How Virtual Reality is Revolutionising Advertising

The world of virtual reality, once a distant concept from science fiction, is now a tangible reality that is rapidly gaining momentum. While virtual reality may commonly be associated with entertainment and gaming, it does not confine its potential to these realms. 

The Evolution of VR Technology

evolution of digital media infographic

Advertisers have recognised the exceptional potential of  VR technology in crafting virtual reality advertising, allowing companies to foster stronger connections with their potential customers. Approximately 67% of media planners and buyers prefer AR/VR advertisements in digital marketing campaigns.

How Does VR Work?

a man wearing virtual reality goggles with dark background

Envision owning a travel agency and wanting to entice your customers with fantastic vacation deals. 

Now, dismiss those lacklustre marketing tactics that merely list information about itineraries. Instead, picture a scenario where you allow them to experience the magic firsthand. Yes, you heard it right! That’s the power of virtual reality.

Transport your customers to their dream destinations! Enthral them and ignite their senses while conceptualising the customer journey. With virtual and augmented reality, you can create a virtual yet real-life-like experience that will leave your customers in awe. 

Enterprises are exploring the Metaverse, a cohesive virtual reality realm with interconnected immersive experiences. It is an integrated platform for incorporating advertisements, allowing accessibility and ease of VR content consumption.  

Spark Engagement, Elevate Experiences

a person holding a tablet with a digital marketing pie chart and icons

Immersive advertising is a favoured power move for brands looking to take customer experience to the next level. It’s like stepping into a whole new dimension of advertising where seamless, mind-blowing sensory experiences reign supreme. 

Buckle up to unlock the full potential of VR and learn how to revolutionise your marketing strategy. 

Success Stories: Pioneers That Pushed Boundaries

a person wearing virtual reality glasses with a city on her head

Virtual showrooms: Audi established virtual showrooms where prospective customers could intricately explore cars in a hyper-realistic digital environment.

Virtual product demonstrations: Samsung harnessed the power of VR to showcase the myriad features of their latest smartphones and wearable devices.

Virtual tours: Marriott Hotels offers mesmerising virtual tours of their captivating  hotel properties to showcase their indulgent amenities and rooms.

Virtual events: Oculus orchestrated virtual events to unveil their latest virtual reality headsets and software updates.

Gamification: Coca-Cola ingeniously integrated a VR game that enticed users to collect virtual items and compete for prizes.

Virtual try-on: Sephora leveraged a virtual try-on experience empowering customers to virtually test makeup products on their visages, facilitating informed purchase decisions.

Virtual brand experience: Red Bull crafted an exhilarating virtual brand experience that simulated the sensation of wingsuit flying, immersing users in a realm of adrenaline.

VR storytelling: The New York Times curated a VR documentary that transported viewers to different locations, fostering profound immersion.

VR exhibition: The British Museum created a VR exhibition enabling users to delve into the depths of ancient artefacts and historical sites.

Here’s why You Need to Invest in VR Immersive Advertising 

  • Enhanced Interaction 
  • Highly Informative Visualisation 
  • Enriched Brand Remembrance
  • Tailored Consumer Journey
  • Dynamic Product/Service Demonstrations
  • Cutting- Edge Brand Perception 
  • Expanded Reach and Accessibility
  • Efficient Marketing Investment

Let’s look at the execution and triumph of two early adopters who embraced 

Immersive marketing.

i. Drive a Volvo using VR 

Driving into the Future 

Volvo’s 2014 campaign promoted the unreleased XC90 model with a unique virtual reality test drive in Vancouver, using 360-degree live-action content. The goal was to generate pre-release interest and excitement among potential customers.

Takeover The Wheels 

 The campaign used 360-degree live-action content in the Volvo app to showcase the car’s performance, and it reached a mass audience by utilising Google Cardboard, a low-cost VR headset compatible with smartphones.

Redefining Automotive Adventure Using Virtual Test Drive

The VR test drive was promoted through social media, online ads, and email marketing, targeting a younger demographic interested in innovative experiences and early adopters of new technology.

