max-kegfire/istock
VR and The New Era of Customer Engagement
Have you ever scuba-dived with sharks? Or reached the peak of the Himalayan mountains? These once-impossible experiences aren’t impossible anymore, well.. kind of. With the rise of the metaverse and AI-driven experiences, VR has emerged as a powerful tool for brands seeking to deliver and syndicate innovative and engaging experiences that, in many ways, create a deeper connection with the products or the brand itself.
By letting users experience the product in the virtual world, VR creates a sense of presence and engagement that builds familiarity between customers and the brand through the experience they’re living. Thus, these VR worlds become their own form of content marketing and brand publishing where companies have the space and freedom to create playful and imaginative experiences. These experiences, which could not exist without VR, are particularly valuable for brands whose services are limited by the physical nature of the service or the product.
VR Reshaping the Marketing
VR is causing a notable shift in marketing by offering immersive experiences that were previously unimaginable and providing marketers with a unique storytelling platform where brands can create compelling narratives, making the marketing message more impactful.
So, how is VR reshaping Marketing?
1- Product Visualization and Customization: VR allows customers to visualize products in 3D and customize them to their preferences. Some industries, like furniture, real estate, and automotive, have been using VR to visualize the final product so customers can explore different configurations and options, leading to increased confidence in the product and decision-making.
2- Virtual Events and Conferences: VR enables brands to host virtual events and conferences where attendees can interact with speakers and other participants, creating a sense of presence and engagement.
3- Training and Education: VR provides immersive training simulations for employees and customers, allowing trainees to practice and learn many skills. VR can also be used for educational purposes, creating engaging learning experiences.
4- Data-Driven Insights: VR experiences help generate data on user behavior and preferences. By tracking user interactions in virtual environments, brands can gain insights into what resonates with their target audience, which can be used to personalize marketing efforts and improve customer experiences.
VR in action
The flexibility and innovation of virtual reality have allowed many companies to be more creative in reaching their audience. Several companies have started creating marketing campaigns using VR to provide their customers with the closest possible experiences with their products and services without them being there in reality.
Here are just some of the most notable examples in recent years:
Nytimes Magazine
1- The New York Times
In November 2015, The New York Times launched its virtual reality application NYT VR. In a 360 video documentary called The Displaced, the viewer explores the global refugee crisis through the stories of three children.
The children allow the viewer to visit their lives for a few minutes. They speak about how they escaped war and their hopes for the future.
The 360 video is a part of a multimedia project that includes content like a feature story, interviews, and essays.
KondorCars/Youtube
2- Volvo
Volvo VR allows customers to test drive new models virtually. Users can explore car interiors, interact with features, and even experience different driving environments.
This VR experience uses a low-cost virtual reality platform, Google Cardboard, which helps reach more people.
Volvo also used VR to create a mixed-reality test drive through a partnership with Varjo, a Finnish manufacturer of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed-reality headsets.
Through this VR test, engineers can drive a real car on an actual test track while wearing a Varjo XR headset.
This allows them to seamlessly blend virtual elements, test safety features, visualize, and interact with virtual car models without putting anyone at risk. This makes it possible to evaluate designs, speed up the design process, and reduce reliance on expensive physical prototypes.
NatGeo
3- National Geographic Explore VR
As the pandemic had shut down travel, Kaitlyn Mullin, deputy director of immersive at National Geographic, thought that the potential of using augmented reality became more critical than ever.
“Virtual travel is something that has always resonated with a National Geographic audience and something that has been a cornerstone of our immersive strategy for as long as I have been here,” says Mullin.
National Geographic Explore VR is a first-person virtual reality travel experience. Users can travel to Antarctica or Machu Picchu in Peru, discover and go around as free as they want, and even take pictures. To create it, Nat Geo had real-life experts reviewing and fact-checking everything from scenes and places to make it as close to real-life experience as possible.
Another VR experience is the collaboration between Marshmallow Laser Feast and Nat Geo Kids.
The artist Ersin Han Ersin, goes by Marshmallow Laser Feast, has created a VR experience that lets you see the world through the eyes of different creatures. This project uses VR technology to transport you into the minds of forest creatures, allowing you to see, hear, and feel the world as they do.
“We’ve always had a hunger for hacking people’s senses by combining art and technology,” said Barney Steel, who worked on the headset. “In the Eyes of the Animals gave us a chance to use virtual reality as a first-person perspective medium – the ultimate way to hack someone’s senses!” said Barney Steel, who worked on the headset.
The North Face
4- The North Face
Similar to Volvo, The North Face used Google Cardboard for its VR experience.
In this experience, the viewer is placed outdoors and can look around in any direction, recreating the experience of actually being in the place he’s seeing.
The footage was shot with Jaunt’s proprietary 360-degree, stereoscopic 3D cameras and advanced 3D sound-field microphones with the help of a group of athletes and filmmakers, Camp4 Collective, who also worked to produce the content.
This VR experience transports users to the French Alps, where they can explore the trails of Mont Blanc with renowned ultra-runners Fernanda Maciel and James Poole. It showcases the landscapes and challenges of trail running while highlighting The North Face's VECTIV technology.
"Gucci Bloom" room/ Gucci Garden Experience
5- Gucci
When talking about VR in the fashion sector, Gucci has been a pioneer in using VR to create immersive experiences.
In 2021, Gucci launched the “Gucci Garden Experience” on the Roblox gaming platform, creating a virtual space that allowed users to explore and purchase exclusive digital items based on its physical exhibition in Florence, Italy.
Users could purchase exclusive digital items and use them to personalize their avatars. This helped them promote the brand to the younger audience and increased brand visibility and engagement.
Lowe's Home Improvement/Youtube
6- Lowe’s: Holoroom
Holoroom is a VR experience designed to empower and educate customers and employees in the home improvement sector.
Lowe’s, one of the world’s largest home improvement stores, has decided to use VR to enhance the customer journey and create innovative in-store experiences.
This virtual reality experience allows customers to visualize their dream renovations and learn valuable skills without lifting a physical tool using a VR headset.
Holoroom isn't just for customers. This technology also trains Lowe’s employees, providing them with knowledge of in-store equipment and enhancing their customer interactions. This ensures that staff can ] guide customers through their DIY experience, virtually and in the real world.
Virtual Worlds, Real Connections
Immersive technologies like VR are revolutionizing how we connect with brands. Moreover, they show how brands can reach and interact with their customers through syndication via VR experiences. In fact, all the above brands and many others show the diverse applications of VR in brand publishing and the innovative, engaging ways customers interact, perceive and live the experience the brand delivers.
From fashion to real estate, VR creates content marketing and brand experiences that transport us to new worlds and offer unique perspectives. All the while, they allow brands to create transformative experiences that go beyond entertainment and inspire positive change. This technology is not just a passing trend. It's a powerful tool that will continue to shape the future of brand storytelling, syndication and customer engagement for years to come.
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