3 Things Brand Marketers Need to Know to Deliver a Successful VR Experience
Recently, the GLOW Labs team, an internal group at our agency staffed from multiple disciplines who collaborate and develop innovative solutions for our clients, attended “The Art of VR” event at Sotheby’s, here in New York City.
As VR users continue to grow in numbers, savvy brands are considering how to engage their audiences with this new technology. While there is still much confusion among marketers on how to apply virtual reality (VR) to the marketing mix, we have crafted three key takeaways from this event that are proving to be important to creating immersive and successful VR experiences.
Storytelling Is No Longer Passive.
The VR short film “Raising A Rukus” is a revolutionary experience that pushes the boundaries of what can be done with immersive storytelling. The revolutionary aspect is the viewer’s participation in the story. At a certain point in the film, depending on where the user’s gaze is focused, the story will follow a different path. Thus, the viewer becomes active rather than passive, and this is a key element that really made this stand out.
This implementation can leverage exciting opportunities in upcoming visual experiences, as the technology is a great example of visual engagement. At 12 minutes in length, “Raising A Rukus” fits right in with a movie coming out of Pixar or Dreamworks in terms of quality, but obviously, much more immersive.
For brands looking to engage larger audiences through VR, consider giving the viewer control over the content by allowing them to choose their own adventure with unfolding stories or paths. Immersive experiences are swiftly evolving from just placing the audience into a digital 3-dimensional world, to actually assigning them a role within that world.
Haptics elevate the experience. Big time.
The New York Times “Take Flight” experience is a vivid example of how the use of physical elements can elevate a virtual experience. Strapped into VR headgear and sitting on a futuristic-looking chair, the experience starts in a stationary position on a casual Manhattan street. At a stoplight the chair rumbles below and tilts as the user begins to float towards the sky — the subtleness of the chair’s movement allowing the user to become fully immersed into the digital world. As the chair reaches its highest point, the city lights shine below while the viewer experiences the sensation of hovering above the clouds.
The experience excels in tricking your brain by accompanying the movement of the chair with a great soundtrack that creates an immersive experience. When creating a world in VR, physical and audio stimulation to accompany the visuals experience will almost always be a powerful combination.
As VR continues to grow, haptic technology will be right there with it. Consider including haptic feedback — if possible — to complement a VR experience. The level of immersion provided by physical stimulations will enhance the visual elements, elevating the entire experience. People remember something when they feel it. Your audience will surely remember it.
Make sure your tech compliments the desired experience.
The Spider-Man Homecoming Virtual Reality Experience is an ineffective use of technology and example of adapting existing experiences to be used by new technology versus leveraging the new technology to build a new experience.
Overall, the game is as complex as a spider’s web. It begins with the avatar located atop a building’s terrace, similar to the what would be expected of the loading screen of a traditional video game. Ambiguously, the player is transferred put a dressing area to on Spider-Man’s costume where a guided training kicks in.
The player’s goal is to sling webs (in order to move or hit objects) which is accomplished through leveraging the buttons on the Vive hand “wand” controller. There are many opportunities for the slinging experience to better leverage the hardware and feel more natural.
With Spidey’s hands a jittering image, there’s a real disconnect between the player’s movements and what is portrayed on screen, creating a cognitive dissonance which stops the experience from being truly immersive.
Aesthetically, a more realistic visual world would have served the Spider-Man brand, and experience better — instead the game has a cartoon-like appearance, which felt like a missed opportunity given the capability of the technology.
The Spider-Man experience did not take a great brand with a loyal audience and push the technology far enough to fully immerse the user into that world. With VR, at least right now, the small details are what allows the user to let go and commit to their virtual surroundings.
Details matter. The lack of those subtleties or a disconnect between them will always anchor one foot back in the real world for the viewer. In order to create an immersive experience carefully strategize how the content being produced connects the surroundings, user movements, and tactical applications.
The bottom line is, as VR continues to find its footing beyond gaming and into true branded and marketing experiences, it will be important to keep in mind the various components necessary to deliver on the promise of that experience. There are no guidelines or rules established at the moment, however, through experiencing, testing, and learning, success stories can and will be found. Focus on implementing the things that are working, and through that it will lead to the future envisioned for this young and emerging technology.
As an agency launched in 1999, GLOW has always been the vanguard, blending smart creative and technology to craft marketing solutions for partners. Today as we see VR finally poised to have its moment, we believe the digital marketing space is ripe for any brand looking to engage audiences in new ways and truly pushing the bounds of digital storytelling beyond what many imagined.
GLOW Labs