New Marketing Milestones using VR Technology

The VR test drive received accolades from experts, differentiating Volvo as an industry leader and setting a new standard for innovative marketing in the automotive industry.

ii. Fashion Revolution by Tommy Hilfiger

A virtual fashion runway show was created by replicating the ambience and excitement of a real-world show. 

Front Row at the Virtual Fashion Show 

Along with a 360-degree view of the models and their exquisite collection in a far-fetched setting, customers were treated to a captivating front-row experience. Yet another exciting detail was that customers even had access to the backstage!

Seamless Immersive Experience 

Tommy Hilfiger amplified brand visibility while significantly achieving brand advocacy. The connection created through the VR experience translated into increased conversions and repeated purchases. 

 The campaign exemplifies the power of virtual reality in transforming the retail advertising landscape. 

Breaking Barriers Using VR 

Virtual reality has forged an unprecedented connection between brands and consumers, elevating brand communication to new heights. This technology can empower your business to design impactful personalised products and services catering to your intended audience. AR-based shopping prompts nearly half of all consumers to increase their spending limit.

A study showed that AR and VR increased customers’ purchase intentions. AR was more effective at stimulating purchases, while VR created positive brand attitudes. Both were effective in fulfilling marketing goals, each for a specific objective. 

VR enables consumers to actively engage in a brand’s promotional efforts actively, fostering deeper connections on both cognitive and emotional levels. This heightened engagement boosts brand awareness and improves brand recall, leaving a lasting impression on consumers.

It’s More than Just a Trend

Companies like Meta extensively test embedded advertisements within the Oculus Quest headsets.  Luxury brands are rapidly leveraging VR ads to inspire new conversations. 

By incorporating such technologies in marketing campaigns, brands can demonstrate their research and development endeavours to prospective customers. 

Virtual reality is bound to skyrocket in the coming years. It is more than just a fad – it’s a transformative force in the advertising industry

With that being said, we can assert that the possibilities are limitless. VR is widening the horizon for all industries as it is poised to position itself as a mainstay for marketers. 

MIU : Your Gateway to Success 

Are you a business owner? If so, wouldn’t you want to outshine your competitors in this fiercely competitive landscape?

We are  here and you are in capable hands. 

The Majestic crowned us as Singapore’s No. 1 AR/VR development companies. But we don’t just want you to know it, we want you to feel it. 

Reach out to us and we’ll help set you apart by differentiating your marketing campaigns with innovative solutions. 

Let us propel your business towards success together. 

Enhance Your Brand Experience With AR/VR

Dynamic and robust technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) amaze, amuse and educate us. We find them novel and readily connect with them. 

Augmented Reality Virtual Reality

For a long time, these technologies have been known to be used only in video games. Today, these didn’t just come onto the forefront but are becoming indispensable in building strong customer relationships and marketing structures. 

Do you want to use AR/VR for branding

Want to know how?

Read on!

Why is Customer Experience (CX) so important?

Augmented Reality Virtual Reality

A pool of stellar customers is essential for your company’s survival. You can have the world’s best products or services, but if your customer service sucks, so will your ROI. 

Let’s face it:

After buying from you, a customer wishes to return the product. They dial your customer service, but they must wait for long before speaking to an executive. 

Nowadays, most would turn away if you tell people to write you an email or call multiple times. They just don’t have the time! 

Customer service doesn’t necessarily begin post-sales, by the way. It’s about creating a unique and remember-worthy customer experience, from invoking interest and continuing it post-sales. 

For instance, potential customers visit your website and get a general idea about what they want to buy. They still need some clarification, but sadly, there’s no one to reach out to immediately. 

They want to buy it right now, and other sellers will be happy to provide it if not you.

If you want long-term customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, you must make them feel wanted, seen, heard, and cared for. Buyers don’t have any issue in paying a higher price for such an experience! 

Here are the central pillars for building an enviable customer experience:

  1. Speed
  2. Friendliness
  3. Convenience
  4. Human connection

Since the Covid pandemic, companies have struggled to figure out the sudden short-term change in consumer behavior. 

Technologies like immersive experiences can help considerably to enhance your company’s CX. 

These new technologies are Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.

AR and VR: What are they?

Augmented Reality Virtual Reality

AR and VR are powerful technologies that can take your CX to a new level, regardless of whether you’re offering a product or service.

