Why is VR Effective at Capturing Attention?
VR is effective for many reasons and will shape the way the customer engages with event content. There are a few reasons why VR is so effective at communicating a brand message during an event:
Immersive
Users wearing a headset are completely immersed in the content, meaning fewer distractions and more attention on the message. When an event is in full-swing, you know how crucial this can be.
Impactful
The intensity of a VR experience is greater than traditional media, generating strong emotions in its users which are linked to real behavior change. While generally an event attendee can suffer from burn-out in a matter of hours, VR can get quickly get their head wrapped around your event content in a compelling way.
Memorable
Our brains are built to remember events linked to locations. This means that VR experiences have a longer trace in the audience’s memory. Because this technology is still relatively new, users that experience VR for the first time are likely to remember where it happened (your event!).
Novel
With high media and public interest in VR, you can stand to benefit from becoming an “early adopter.” When all your competitors are doing something boring, VR breathes new life into an event.
Creating a Memorable Experience
Leave your guests wanting more with virtual reality at your upcoming event. Ask yourself how you can incorporate this new technology into your event, trade show, conference or meeting to enhance the audience experience. What are your needs, objectives and goals, and how can VR help? Take a look at the following examples for some inspiration on event VR that companies have used throughout the past year.
ProBrew at the Philadelphia Craft Brewery Show
ProBrew debuted a virtual reality app at the Philadelphia Craft Brewery Show in which users can tour and learn about their brewery, located almost 1,000 miles away in Chicago. Any verbal description or brochure that the competitors were handing out paled in comparison to experiencing the sights and sounds of the ProBrew brewery.
Check out the link below and download a VR experience to your phone.
https://foundry45.com/vr-case-studies/probrew-virtual-reality-trade-show-case-study/
Samsung at Lollapalooza
For those companies that want to make a lasting impression, try something similar to what Samsung did for the music festival, Lollapalooza. They set up 360-degree cameras throughout the festival grounds so people could go back and relive the experience whenever they wanted. Try visiting the video on YouTube, hook up your VR device, and tour Chicago or watch your favorite artists from the best seats in the house.
Check out the video below.
Sparks at the Consumer Electronics Show
For the launch of travel app Waze, Sparks created a virtual reality experience, usable through Google Cardboard. The virtual-reality film put users in the driver’s seat on a road trip to Las Vegas through an animated world. The goal of this effort provided users with a first-hand look at the tools and engagement opportunities available on the app’s platform.
Virtual reality technology is still fairly new, but it is continually evolving, offering better and unique ways to engage audiences. Follow these tips and you will be on your way to creating a truly memorable VR experience which beautifully and effectively complements your experiential marketing campaign.