Augmented & Virtual Reality: Experiential Marketing Tools for the Catering Industry
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Just a couple of years ago we were talking about AR and VR technologies with a future tense, now they are an actual reality, present and with a great future ahead. These technologies are the new word and perhaps even the core asset in experiential marketing, the type of marketing that millennials are especially fond of. The representatives of this generation view experiences as a form of social capital, powerful enough to make a part of their curated social identities.
AR and VR have already started changing and reshaping many industries, such as architecture, education, e-commerce, gaming, and many more. Now they are making their way to your plate!
Yes, that’s right! Augmented reality and virtual reality have tackled the food & beverage industry and are already shaping the future of dining. Both are meant to enhance all senses and immerse the consumer within a specific branded experience.
Aside from their entertaining purposes in interactive ads, AR and VR now serve as educational and demonstration tools and they have proved to be quite successful. A great example is the usage of AR in catering event planning, where 3D food catalogs are used to demonstrate dishes, drinks, mini appetizers and bite-size desserts in all their variations and sizes. Such demonstration is extremely helpful for customers to get an idea of their future party table and make informed decisions, thus ensuring better reviews for the catering service provider.
However, AR can take a step forward and go even beyond just menu demonstration. After scanning a specific dish, users can watch the behind-the-scenes making process of that particular dish, along with other relevant information. After all, and first of all, people eat with their eyes.
For yet a more intense penetration of senses, VR comes in. It allows to take the hand of your customer and lead them into an unforgettable roadshow of delicious smells, tastes and looks. This is what Boursin, a French cheese brand in UK did to stand out. They combined VR and 360˚ video with scents and tasting samples of Baursin cheese into a contemporary consumer experience that dived customers into a refrigerator full of specially chosen products. The setting comprised Oculus Rift VR headsets and CGI animation along with a soundtrack, moving chairs, cool air, scented fans and, of course, product samples.
Needless to say that the campaign secured the brand hundreds of new generation fans who were more than eager to share the short, six-second clips of their experience with friends on social media, while 74% of them said that the unique experience had made them more likely to consider the brand in the future.
