Virtual Reality Marketing

 
IKEA was one of the early adopters of virtual reality with its 2014 campaign that allowed users to imagine and add pieces of furniture to pictures of their homes using a smart phone. Customers could see whether a certain piece of furniture would fit in their real-life environments and what colour would be most suitable. AR allowed the company to spark customers’ interest and eventually helped drive sales.

Since then brands have realized the potential of virtual reality advertising to provide a more immersive experience for users. Possibly one of the best applications of VR has been to apply it to the automotive industry. AR/VR is being using it to test drive a car when there are no dealerships nearby. Brands such as Volvo continue to come out with updated versions that are easily downloadable onto mobile phone, most of which include Google Carboard accessories.

Jaguar Land Rover is another car company that uses this technology to let consumers virtually test-drive its Velar vehicle. A 360-degree experience of the car’s interior begins when someone clicks on a banner ad. The system also includes hotspots where users can tap on the screen to get more information about a particular feature of the vehicle. Another way augmented reality can support the operations of car dealerships is to enhance the sales process and drive sales conversions. In the car showroom, augmented reality can allow people to change the colour or finishes on a car to find the one that fits their preferences. Hyundai’ s AR app runs on iPads and helps sales staff demonstrate the capabilities and features of the manufacturer’s new i30 hatchback that would have ordinarily been difficult to showcase in a showroom environment.

All of these examples are so different, but they all do one thing well: they immerse the audience in an unparalleled and unforgettable experience. VR offers the possibility for consumers to reframe their experience with a product while getting closer to the experience that it offers.