Hi all,
After yesterday’s class, I learnt about the importance of effective marketing so as to cut through the clutter of the 5000 advertising messages we receive everyday. In order for the marketing to be effective, one of the major decision to make is the choice of communication channel. With the rise of new technology such as virtual reality (VR), it could possibly provide marketers a new communication channel to engage the audience. One of the perks of virtual reality is that it provide opportunities for consumers to experience how the product is like before they make their purchase decision. Other perks of VR ads could be that it is more memorable as it engages with the consumers’ senses unlike conventional prints ads. Especially for industries selling experiences such as luxury travel, transportation and hospitality, this might be an area they can possibly explore.
Virtual Reality ads are gaining popularity and below are the links of some interesting VR campaigns I have came across.
Merrell’s Virtual Hike
Side note: Personally, I think this is one of the best! Merrell launched their new hiking shoes and they stimulated a real hiking experience. This could be one of the ways other companies can market traveling experiences.
Marriott’s Get Teleported campaign:
https://travel-brilliantly.marriott.com/our-innovations/oculus-get-teleported
Volvo’s VR test drive:
The Patron Tequila manufacturing process:
The article also highlighted some potential problems of VR ads which I think that marketers should take into consideration if they were to pursue the option of using virtual reality. Here are some points mentioned:
- Lack of amplification of the message because it is based on individual’s private experience and this cannot be shared easily.
- Not all have a VR handset conveniently at hand. However, Google created a cheaper alternative to Oculus Rift and HTV Vive, and it is the Google Cardboard. There could be possibilities of launching a VR ad campaign on Youtube that all could easily assess online in future with Google Cardboard.
- There are potential risk that VR ads could actually ruin the experience.
Refer to this article:
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/19/virtual-reality-the-next-big-thing-in-advertising.html