However, which one’s the best for your customers? 

Your first step is to know about these technologies. After that, you can start thinking about integrating them into your CX building strategies.

Virtual Reality

Augmented Reality Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality takes a user to a realistic world – it resembles the real world, produced with elements for its look and feel. 

For instance, using Google Earth 360 Degree image bubbles, users are transported to the middle of actually photographed areas

On the other hand, Chat platforms like Second Life and IMVU have developed virtual worlds where users can create virtual avatars and interact with others and the virtual world

VR transports a user to a completely different realm with a uniquely immersive quality. It is the same quality that marketing teams worldwide are now revving up to utilize for promoting brands – its products, services, and CX efforts. 

To experience VR, you must use special equipment like HTC Vive, PSVR and Oculus Quest. With these, you can see, hear and even feel the virtual universe! 

No one can deny how memorable and compelling VR is. This superpower attracts attention and appeals, something that makes using VR a good idea for boosting CX.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality

While VR transports you to a computer-generated world, AR combines real and virtual worlds, blurring the lines by overlaying the physical world with virtual digital content.

Pokemon Go and Snapchat image filters are great examples of AR. 

While it’s true that to experience a top-tier AR experience, you’ll need special equipment like Microsoft Hololens; you can access most AR experiences with smartphones and tablets. However, this technology isn’t available to the mass because of a major roadblock – ease of accessibility. Another problem is that AR doesn’t provide VR’s immersive environment. 

That said, you can easily view and share AR content with friends, significantly augmenting their mobility potential. This is something that VR cannot offer.

Why are companies investing in AR/VR for their CX?

Man Thinking

Smart device users are only increasing each year. Naturally, consumers today rely more on digital technologies to make and complete buying decisions and get post-purchase support. It is where immersive technologies can offer a fantastic, novel tool to support your CX strategy. 

Let’s go through some of the crucial reasons why different companies are now using AR and VR technologies:

Providing deep connections with brands through immersive experiences

With AR and VR, you can immerse your customers in beautiful virtual worlds, impress them with AR content on handheld devices, and make their lives easier with post-purchase support. 

These technologies can only be used throughout the entire customer’s journey but also for all types of customers. 

AR and VR are here to stay. Use them to augment your CX and enhance brand image and loyalty.

Supporting customers to make informed decisions

Realistic, immersive, and interactive content is an ideal tool to help customers make informed buying decisions. 

Retailers – from car sellers to cosmetic sellers, are providing “Try-Before-You-Buy” facilities. These are useful for AR customers to get an accurate visual frame of reference, based on which they can make their purchase decisions.

Providing practical post-purchase customer service

Immersive technologies can give you a lot more than marketing gimmicks and they can provide support through each stage of a customer’s journey. 

Take Nespresso’s Augmented Reality descaling instructions, for instance

Customers can unlock a video guide after scanning the package with their mobile phone. While not visually stunning or very sophisticated, it improves CX by solving their core problem-confusion about using the product.

How AR/VR is Transforming Experiences Across Different Sectors

Virtual car showrooms

Augmented Reality Virtual Reality

For car retailers, immersive technologies are heaven-sent! 

A car purchase is one of the more significant financial decisions customers make, which makes it all the more crucial for retailers to guide their target audience toward making a possible purchase properly. 

It is where immersive tech is so valuable. Whether in physical or virtual environments, they can aid customers in visualizing their experience in a virtual model of their dream vehicle.  

Here’s how well-known brands have introduced this technology to improve CX and boost sales:

Down the line, more car manufacturers will start using AR-based tech to improve CX, sales and customer loyalty.

Experiential marketing

Augmented Reality Virtual Reality

When customers develop an emotional bond with your company, they’ll invest more time learning about it and create a more robust loyalty to the brand. 

But how can you create such an emotional bond with a customer?

With experiential marketing!

Experiential marketing uses a combination of imagery, storytelling and cutting-edge immersive tech to create unique real-time content, which makes the coveted emotional bond with customers.

Nike and TOMS have used these technologies to reach millions of people, tell stories, and help children in need.

