A question we are often asked is, "Why do you need animation for your business?" And the answer is: Sometimes you don't. We're certainly not trying to talk ourselves out of any jobs, but this is something we definitely want to make clear. Companies in startup mode oftentimes find that the single best marketing tool they have is word of mouth, or testimonials from real people. Animation may or may not be a good fit at that stage, but we would definitely suggest considering all alternatives before pulling that particular trigger (which, to be fair, is good advice for a business at any stage).
Now that that's out of the way: Animation lets you tell stories that are often impractical or costly to tell in other ways. Some simple motion graphics showing cause and effect can get across important general principles of your business, or explain your value proposition, in a re-playable and entertaining way. Commiting to animation might have a cost in the short run, but it could very well end up saving time and resources that would otherwise be spent on giving the same pitch or presentation over and over again.
It's also efficient and low-risk: Want to show a memorable example of the worst case scenario that could happen if a customer goes to your competitor? You could hire actors to portray them inevitably falling to their doom off a cliff, but then you'd have to worry about insurance and liability, make sure you've acquired all the necessary permits (and pay the fees accordingly), and run the risk that the weather might just not be cooperating the day of the shoot. With animation, your actors and environments are all digital, and once you've incurred the cost of creating your assets, you can use them over and over again as often as you want!