Introduction to Extended Reality
Consumers are desperate to interact with their favorite brands in all-new ways, connecting the physical world with digital elements. This is why Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR) have emerged as key trends for the longer term of selling, revolutionizing how brands can position their products. With National Science Fiction Day just across the corner, we take a have a look at XR and the way marketers could leverage its potential.
How Close Are We to Science Fiction-Like XR Experiences?
20 years ago, the thought of experiencing digital content as if it was a part of our physical surroundings seemed truly like science fiction. Even until the last decade, VR hardware was expensive, not to say cumbersome, with a poor user experience. Today, XR technology looks very different – 360-degree videos on YouTube, AR filters on Snapchat, and DIY VR equipment like Google Cardboard have modified our conception of immersive experiences.
There are three trends to notice:
- Sales and marketing/external communication is amongst essentially the most common fields of VR implementation. 84.2% of respondents in a 2019-2020 report mentioned this as a spotlight area.
- 56.6% of execs in sales, marketing, and external communications use AR/MR technology as well, in accordance with the identical report.
- The global startup landscape in XR is heating up, and marketing technology giants are taking notice. For instance, Facebook acquired CTRL-Labs in September 2019, adding the startup’s neural monitoring wristband to Facebook’s XR capabilities.
4 Futuristic Ways to Use XR
XR helps to create a robust impression in the patron’s minds, urging them to take a look at your brand from a wholly latest perspective. Here are 4 suggestions for leveraging XR in 2020, with examples from leading brands.
1. Launch a Mixed Reality (MR) Popup
This is especially relevant to B2C service industries similar to hospitality and F&B. In MR scenarios, consumers can interact with physical elements and digital representations at the identical time. The hologram is a great example, because it superimposes a digital graphic onto a physical setup. You can use MR to create popups where customers can experience your products in ways which might be not possible in a purely physical world.
2. Let Customers Experience Remote and Exciting Terrain
This one applies to hospitality brands, tourism firms, and even e-commerce stores selling outdoor equipment. VR allows customers to explore distant surroundings that they may wish to visit – or can only dream of! You can create VR stores where visitors walk on the polar icecaps or explore the depths of the Grand Canyon.
3. Insert Your Product in a Surprising Virtual Location
XR gives you the chance to position your product in surprising and memorable contexts. This is nearly like science fiction – imagine if a futuristic pair of sneakers sold by a luxury brand appears when a consumer is playing a video game set in space. With the most recent AR/VR technologies, innovations like this are already possible.
4. Make Your Store Entirely Virtual, with No Physical Products
This strategy is correct out of the science fiction playbook. You can have a physical space that’s populated by empty shelves, with nothing but a QR code embedded on shelf labels. Once customers walk in, they’ll use their smartphones to scan the label and examine products in a virtual format.
Why National Science Fiction Day Should Be on Every Marketer’s Radar
Today, the lines between science fiction and reality are always getting blurred. What gave the look of a futuristic device within the 60s Star Trek movies – with its location ID, voice recognition, and data storage capabilities – is now a mainstream smartphone. Marketers should keep watch over emerging trends, check for improvement areas of their current strategies, and experiment in controlled scenarios wherever possible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Extended Reality is not any longer just an idea from science fiction movies. It’s a reality that’s changing the way in which we interact with brands and products. With the advancement of AR, VR, and MR technologies, marketers have the chance to create immersive and fascinating experiences for his or her customers. As we rejoice National Science Fiction Day, we must always also recognize the potential of XR in marketing and the way it might transform the longer term of the industry. Whether it’s through launching a mixed reality popup, letting customers experience distant terrain, inserting products in surprising virtual locations, or making stores entirely virtual, the probabilities are limitless. As marketers, we must be excited concerning the way forward for XR and its potential to revolutionize the way in which we connect with our customers.