Nike and Footlocker- LeBron James AR campaign 

TOMS VR campaign for giving shoe donations to Colombian children

Architecture

Augmented Reality Virtual Reality

In architecture development, immersive technologies can play a significant role. 

You can use VR with 2D and 3D animation to bring a plan to life, letting clients immerse themselves in their future home’s virtual version. They can see, hear, feel and even walk around their furnished apartment, all before a single brick has been laid. 

This is precisely what the BBCs series highlights.

As a result, architecture development companies improve CX significantly, and it also helps all parties to detect and address issues in the initial stages.

Fashion and cosmetic retail

Fashion and cosmetic retail

In fashion and cosmetic retail, AR and VR can make purchasing decisions streamlined with virtual changing rooms. With a “Try Before You Buy” feature, customers can try products out before arriving at a final decision. You can do all these from a brand’s dedicated AR app, such as Asos’s mobile app. Customers can streamline final choices based on their body shape and taste, dramatically decreasing the chances of negative CX. 

Cosmetic brands aren’t far behind. 

Brands like L’Oreal and Chanel are using AR CX, giving customers to try out products on their virtual faces. The benefits of these include more than helping build a positive CX. This lets customers share these images with family and friends through social media, which ultimately aids in spreading the word.

Using AR is ideal, not just for making online purchases. 

The pandemic has taught us that in-store visits and physical changing rooms may become redundant. In its place, AR can help brands remain competitive while keeping customers engaged with novel technologies.

Tourism and hospitality

Tourism and hospitality Augmented Reality

The pandemic forced people to limit travel, increasing their desire to experience the world. For now, though, that can be risky. 

The tourism and hospitality industries were devastated by Covid-19, but they are coming back. Some companies and organizations have introduced 360-degree virtual tours of resorts and tourist destinations to convert viewers into tour package buyers.

4 Major Challenges which prevent AR/VR Growth

You have seen what AR and VR are, their benefits and how companies worldwide use them. 

But why is their implementation so slow? 

Why aren’t more companies using them? 

What are the challenges that stare companies in the face?

Glad you’ve asked! 

Here are the challenges faced by companies which desire to utilize these technologies.

Limited User Features

Augmented Reality Virtual Reality

Most devices are incapable of giving customers the whole AR/VR experience. To get the complete experience, one must buy expensive, sophisticated devices.

Contemporary devices face several issues, ranging from battery consumption to display. However, you should remember that these devices are not meant to provide the complete AR/VR experience but to serve as an entry point for these technologies into the mainstream market.

Limited Use Cases

Augmented Reality Virtual Reality

Fascinating as these technologies are, they continue to serve niche sectors. AR/VR tech doesn’t interest most people, except for gamers and techies. 

If the world’s top companies hadn’t backed Google Glass, it would have died an early death. With a price tag of $1000, Google Glass wasn’t appealing to people. 

Even today, only hardcore gamers and techies buy such gadgets. However, companies continue to funnel millions to AR/VR R&D.

While this is a low-level challenge, the issues inherent in AR tech pose a significant challenge. For instance, Google Glass did not provide an authentic AR experience and it just projected digital data onto the wearer’s field of vision without adding real-world benefits.

Aesthetics and Comfort

Augmented Reality Virtual Reality

Contemporary AR/VR wearables are bulky, which is not something customers like. It makes prolonged usage quite uncomfortable. 

According to reviews carried out by AR/VR device manufacturing brands, comfort translates to temperature, shape, texture, weight and tightness. 

Additionally, users don’t want these devices to hinder natural movement.

Digital Fatigue

Man is tired

People prefer taking a break from interacting with devices to interact more with the natural world. While there’s a little problem with using TV and cell phones, being in a virtual world can be exhausting for most.

The bottom line

Addressing and improving CX is not an option; your business must survive and thrive in this competitive corporate environment. 

The pandemic has affected lives and enterprises worldwide, but it has also reinforced how vital customer relationships are for a company. For the times we live in, using AR and VR technology is the answer.

So how about you?

Will you use AR/VR for branding in your marketing strategy? Try them and write to us to inform us how they benefit your brand. 

A Deep Dive Into Metaverse Marketing

In the age of rapid growth of technology, we notice various innovations in the market which may have been unimaginable before.

