Sampling the Future — How Immersive Experiences Are Evolving Marketing
One of the basic tenets of marketing is sampling. Get someone to try your product or service, and if they like it, they’ll buy it/watch it/use it. But as consumers become increasingly more savvy to identifying advertising and are overwhelmed with messaging and information coming from every direction — including the palms of their hands — it’s more difficult than ever for marketers to get people to engage.

Build it, And They Will Come
Now that marketers have realized it’s no longer as simple as putting a little bit of tasty bait on the hook and dangling it in front of the audience, the question is how do we reach people in a meaningful and palatable way? One of the answers, especially for entertainment and content brands, is in the new technologies of VR and AR, through which we can let the audience dive into the ocean and decide for themselves what they want to feast on.

Adapt Now, Or Be Sorry Later
VR and AR are giving marketers amazing new opportunities to take people into the world of a brand at a level not thought to be possible before. While not yet fully ubiquitous, these technologies are already changing perceptions of what marketing could be, which means consumers have new expectations of what marketing should be. It’s only a matter of another holiday season until these technologies become more commonplace, especially on mobile devices. The savviest marketers are experimenting with these technologies now to prepare for when that time comes. Make no mistake, it definitely will come. And soon.
Don’t Sample a Brand, Live In It
The level of immersion that these technologies offer is what’s going to convert people to fans. While VR and AR do typically demand higher production values, these types of experiences allow the audience delve much deeper into your brand. We can now lead consumers into a world they either already love, or are curious to know more about. And when consumers are immersed in these technologies, it feels like they’re experiencing something real, something tangible — something that no longer feels like marketing.

Don’t Settle For This World, Build Your Own
In this brave new world, content will become the message, which means that marketers must be able to wear the hat of content creators in order to figure out what those authentic narrative experiences are and how they convey — more subtly than ever before — the unique brand message or call to action. Unlike straight-up content creators, marketers are still beholden to business objectives, goals and ROIs. They don’t have the luxury of just providing the audience with free experiences that don’t drive them anywhere. But with the advent of VR and AR, marketers can redraw the lines between content and messaging and consumers can have endless new worlds to explore. And this is a good thing.
by Eric Drumm, Associate Director, Strategy & Innovation
