How Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are Bringing Marketing to Life
Marketers are increasingly finding innovative ways to reach customers.
One of the newest marketing trends is the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)–mostly in big-budget marketing. But swifter adoption could be on the horizon.
In fact, the VR market alone is expected to reach $101 billion by 2027. And, according to Statista, VR and AR spending across sectors was already in the billions in 2017.
With imagination and technology on our side, the future marketing potential is endless.
Today, brands are already using AR and VR for innovative marketing campaigns.
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2. Infographic: The Future of Virtual Reality
Let’s take a closer look at the definitions of VR and AR, and some interesting case studies.
What Is Virtual Reality (VR)?
Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.
What Is Augmented Reality (AR)?
Augmented reality is a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. One example of this is the Pokémon Go app, which allows you view the world through your smartphone camera and superimposes Pokémon characters on it.
How Are Brands Using VR and AR?
Let’s explore ways that both AR and VR are creeping into marketing agendas and paving the way for all marketers to add some new life into their marketing campaigns.
Snapchat Brings AR to Both Users and Advertisers
You may have heard about Snapchat’s dancing hot dog that debuted in 2017 and used a form of AR to delight users. According to Snapchat, the hot dog was viewed more than 2 billion times.
Here is an example of the dancing hot dog reposted from Snapchat to Instagram:
Snapchat has since announced that it would begin allowing others to create their own form of AR within Snapchat via its ad platform. They call it “3D World Lenses,” and it allows companies to bring characters and products to life inside the Snapchat camera.
IKEA Makes Home Design Easier Through AR
In 2017, IKEA announced the “IKEA Place” mobile app, which allows iOS users to virtually place furniture in their home before buying.
IKEA said in its release:
Built on Apple’s new ARKit technology, IKEA Place marks an important milestone in the IKEA digital transformation journey. IKEA is one of the first home furnishing brands in the world to bring this technology to people, shifting the way we purchase furniture in the future. The app automatically scales products — based on room dimensions — with 98% accuracy. The AR technology is so precise that you will be able to see the texture of the fabric, as well as how light and shadows are rendered on your furnishings.
Giraffe360 Enables VR in Real Estate
Giraffe360 is VR technology that’s designed with the real estate sector in mind.
With Giraffe360, real estate professionals can capture virtual tours of a property. The technology promises real estate professionals to achieve higher deal efficiency and decrease property showings down to 70 percent with virtual tours.
Marriott Hotel’s Virtual Travel Teleporter
Marriott came out with a really creative marketing campaign utilizing VR when they setup various teleporters in key locations, which with the help of Oculus Rifts VR technology, allowed hotel customers to travel and experience new locations virtually.
The campaign had a huge impact on customers and was reported for years as a key example of companies using VR in their marketing.
You can see the creation of the teleporters in this video below:
Vespa’s AR Scooter Ad
Many companies have combined AR technology with traditional print ads, but Vespa did something really creative when they allowed you to customize a 3D scooter right before your eyes. That’s not all though, as once you finished creating your scooter, you are able to drive it right off the page and around the room or area you happen to be sitting in.
As you can see, even in this early stage of AR and VR technology, many companies are starting to adopt this trend in their marketing efforts. And as is often the case, early adopters are sure to see bigger wins.
Although both VR and AR technologies have not come to realization in every day life as quickly as initially predicted, it is still inevitable that these technologies will become a part of every day lives in the near future.
Now is time to start thinking about how your company and your products fit in a VR and AR world.
