Animated logos in mobile marketing communications: The roles of logo movement directions and trajectories

Abstract

This research examines consumer preferences for two different features, movement directions and trajectories, of “animated logos” which are company logos moving across the screens of mobile devices (usually, in a GIF, Graphics Interchange Format). Results based on three experiments show, first, that consumers prefer logos moving upward over those moving downward regardless of the company's power and innovativeness. Second, when logos are associated with highly innovative companies, consumers demonstrate a stronger preference for logos moving in an up-right direction over an up-left direction, since they tend to associate different metaphorical meanings to them. Finally, consumers prefer animated logos moving along a convex up-right trajectory over those moving along either a concave or a linear up-right trajectory when the logos are associated with highly innovative companies. The article closes with implications and suggestions for marketers when designing animated logos in mobile marketing communications.