance of post-surgery care) and for promoting public health campaigns.
Using Storytelling to Build Trust
The NHS-backed Change4Life programme, for example, famously used colourful cartoon characters to encourage healthy eating among families, a strategy that made the advice accessible rather than patronising. Even private providers are on board: Bupa created a charming “Tooth Fairy” 3D animated video to get children interested in brushing their teeth, turning an otherwise unappealing lecture into a magical story that kids willingly watch.
Supporting B2B Healthcare Communication
It’s not only patient-facing content, either. In B2B healthcare (say, a medical device firm selling to hospitals), animated videos help explain new equipment or complex services to busy decision-makers. Often, multiple stakeholders, from doctors to procurement managers, must agree on adopting a new technology. An easily understandable explainer video can engage all the decision-makers, even those without a medical background, by clearly demonstrating the product’s value.
2. Manufacturing & Industrial: Explaining Complex Machinery and Safety Protocols
Bringing Machinery to Life
Factories and industrial plants might seem like unlikely places for cartoons, but manufacturing animated videos are increasingly common on shop floors and in boardrooms. Modern manufacturing often involves intricate machinery, multi-step processes, and strict safety procedures. Describing how a piece of equipment works using only text, or expecting workers to plough through a 50-page manual – is not ideal. Animation allows engineers and training managers to create videos that show the inner workings of complex machines, often with 3D tours and exploded views.
Enhancing Safety Training
Within manufacturing firms, corporate training animation is making a mark as well. Safety training is vital but can be dry. Some UK manufacturers have replaced stodgy PowerPoints with short animated safety videos that depict do’s and don’ts in an engaging way. A forklift safety tutorial might use a bit of humour and characters to illustrate common mistakes, without the real-world risk. Workers are more likely to pay attention and absorb lessons when the content is visually engaging. Video-based training helps standardise knowledge across a diverse workforce, ensuring consistency across multiple sites.
Boosting Industrial Marketing
Animated explainers also help industrial marketing by boosting online engagement. Video content can increase website traffic by an average of 150%, which means a manufacturing firm showcasing its process in a polished animation might attract twice as many visitors and leads.
3. Education & E-Learning: Bringing Lessons to Life through Animation
Making Learning More Memorable
It’s often said that many people are visual learners, and the education sector proves this point. Schools, universities, and corporate trainers alike have discovered that animation can bring dry lessons to life. Studies show that people remember 95% of a message from video versus just 10% via reading.
Practical Applications in Education
The BBC includes plenty of animated explainers in its Bitesize educational resources, distilling topics into snappy visuals that kids actually enjoy watching. In classrooms, a physics teacher might use a short cartoon to demonstrate how electricity flows, while universities create animated videos to explain research findings or welcome new students.
Corporate Training Benefits
In the corporate world, every employee can receive the same training presented in the same way using animation. This standardisation is vital for compliance. Sensitive or abstract topics can be covered without real people, using hypothetical scenarios that still make the point clearly.
4. Professional Services: Visualising the Invisible
Making Intangible Services Tangible
Professional services (law firms, consultancies, accountants) often deal in abstract concepts. Animation helps these firms show what they do. A consultancy might present a before-and-after scenario, while a law firm could follow a fictional client through a process like a merger, making complex steps easy to grasp.
Building Trust and Credibility
High-quality visuals matter: 87% of consumers say video quality influences their trust in a brand. For professional services, that credibility boost is invaluable. Animated explainers also allow for easy localisation with new voiceovers or subtitles without reshooting.
Consistent Messaging Across Channels
Many firms now include explainer videos in proposal decks, pitches, and websites. By telling the same engaging story every time, they maintain a consistent and professional brand presence.
5. Public Sector & Nonprofits: Spreading Awareness with Clarity and Heart
Simplifying Complex Public Information
Public sector bodies and nonprofits are using animation to clarify policy changes, public services, and awareness campaigns. Animated explainers are ideal for public messaging because they clarify complex topics with clear visuals and concise scripts.
Real-World Campaign Examples
During the pandemic, health agencies used short animations to demonstrate handwashing and distancing. Local councils have produced recycling how-to videos featuring animated bins and rubbish characters. The NHS has used animation to explain services like NHS 111 in a friendly tone.
Emotional Impact for Charities
Charities often handle heavy topics. The World Health Organization’s animated film about depression, symbolised by a “black dog”, helped break stigma and communicate sensitively. Environmental groups use animated infographics to show the impact of pollution, making statistics more relatable and urgent.
Conclusion: Animation – A Versatile Tool Across Industries
As these industry case studies show, animated explainer videos are far from one-trick ponies. From corporate training animation in factories to health tech explainers and nonprofit storytelling, animation adapts brilliantly to any context. The results are consistent: better engagement, clearer understanding, and stronger audience response.
Even in traditionally conservative B2B arenas, forward-thinking organisations are embracing animated video and seeing measurable benefits, from improved compliance to higher web traffic. In the UK and Europe, animation has become a trusted communication tool from boardroom to classroom. Viewers are more likely to remember and act on a well-made explainer video than almost any other type of content.
Whatever your industry, healthcare, manufacturing, education, professional services, or the public sector, an animated video can shine a light on what you do and help your message land with impact.
