How VR is Going To Have A Huge Impact On Marketing
Of all of the ways that virtual reality has the potential to impact the world, it’s ironic that it still is known, especially amongst those still not fully acquainted with VR, as a device meant for gaming. But as VR technologies become more widespread and the growth of the industry continuing to grow, how virtual reality experiences can impact areas we wouldn’t traditionally expect is becoming more and more exciting.
Here in this space we’ve already talked about how VR is altering areas like education and medicine but a new focus we haven’t talked about yet, and that is only now beginning to see how it too can use virtual reality are those in the field of marketing.
The sad truth is that because we are all consumers we will ultimately all be marketed to. Thankfully, at least for those of us interested in virtual reality, there are new ways that VR will allow us to be sold things that can also satisfy our technological interests as well.
Much like the rest of the internet, online marketers are adopting video. But while video has become ubiquitous, video with a VR spin is still a novelty and with a 3-D experience, not only does VR allow marketers an easier time selling their concepts, it makes the video not just an alternative to traditional television advertising, it can have a positive impact on the motivation of the customer.
Beyond advertising, marketers can also use VR to test products, allowing customers, whether they’re buying a building still at the planning stage or a luxury vacation package from a travel agency, more of a feel of the real product.
This feel can be used by marketers to not only sell products that have not yet been completed, but it can be used to help design future product. By having technology that allows a virtual product to be generated per a customer’s requirements, which would not only make the eventual production faster, but it could lessen a product’s time at market.
Having a customer be given an opportunity to give insight and experience a company’s operations not only makes a client feel like more than just another number, but it can improve the customer-business relationship in ways that make it far more likely for a company to retain their business over many years.
With this engagement of the customer comes a higher probability of improved sales. There are some drawbacks of course, specifically that with such a new technology comes many unknowns. Whether that’s research identifying ways for marketers to better engage with customers or the certain ethical considerations and financial costs of using new technology, there are certainly areas that still need to be worked out when considering how best to use VR for marketing. But one this is for certain. Virtual reality is here to stay and for those business owners brave enough to try something new, there is great potential for them to not only better connect to their client base, but to expand it.