VR is in. And we're on it.
I’ve been reading a whole load of stuff about virtual reality this morning which no doubt most of you have come across – it’s just fascinating!
More and more brands are trying out virtual reality as part of their marketing strategy. Studies have shown that consumers have a greater affinity towards brands using VR, and the explosion of Pokemon Go simply validates this!
VR solves a huge problems marketers have around engagement and awareness for the following reasons:
- Immersive – users wearing a headset are completely immersed in the content meaning fewer distractions and more attention on the message.
- Impactful – the intensity of a VR experience is greater than traditional media generating strong emotions in its users which are linked to real behaviour change.
- Memorable – our brains are built to remember events linked to locations, this means that VR experiences have a longer trace in the audience’s memory.
- Novel – with high media and public interest in VR early adopters can benefit from favourable media exposure.
Here are a few examples of brands using VR in marketing…
North Face – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSfkE4emoBE
Volvo – https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=24&v=Wuln2bJkp1k
The Marriott hotel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf1aC6aebq8
It will be interesting to see how this rise in technology is shaping the future of qualitative research. Does this mean moving away from traditional focus groups towards much more immersive and engaging online social communication? I know this requires technology and expertise but can we challenge ourselves to think more creatively about (feasible!) methodologies we could adopt, like we’ve done with our WhatsApp chats…now that we’ve killed several Drowzee’s – what’s next?