The tech sector is inundated with an immeasurable number of disruptions that are changing everything from how we work and think to how see things. In the visual world, a lot has changed with the emergence of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and mixed reality. The computer generated visuals in VR interfaces uses succinct graphics, sensations and sounds to capture the attention of users. The simulation supports feature interaction and manipulation.
The VR market is expanding. A report published in the BBN Times says the global revenues from the VR sector stood at $7 billion in 2017. According to marketing analysts, the combined market for virtual reality and augmented reality is expected to hit $100 billion in 2021. Most of the revenues generated from the VR come from the sale of headsets, content and VR cameras. It is hoped that the success witnessed with VR in the leisure industry will be replicated in business.
Businesses can harness the technology to boost revenue potential and push the limits of sales, marketing and advertising. Through practical application and training, VR can be used to simulate everything happening in the physical world. Most of these tasks can be executed through practical application. Case in point, the telepresence feature and modeling possibilities in virtual simulations make it possible for users to engage real the world objects.
How VR is transforming the marketing field
Advances in VR hardware and software have given rise to pliable and more user-friendly VR technologies. The development is having a huge impact in the marketing and advertising sectors. We are now talking VR advertising, which is yet to be fully exploited. Although VR users are a captive audience, advertisers must make every effort to create ads that the audience will appreciate. These are essentially ads that users will not mind watching or interacting with.
As we speak, no effort has been made to place ad blockers on VR simulations. Owing to the newness of the technology, viewers may not mind watching any advert, including those that are mind-numbing. For advertisers, getting things right from the onset will inculcate positive experience and open the doors to a potentially lucrative market in the future. Marketers must also converse themselves with product pricing trends in order to get good value for money.
The virtual market is dominated by players like Facebook, Samsung, PlayStation and Google. Advertisers hoping to shape and benefit from the VR market must take the earliest opportunity to exploit the market. One of the interesting features that can be used to promote sales is the unique, eye movement tracking. The feature can help advertisers explore the items that users want to interact with. The other important tips for marketing products and services on the VR platform include:
- Showing customers what’s in it for them
- Immersing your audience into your story
- Creating fun advertisements
- Using immersion to teach your audience
Reasons why businesses should adopt the VR
Virtual reality presents a new platform for businesses keen on reaching and engaging customers. Besides opening the doors to a reliable new market, businesses can use the platform to pitch new product and services and study customer behavior. Nonetheless, to reap the full benefits of virtual reality, firms must come up with a meaningful content marketing strategy; have best VR hardware in store and applications and appreciate the opportunities presented by immersive videos. From an expert analysis, the components of a truly amazing VR video include; acceleration, element of surprise and the ability to reach out and touch lives. If you are working in the marketing department, the success of any VR campaign will depend on the following key objects:
Virtual transmission
User engagement is a critical component of marketing. One of the most effective tools to reach the wider audience is videos. Marketers can exploit live streamed video to enable real-time interactions. For instance, a company selling cars can set up a virtual showroom where customers simply need to wear a headset to check the product placements and interact with the sales assistants.
Interactivity
Through virtual reality, users can easily interact with the brand and content that is put out for viewership. Because marketers understand the desires and demands of users, they can take this opportunity to shape and deliver the type of content customers want to consume.
Performance
A lot of effort has gone into enhancing VR speeds, considering how tough it is to operate in an immersive environment. Most VR’s in use today work effectively at 90 FPS (frames per second). Because users expect seamless operations, marketers must do a good work to ensure their systems perform optimally. Remember, nobody is going to stick around waiting for slow signals.
Immersion
Since virtual reality is seen as some kind of cool futuristic device, thanks to movie makers and computer programmers, marketers can take advantage of the immersive factor to reach huge audiences. Businesses can woo the audience by creating opportunities to sample immersive technology using tools like interviews, product demonstrations and training tutorials. Sectors like automotive, entertainment and travel industry continue to leverage virtual reality to market and sell products as well as interact with consumers. A concerted approach along the same lines can go a long way to convert non-interested prospects into customers.
Platforms
Competition in the VR platform market is tough and unrelenting. Each of the major players provides own set of headsets, APIs and performance specs. Variations also exist when it comes to distribution models, motion tracking and interaction models. This means compatibility issues may arise when pairing various platforms on WebVR. Currently, the classes dominating the VR platform include the new PlayStation VR, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. To operate the VR seamlessly and ensure positive user experience, businesses must ensure their support hardware remains top notch. The critical hardware’s include consoles, controllers, input systems and graphics cards.
Getting started with a VR product
The virtual space is a fertile ground for product demos, fun experiments and simulation experiences. For production driven businesses, prototyping and design is carried out in a cost-effective, safe and convenient VR space. Aircraft manufacturing concerns like Boeing often use simulated virtual spaces to carry out design and testing for plane features and models. The same is being replicated in the field of architecture, where building developers and architects can present building designs and models to eager investors for scrutiny before actual construction commences.
Items you need to kick-start VR product development:
- Understand the design and prototype tools
- Use the highly resourceful WebVR libraries
- Familiarize yourself with game engines
- Choose the right platforms and software development kits (SDKs)
- Conduct performance testing
- Hire private development company
The first step in VR development is the design phase. The process is modeled along the lines of software engineering. You are going to need a pen and paper alongside prototyping tools like Blender to develop customized 3D models. The other popular tools in the design arena include Cinema4D and Autodesk Maya that is loaded with many useful plugins. The WebVR is a critical tool in VR development since it makes it possible to scrutinize VR on platforms like web browsers.
Great examples of WebVR include React 360 and Primrose. Game engines and VR engines are must have during VR product development. The most popular engines include Unity engine, CryEngine and Unreal Engine. Unity is preferred by most VR engineers who are starting out. The engine supports various devices and file formats. It is also compatible with a host of 3D building applications. The VR platforms are broadly classified as either mainstream or high end. The latter requires high performance computing processors and consoles to operate optimally. The products include PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift. The mainstream VR products are basically VR glasses adapted to use mobile processors. Google Daydream and Samsung Gear are great examples of mainstream platforms. The choice of platform normally ranks top in the VR product development list. You will need to pick a starter SDK alongside a good cross platform engine to stay on course.
Because of the intricate nature of VR technology, an investment in technical support is critical. The composition of the expertise in the industry includes technical artists, sound engineers, system designers and developers. Companies that cannot maintain the experts can hire a private development company to help train and maintain the VR infrastructure. VR developers need to be well-versed with system performance; particle usage, and 3D engines like React and Unity. Developers also need to be knowledgeable about animations, efficient use of texture and lighting. VR system designers on their part need broader skills in UI and UX interfaces. The sound engineer’s work is basically to ensure the VR experience remains truly immersive. On the overall, the experts and other stakeholders in the highly creative, VR industry must work together to ensure the end-user VR experience is both exciting and rewarding.
