83% of Video Marketers Report Higher Sales and 3D Animation May Explain Why
As many as 83% of video marketers report higher sales after adding video to their strategy, according to Wyzowl’s State of Video Marketing 2026 report.
Video is no longer what sets brands apart. Buyers expect to see it, and they're quick to move on when one product looks much like the next.
Working with brands across industries, full-service visual production studio Tonic has seen more businesses turn to 3D animation to explain products that photography can't fully capture, from equipment with hidden components to products that haven't yet reached production.
The studio’s founder, Ashay Kshirsagar, explains that 3D animation works best when it answers questions before buyers have a reason to ask them.
"Buying hardly ever starts with a sales call anymore," he says.
"People compare products, revisit websites, and piece together information from multiple sources before they're ready to speak to anyone. And every interaction either builds confidence or sends them somewhere else."
Why Static Images Are Not Enough for 3D Animation One task is done exceptionally well by photography. It shows what's there.
The challenge, however, comes when the product's value depends on movement, interaction, or something happening beneath the surface.
Industrial equipment is a good example. Its appearance can be captured in a single image, but its working sequence cannot be. Likewise, software presents a similar problem. Screenshots show individual pages, yet they struggle to explain how someone actually moves through a task.
In both cases, buyers are left connecting the dots themselves.
That gap is filled by animation. A manufacturer, for example, can introduce a product months before production begins, giving distributors and customers a realistic view of how it'll work before the first unit leaves the factory.
The same Wyzowl report reveals that 93% of marketers believe that video enhances product comprehension, demonstrating that the use of video continues to yield results. Meanwhile, 82% report visitors spend longer on webpages that include video.
Those extra moments give businesses more time to reinforce why their product is worth considering.
We've noticed that consumers no longer expect brands to tell them everything. They expect brands to show them," Kshirsagar adds.
"Usually, the successful businesses are the ones that keep people's attention for a longer period of time." Dyson demonstrates the superiority of videos over static images: How 3D Animation Lowers the Risk of Buying The bigger the investment, the more carefully people weigh their options.
That search doesn’t stop with specifications or product photos. Buyers look for evidence that a product will live up to its promises by reading reviews, comparing alternatives, and watching demonstrations. When consumers start looking at other options, animation shows its value. Can the equipment fit into an existing workflow? Now that's difficult to answer from a specification sheet alone, whereas watching it operate can tell buyers far more.
According to Wyzowl, 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service, demonstrating that preference in consumer behavior. On the other hand, 87% say video has influenced a purchasing decision.
The sales conversation changes too. Instead of asking what a product does, prospective customers arrive wanting to discuss implementation, compatibility, or return on investment.
Those conversations tend to be shorter, more focused, and far more valuable.
"Good animation saves sales teams time, where buyers arrive with a much better understanding of the product, so the conversation can focus on whether it's the right fit," Kshirsagar says.
See how Siemens uses visualization to explain complex industrial systems before implementation, giving buyers a clearer understanding than static documentation alone:
Why Brands Are Making Early Investments Businesses are no longer waiting until launch day to think about product video animation.
A few years ago, animation was often commissioned once a product was ready to launch. But today, teams bring animation into the conversation much earlier.
Along with product development, marketing teams are planning animation, providing sales teams with stronger content well before launch. Once the campaign is over, an animation made for launch continues to function. Months after launch, the same animation can still be supporting sales discussions before finding a place in customer onboarding.
The same Wyzowl report found that 93% of marketers say video has increased brand awareness, 82% report higher website traffic, and 85% have generated more leads.
"We're seeing more clients involve animation while products are still taking shape," Kshirsagar says.
"That gives every team, from marketing through to sales, stronger material to work with long before launch day."
What This Means for Brands
Photography can be used to effectively explain some products. Others depend on movement or interaction that buyers need to see. Making that distinction early helps businesses invest where animation will have the greatest commercial impact.
Longevity should be part of the brief from the outset.
A product visualization created for launch can still support sales discussions months later before becoming part of customer onboarding.
Businesses that plan for that lifecycle continue getting value from the same investment long after the original campaign ends.
Measurement deserves the same attention.
Views provide useful context, but they rarely explain commercial performance on their own.
Lead quality, shorter sales cycles, stronger product engagement, and better-informed inquiries provide a clearer picture of whether visual content is influencing buying decisions.
As investment continues to grow, businesses face a different challenge. Finding the points where visualization can have the greatest commercial impact will matter far more than simply producing more content.
"Businesses have largely settled the question of whether video belongs in their marketing strategy. The conversations we're having now focus on where visualization creates the strongest commercial return, and that's a far more valuable discussion.”