Does your brand really need VR content?
Should VR content become a crucial part of communication strategy? Are there enough VR headsets on the market? What about budgets of VR projects vs. ROI? And finally — When will be the perfect moment to brief creatives on ideas that will conquer virtual reality and will leave consumers with truly real memories?
Natalia Borawska, Piotr Podziemski
Virtual reality is a hot topic now. People think that this technology has a huge potential but most of them are convinced that VR still does not deliver on promises. Is that actually right?
The VR development is powered mostly by talents from the world of gaming, where the main focus is on interactivity, and from the world of cinema, where storytelling skills are of key importance.
The first special Oscar for VR experience „Carne y Arena” by super talented duo Alejandro Iñárritu — Emmanuel Lubezki has been awarded in recognition of a visionary and powerful experience in storytelling. It’s a proof that it is possible to design excellent experiences with technology we have nowadays.
Every year international film festivals such as Sundance, Tribeca, Cannes or Berlinale show more and more interesting VR projects with engaging narrations which confirms that…
VR has become an important storytelling medium.
Despite the fact that virtual reality is accused of isolation and escapism, Facebook have decided that its bright future is connected with VR technology. Mark Zuckerberg, after buying Oculus, created Facebook Spaces and gave everyone a clear message that he is all-in for creating immersive content and development of the VR platform. It seems to be strategically a well-taken step, considering the popularity of video broadcasting by Instagram Stories or Facebook Live. Spaces allows users to create fully customized avatars based on profile photos and gives possibilities of interaction with friends in a virtual online space.
In the face of the recent data privacy scandal the question is — will Facebook be able to effectively take care of security of our profiles in virtual reality? This situation brings even more challenges, especially of ethical background.
What is more, at one of the most important technological conferences in the world, @SXSW in Austin, where VR, AR and MR have been discussed many times, there has appeared a subject of Extended Reality (XR) and possibilities offered by combining virtual and biological reality. One of the guest was Ray Kurzweil, the director of engineering at Google and probably the best-known futurist in the world. A few years ago he shared his quite original vision of the future where people overcome illness and gain immortality and by 2030 VR is directly connected to their nervous system, so they are able to experience on an unprecedented scale and explore exciting unknown places.
Well, when you have eternity in front of you it’s easy to feel seriously bored. In this case, VR sounds like a real gift from the gods.
Everything looks like the world is changing. Or maybe better word is expanding? The global influencers from the VR industry emphasise that virtual reality is not a competition to our world, but it is rather a complement to it.
Chris Milk, the author of widely commented concept that VR is the „empathy machine”, in his TED speech presents VR as a powerful technology which help us become more empathetic and more connected. And ultimately more humanized, which can support us in solving burning problems of this world.
What does the brand lose without investing in VR?
New storytelling. How to succeed in VR
Why have some VR campaigns made profits and others haven’t?
VR and change in consumer attiutedes
When should your brand start working on its own VR experience, if it had not already done it?
What does the brand lose without investing in VR?
When it comes to VR technology American and Asian markets are unquestionable leaders, but also in Europe a lot is happening in this field. The gaming market, architecture, movie industry, medical industry, e-learning, tourism, e-commerce and brand experiences gradually absorb VR.
The VR market, although slowly, is constantly growing. The VR headset sale is successively rising — from 6 million in 2016, by 8 million in 2017, to expected 12.4 million in 2018.
The issue of VR in marketing is a hot topic dividing people in two camps. Some people believe that VR hasn’t been developed enough to take it seriously business-wise and take into account in marketing communication, others fight heroically and work on their projects to guarantee themselves the leader position in the future.
In the world full of various advertisement options — from ad-blocks to paid subscriptions — consumers have already mastered the level of avoiding ads that interrupt their favorite stories. In the face of such problems as “banner blindness” and flooding the internet with the same generic “zombie content” brands are not able to build positive relations with their consumers and break through the communication chaos that they co-create. VR gives the possibility of emotional connection because it seems impossible to be in a well-designed experience and not get involved.
In a well-designed VR experience, technology disappears, a screen disappears and our consciousness which in other media interprets reality, in VR becomes a medium itself. It is a phenomenon of deep immersion in the world of a story.
The popular meme says — Life is hard. Neverland is easy. VR made it even easier — now you just need to wear VR glasses to move to a chosen land in a few seconds only.
New storytelling. How to succeed in VR
Creative agencies and marketers have mastered the craft of telling stories through the rectangle which we call a movie but they have had a few good decades to hone their skills. Unfortunately, not all the rules that work in cinema work in VR as well. If a brand wants to create a good VR experience, it needs a totally new way of thinking about creating stories and a complete revision of a narrative grammar.
Google News Labs called this new kind of telling stories — „story living”.
Storytelling combined with immersion is highly explosive. We do not just watch but we can take an active part in a story and even influence it (linear vs non-linear narration).
