Marketers are looking at advancements in VR
tech so they can further use this storytelling medium.
Virtual reality (VR) technology has been
discussed and hinted at for years, but we’ve finally seen some significant
progress made this year. And while there’s still a lot of ground to be made
before it can be considered a mainstream technology, now’s the perfect time to
take a look at the role of VR in business and how it will impact marketing,
specifically.
What is VR?
“Virtual reality is the term used to describe
a three-dimensional, computer generated environment which can be explored and
interacted with by a person,” explains Virtual Reality Society. “That person
becomes part of this virtual world or is immersed within this environment and
whilst there, is able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions.”
Thanks to consumer interest and new
developments, the technology behind VR is becoming cheaper and more
cost-effective. This is leading to enormous buzz and demand in the marketplace,
as well as interest among businesses that want in on the action.
Why is VR so effective?
If you don’t have any experience with VR,
then you’re probably wondering what all the fuss is about. If we had to break
it down into four concise bullet points, it would go as follows:
•
Novelty. For starters, VR has the “hip” factor. Its’ new, it’s
cool and it’s something that’s never been seen before. That, in and of itself,
creates an allure in the marketplace.
•
Immersive. Over the years, media has become more and more immersive.
From television and video games to social media and mobile devices, the more
visually stimulating and engaging a technology is, the more effective it is.
•
Memorable. Did you know that the human brain processes images an
astounding 60,000-times faster than text? It would stand to reason, then, that
VR experiences are even more memorable than images, which keeps people coming
back for more.
•
Story-based. Finally, VR is often rooted in storytelling. Anytime you
have a visual medium that can be used for storytelling, you have a recipe for
success.
VR technology is here to stay. From personal
use to business applications, it’ll be exciting to see the advancements made in
the coming months.
How is it being used?
As mentioned, the potential for leveraging VR
technology in marketing is (pardon the pun) virtually unlimited. Let’s take a
look at some of the uses:
•
Incredible experiences. With VR, you can suddenly transport your customers to any
scene in the world (or even your imagination). Marriott recently did this by
partnering with Framestore VR Studio and Relevant to take customers on virtual
tours of vacation destinations like Hawaii and London. It was a smashing
success and shows just how powerful VR can be.
•
Customer education. What better way to teach customers about a certain topic
than by actually involving them? This is what the Hacienda Patron tequila
distillery recently did by giving customers a behind-the-scenes look at what
goes on during the production process. As a result, customers felt a closer
connection to the brand.
•
Fresh innovation. While newspapers are quickly dying off, leading companies
are looking for ways to stay relevant. The New York Times has done this by releasing
a series of VR films to its subscribers this year.
The possibilities are endless and marketers
are anticipating even more advancements in VR technology so that they can
further utilize this powerful storytelling medium.
Putting it all together.
VR technology is exciting and promising,
especially in the marketing industry. It has the potential to totally and
utterly revolutionize the way in which markers engage customers, which will
have a lasting impact on businesses everywhere. What do you think?
Written by: Samuel Edwards
Credit: Entrepreneur.com
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