Medical animations and multimedia can generate significant returns on investment through training employees, marketing products to customers, and educating distributor representatives. They accelerate learning, elevate perceptions of products, and help differentiate superior attributes visually. Well-produced animations can educate while eliciting "WOW" responses from viewers. When choosing an animation vendor, ensure their animators have graduate degrees from accredited medical illustration programs. Starting with a small, focused animation project is a good way to demonstrate value and generate support for larger future projects.

1. Medical Animations and Multimedia: When You Need ROI and WOW
When deciding how you will spend your limited training and marketing dollars for new
medical products, generating a return on your investment should factor highly in the
process. It’s important to spend those funds where you will get the biggest “bang for the
buck.” Medical animation and multimedia projects offer versatility in training and
marketing, while garnering accolades from employees and customers alike.
The next time you’re at a trade show, viewing a product training CD-ROM, or looking at
a competitor’s web site, notice how a well-produced medical animation or multimedia
project can educate while eliciting a “WOW” response from viewers. I stress “well-
produced” because there is a tremendous variation in the quality of product among
animation companies. When working with an animation vendor, make sure that their
animators have at least a Master’s degree in Science or Art, specifically from an
accredited graduate-level medical illustration program. These programs include Johns
Hopkins School of Medicine, the Medical College of Georgia, the University of Chicago,
the University of Michigan, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and the
University of Toronto.
Whether it’s 2D or 3D, medical animations and multimedia can quickly and concisely
explain complex products, procedures and/or surgical techniques. In the world of
training, research shows these tools accelerate learning. And when marketing products to
prospects, animations and multimedia elevate the perception of your product, while
differentiating its superior attributes, cleanly and visually.
Besides these obvious reasons in support of medical animation and multimedia,
repurposing or increasing the shelf life through alternative uses will enhance returns
significantly. Often the same project finds itself being used as a trade show attractor, a
sales tool for sales representatives, a teaching tool for professionals, and a marketing tool
for customers, all with minimal additional costs.
Distributor Representatives and Mindshare
If you use the distributor representative model of distribution, your products are
continually fighting for a fair share of the representatives’ mindshare. With other product
lines offered and different levels of understanding required to sell these products,
distributor reps often choose to sell the products that are easiest to understand and
explain. Medical animations and multimedia are extremely useful tools for training and
educating your distributor reps on your product’s features and benefits, thereby
increasing the likelihood of successful sales.
Start small and scale fast
If you are new to the world of animation, start small and scale fast. Choose a product,
technique or other subject matter that, through the use of medical animation and
multimedia, will have a significant return on investment and is not cost prohibitive to
produce. Choosing a small project to start off is a great way to generate enthusiasm

2. within your company and create additional funding opportunities for larger, more
complex initiatives.
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