Virtual Reality in Marketing
Are you looking for a new and effective way of marketing your business or services? Do you struggle to effectively showcase your business offerings to potential customers? If it is yes to either of the questions above, then this article is for you.
It’s time to accept that modern marketing is changing and it pays to keep up with the times. The average customer is bombarded by a hundred different ads every day. Therefore you need something new to catch and hold their attention and possibly close the deal.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) provide new ways for you to tell your story and reach new people. Read on to find out how you can boost your marketing activities by using these solutions to amaze your customers. See examples of great virtual reality projects in marketing.
Numbers and common problems
In today’s heavily saturated market, the goal of every marketing campaign is to stand out. Experts believe that 52.1 million people, about 15.7%, will use Virtual Reality (VR) this year 2020. 83.1 million (25.0%) will use Augmented Reality (AR) regularly, a minimum of once every month. Will the use of virtual reality in marketing soon become a must-have?
Many industries have begun keying into this new way of marketing to and engaging with their customers. So much so that meanwhile modern VR and AR technologies are changing the ways companies create and roll out marketing strategies.
This is because they solve the main problems that companies have in organizing marketing activities. That is to say, the internet has made everything significantly easier, but it is becoming more difficult than ever to stand out.
Common problems companies have with their marketing initiatives include:
- Costs: It costs a lot of money to create new marketing strategies and even more to implement them. Unfortunately, these expenses are often reoccurring, with each new campaign needing additional resources.
- Preparation: Companies invest a lot of time researching their market and optimizing their brand message. Yet, this doesn’t always guarantee that the marketing campaign will be successful.
- Logistical and technical problems: For instance, marketing campaigns, especially large-scale ones, come with many moving parts that are hard to keep track of. In short moving people and materials to where they are needed can create a lot of problems for marketers.
- Lack of knowledge: It can be difficult marketing to new customers who don’t have any idea of what your product is or what it does. This is why product education has become an important part of any marketing activity.
The best marketing solutions for your business
Interactive VR and AR technologies offer new ways to overcome these problems by presenting marketing materials in new ways. This is why many modern marketing strategies activities now include interactive elements to maximize engagement. Consequently, virtual reality in marketing is growing year per year. From simple AR mobile app to extensive virtual tour, the possibility of buying products during a virtual exhibition.
Examples of these interactive elements include:
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3D catalogs
Modern marketing techniques has led to a rise in the adoption of VR technology in e-commerce. Unlike traditional 2D media, 3D catalogs give customers a realistic view of your products, allowing them to interact with it in a whole new way.
Features like 3D visualization and 3D product configurators allow customers to easily view a product’s appearance from every angle. They also allow them to customize products in line with their preferences and see the results in real-time.
This saves you money by eliminating the need for traditional catalogs and providing a competitive advantage that can help boost your conversion rates. For instance, you can see a 3D marketing travel catalog in action and find out more about them here.
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Interactive campaigns
Marketing campaigns have come a long way from static images or flat videos with limited interactions. After that, marketing campaigns have become interactive experiences that promote two-way interactions that allow customers to express their preferences.
Interactive campaigns like this one here are created to give users a first-hand view of your product. These campaigns can be integrated into your website, social media, and other marketing materials to boost conversion rates.
With Virtual Reality in Marketing, you can create amazing campaigns and build deep user experiences. Thanks to them, they will remember your company much more than the competition. And that’s the point!
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360-degree product rotations
The best way to show off all aspects of your awesome product is by using 360-degree product rotations. This allows shoppers to digitally preview the product as if they were holding it and inspecting it themselves.
Not only does this help increase engagement, but it also helps reduce return costs as customers have greater confidence in your product. Here is a good example of a 360-degree product rotation experience that provides a visually stimulating experience only found in stores.
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Virtual showrooms and webinars
These are fully immersive experiences that introduce customers to 100% digital environments with the use of specialized gear. Moreover, Virtual showrooms allow them to tour and interact with all types of objects and room sizes as though they were really there in person.
Using this technology, it is possible to transport people to new places without them leaving their sitting room. This makes it great for showrooms and webinars which require that customers get the full experience.
Advantages of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality solutions in marketing
- Long-term savings: Asides from reaching more people, virtual reality in marketing can help you save money on the number of people and materials needed to get started. Once the VR environment is designed and equipment purchased, you only have to pay for maintaining or improving it.
- Engaging customers or teaching them: The best way to convince a potential customer is by putting them in the driver’s seat. Technologies like 3D catalogs and interactive campaigns bring customers closer to your products and this experience can be the difference that convinces them.
- Simulating various situations: Virtual tours, showrooms, and webinars are a great way to showcase your product or travel destination and interact with customers.
Conclusion
VR and AR technologies provide new avenues to engage with your customers. At 4Experience, we create and deliver proven interactive solutions that effectively support marketing activities with virtual reality in many industries.
You can also contact us if you’re having a problem with your VR project or a part of it. We will verify the available technologies and offer an appropriate solution for your needs. Our R&D department is always at hand to help you with any problems you may come across.
