The Future of VR in Marketing.

Giving customers the chance to get involved using panoramic 360 views, engage with CGI and the chance to edit and control their experience. VR has the ability to offer value to both niche and mass markets.

Furniture retailers for example have developed systems that allow their products to be seen in virtual reality, to give consumers a better idea of how the product will fit into their home.

The potential for VR seems endless; virtual tours of proposed buildings and cars, training for military and engineers – removing cost and danger, virtual seats at catwalks and concerts and other high end events. In fact, in the near future you will be able to sit at home with a VR headset and take a virtual day trip around any virtual city with a friend who’s also wearing a VR head set but sat in their home, half way around the world.

IKEA Virtual Reality Showroom from Demodern on Vimeo.

Three reasons VR is an amazing tool to draw in customers:

• Immerse – A user wearing the headset is completely immersed in the content with few distractions, giving greater attention on the message.

• Impact– The VR experience generates stronger emotions in a user than traditional media, and the memory lasts a longer.

• Innovative – High media and public interest means that early adopters of VR can benefit from media exposure.

Different types of VR:

These types are not set in stone and will often blur together. They are likely to change and evolve in the future.

• 360 Film/ 360 Image – This has a predetermined story or function which allows the user to be in the virtual space but with little or no control over the outcome.
• Cinematic – This is usually a high-quality, 360° 3D video experience, with surround sound audio, possibly with interactive elements.
• Hybrid VR – Sometimes referred to as Mixed reality (MR), this is the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualizations.
• The Virtual Reality Experience (VRE/ VRX) – Hybrid VR in real time! This is a mix of reality and virtual reality, encompassing both augmented reality and augmented virtuality. Users will be able to wear it as part of everyday life and interact with virtual and physical environment, seamlessly. This tech is almost here.

VR is not something that should be used without consideration. While it is a great tool to engage users in a fun and exciting way its important that the brands message is properly represented. Taking a video idea and displaying it in VR can cause a distracting and sometimes nauseating experience. An idea is only made good when the user forgets they are using VR and becomes immersed in the virtual world and the message of the brand

Our motion department at Miramar loves new tech and is always pushing the boundaries with creative ideas so we can create better brand experiences of our client and their customers. Check out our recent work with Milton Park (link) or if you want to discuss VR for an event or product launch get in touch.