Yelena Rachitsky, the key player in the process of supporting innovation in telling interactive stories in Oculus, emphasises that the basic challenge in creating interactive narratives is to keep the balance between being active and passive. The border constantly blurs between what is a game and what is an engaging story.
For Rachitsky an immersive story is not based on the concept of beginning, middle and end but rather on experiencing a story here and now. In this case, the most crucial moment is the moment of taking off a headset and focus on a story that we tell ourselves after it.
The Joseph Campbell’s concept of the hero’s journey, the three-act structure or the idea of building a story around the conflict will not always work in creating scenarios of immersive stories. So, where can we find inspirations when all of these techniques do not help us in our creative process?
A good idea may be exploration of some Easter storytelling techniques such kishōtenketsu. It’s a principle of classical Chinese, Korean and Japanese narratives where the main focus is on exploring holistic system of relations, where the whole is greater than the sum of all individuals.
Are you interested in storytelling for new technologies? Do you want to create a scenario for VR? Do you design interactive experiences? More about creating narrations in VR, AR, MR in our next articles. Stay tuned!
Why have some VR campaigns made profits and others haven’t?
In the last 5 years VR was used in marketing communication mainly for PR and making buzz around brands. Companies did VR because they could. Unfortunately, they have treated it in most cases as a just new tech gimmick and have tried to translate their creative ideas into VR instead of designing an experience adapted to the completely new medium. A conclusion?
The idea will never be better just because it will be made in virtual reality.
As a result, a lot of bad or weak VR experiences have been created. So could effectively discourage people from absorbing the technology or at least bore some viewers to death. One common idea was — let’s make a VR test drive. It was executed a number of times in a more or less engaging way by almost all automotive industry leaders. This kind of experiences were acceptable at the earlier stage of developing this technology but today it is definitely not enough.
VR technology has also been used many times in the fashion industry from the popular British retailer TopShop to brands such as Tommy Hilfiger or Dior. This last one even has designed their own posh VR headset.
The 360-degree live streaming from the perspective of „the first row” during fashion shows was very popular as well. The viewers could watch walking models from the places exclusively reserved only for well-known editors, celebrities or the most influential bloggers.
Brands also often have organised VR stands in their stores or during special events giving customers possibilities to experience immersive entertainment.
One of the most interesting viral in VR was the experience promoting the new season of “Game of Thrones” created by HBO. The experience has already begun in real life. The participants entered the Castle Black elevators where they felt a breath of cold air and heard the characteristic rumbling that made them feel being pulled to the very top of the 700-meter-high wall. Thanks to VR headset, they could admire the view of the North from the Wall. Even if the technology was not perfect in those days, let’s remind you it was 2014, the reception was more than enthusiastic.
Old Irish beer campaign made in Georgia was very well received as well. Old Irish have decided to have fun blurring the boundary between the virtual world and the real world. In this case the key moment was not the moment of putting on the headset but taking it off.
Thanks to this clever idea the whole world has heard about Old Irish. The campaign has brought Georgia the first ever award at the Cannes Lions festival and has proven that VR does not have to be an isolated experience for a handful of people but an essential element of the bigger picture that can impress thousands of viewers.
VR technology makes everything closer in space and time and let us travel to faraway places or even galaxies in just a few seconds.
Samsung has used it in “The Missed Spaceflight” experience as a part of „Do what you can’t” campaign. 40 years ago general Tadeusz Kuzior was about to be the first Pole in the space as a part of Soyuz 30 mission, but he finally wasn’t picked. Thanks to the immersive technology the story of his unfulfilled dream found the happy ending. Samsung has enabled its audience to participate in this special flight.
The New York Times also has used the VR to travel in time and space. The newspaper has distributed a million Google Cardboards so its readers could view the documentary “The Displaced” about the drama of children during military conflicts.
This viral sensation has changed the face of modern journalism and has attracted many young readers who have liked the idea of experiencing story, not just reading it.
In the year of 2015 at the World Economic Forum in Davos there was a premiere of another loud VR project “Clouds over Sidra” presented by the UN. Thanks to immersion the audience could experience everyday life of children from Za’atarii refugee camp in Jordan first hand. The project was very successful and raised almost 4 million dollars for children who grow up in very difficult conditions. This is a clear message that VR is a good medium for social campaigns and corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.
VR and change in consumer attitudes
The impact of VR ads on changing consumer attitudes is a topic that will be certainly explored in the coming years. There is a number ot ethical issues connected with virtual reality which have been already indicated by scientists.
The researchers from the Stanford University have found that even a few minutes spend in virtual reality have a real impact on changing attitudes and people’s behaviours in the real world.
In their experiment participants had the chance to play the role of Superman who saved the child. The research has shown that heroic behaviour in a virtual environment has contributed to altruistic behaviour in real life too.
The question is, where is the thin line between empathy and manipulation? And will we be able to limit ourselves and use this technology in good faith?
The Nielsen research institute has examined the effectiveness of VR experiences in marketing communication as well. The studies have shown that consumers were at least 8 times more likely to remember VR ads (immersion video 360 was tested) compared to online video ads. And two times more likely to share it with others, compared to traditional video.
While there is still no chance to create VR experiences which will be as widely available as traditional one, the power of their impact is incomparable.
No other medium directs our attention to here and now so strongly as VR. No other medium guarantees the special moment effect.
What will the future bring?
More and more people buy VR headsets. Although it is still a niche in Europe. The HTC or Oculus set costs about $400–800 and the Samsung Gear VR which uses a Samsung smartphone as a screen is a cost of $100. Technological giants compete with each other in developing goggles. From season to season headsets are smaller, lighter and cheaper. The newest one, Oculus Go costs about $200 and doesn’t need a smartphone at all. The good quality equipment is a key when it comes to watching VR. So, you should not consider cheap supermarket headsets If you seriously think about VR.
However, If you want to experience virtual reality you do not have to own a headset at all. In Warsaw you can take a part of VR experience in a VR cinema. And this becomes a European-scale phenomenon. Already, more of such VR-cinemas are opening. Another option is a visit to a VR room and play one of VR games, for example Superhot, a game created by Poles which is a worldwide success. If you want more, you can go to art galleries or the theatre where VR appears more and more often. Recently, one of Polish theatres, TR Warszawa has celebrated the Japanese premiere of G. E. N. VR, the 360 video recording of Grzegorz Jarzyna’s last performance.
When it comes to marketing communication we can observe a fast adaptation of 360 video (it is worth noting that there is a difference between a regular 360 video and a immersive 360 known as Cinematic VR). Production costs, in comparison to interactive VR, are not so high. The 360 format can be widely distributed through such platforms as YouTube or Facebook. Many brands include Nike and Coca-Cola do 360 videos. 2018 Soccer World cup matches are broadcasted this way, simarily as league NBA matches were broadcasted before — which creates space for VR commercials as well.
The advantage of 360 video is that it can be watched on a headset but also on a screen. A flaw? The point of view is fixed and interactions are limited. The real VR guarantees a possibility of moving and exploring and you don’t have that in 360 videos.
However, there is a chance that the adaptation of 360 video will entail development of the entire VR. In the end the more you eat, the bigger your appetite can grows.
On the other hand VR content is still rare so it arouses great interest in consumers. This apparent disadvantage can be the great advantage in fact. It’s a good idea for brands to use kind of VIP -state of this medium, especially that this phase will not last forever.
And what after this? Time for creativity!
Next 2 to 5 years mature work with virtual reality will begin. From creators point of view it’s most awaited and fascinating moment. More well-designed VR experiences will appear as a part of integrated communication. Technology will become background and a good story will become a key element.
Increasingly, we will also be consumers of VR premium content or branded content which is well-designed free entertainment created in cooperation with brands.
The breakthrough moment will be implementation of 5G Internet in 2025. This will significantly affect the quality of experiences for people, may increase the target audience by large numbers, while enabling to create more advanced executions. Chances are exciting. And threats?
VR is demanding physically and mentally. It can be overwhelming in excess. But the biggest threat is about making a badly designed experience — as impact of bad VR design it is much more significant in comparison to executions for other media like TV. Motion sickness is result of bad design — it is not anymore a hardware problem, like many people believe. Consequently, a badly designed experience can result in a displeased, sick viewer.
We will learn the answers to our questions in the near future. If VR becomes a home for new form of advertising will people be able to consume as much content as non-immersive content? Or will viewers be emotionally exhausted by experiences in virtual reality? Will it be even harder to break through communication chaos? Will brands compete with each other when it comes to quality of VR content?
When should your brand start working on its own VR experience, if it had not already done it?
The answer is — right now.
This is definitely the best moment to start exploring, analysing this medium and consequently to start working in it.
Perhaps your brand is a type of an explorer who wants to inspire and address crucial problems of this world. Maybe you’re a leader in your category or you want to earn such position and offer your clients unforgettable VR experiences?
Of course a character of a brand, its mission, values, demography and lifestyle of a target are not without significance when it comes to using virtual reality.
VR reaches young and very young people the fastest. However, the older groups shouldn’t be ignored. An example? VR can be enjoyed by people who due to health and movement limitations cannot visit desired places in the world in a way different from virtual tourism.
VR will not replace traditional channels, just like the radio did not replace the books, and the cinema didn’t replace the television. But it is certain that VR will bring fresh air to brands communication.
Working with new technology sometimes can cause fear or uncertainty. Ultimately excitement and curiosity win, push to action and bring effects. In the end, a real success is never a result of coincidence.