Among these innovations, there is the metaverse.

A deep dive into metaverse marketing
Source: https://img.i-scmp.com

What is the Metaverse?

The Metaverse is a unique, immersive and virtual environment, and it is rapidly taking over the internet.

The actual word ‘Metaverse’ generally indicates a virtual world that lies beyond or extends the physical world. The specific word was coined in the sci-fi novel Snow Crash written by Neal Stephenson in 1992. However, in the technical term, it is a virtual reality space that enables the users to interact with a computer-generated environment and other users.

This is a new version of the internet, supporting 3D virtual environments by personal computing, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets. Though in a limited form, we find ‘Metaverse’ on platforms like VR chat or specific next-gen technology related to video games. 

The concept of Metaverse

https://i2.wp.com/rayhaber.com

Generally, the Metaverse uses a shared virtual space allowing users to be represented by virtual avatars. In the virtual world, an avatar is a graphical representation of the user’s character. 

This representation may be:

  • a 2D form like an icon 
  • a 3D form as in games and virtual worlds

Depending on user-made decisions and interactions, these virtual worlds continue to evolve and grow.

Marketing in Metaverse

To compete in the global market, digital marketing professionals need to keep up with the latest technological developments. 

It involves understanding the Metaverse and its full potential. Marketers should know that Metaverse is not just a trendy new thing but will remain in the global market for a long time. The Metaverse is the next big thing.

How online marketers can cope up with expanding metaverse market

First of all, marketers need to consider the value of the millennials and Gen Z as their target market. This is because they are avid users of some forms of Metaverse, such as online games and VR technologies.

Biggest opportunities for brands:

Source: https://www.roundhillinvestments.com/

Several big brands are adopting Metaverse for their promotion. 

Big brands like Warner Bros, Hyundai and Gucci have already built their virtual worlds. 

Industry giants like Sephora, Nike and HBO are concentrating upon getting into AR and VR experiences. 

Other reputed brands such as Coca-Cola, Crockpot, and Anheuser-Busch are carefully making their move by selling non-fungible tokens which can be purchased or sold on the blockchain.

From selling virtual clothing, selling on NFTs, on branded shops in games, and providing virtual concerts and fashion shows are only some of the brands conducted in the past few years to determine how to market products to their consumers in the Metaverse.

Though Metaverse is not precisely what science fiction has shown it to be, it continues to produce remarkable results as a new platform for online marketing.

source: http://eng.koreanre.co.kr

According to a global survey, it is estimated that in 2021 an approximate number of 85 million global users will experience Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in a month.

With the rapid growth in virtual reality and augmented reality in recent years, metaverse technology successfully penetrated the internet.

Theoretically, it will comprise multiple reconcilable virtual worlds, allowing people to teleport from one experience to another quickly. 

These worlds shall facilitate everything from social interactions, being a source of online entertainment, being an avenue to do online marketing, and doing much more online. One may go for placing their own virtual advertisement in the Metaverse. 

What Mobile Marketing Association and Culture Group says about it

In their whitepaper, Mobile Marketing Association and Culture Group have described Metaverse as “shared virtual worlds that seamlessly blend applied game mechanics, massive interactive live events (MILE), blockchain-enabled digital goods and virtual commerce.”

Facebook has taken interest enough to invest $10 billion to become a metaverse company in the next five years and proposed taking thousands of new employees from Europe apart from changing the company’s name from Facebook to “Meta”. Several other multi-national concerns are showing interest in this technology as well.

The fundamental reason is that there are so many interactive opportunities to generate attention for a company.

Take Roblox, for example. It gets more than 200 million active users every month. Half of them are not yet teenagers. They love to play hundreds of thousands of virtual games. Most of these games require brand activation.

How is Metaverse responsible for bringing a revolution in marketing?

source: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/fictional-battle-omniverse

It is a revolution in the field of online marketing. It has already brought remarkable changes for the future of online technology. Metaverse gives a surety of getting the physical world and the virtual world together with the aid of new technologies. 

Such new technologies lead to the transformation in the way:

  • people interact with each other
  • do marketing online, 
  • entertain themselves
  • engage in various other daily life activities 

It is a virtual environment where you can be present with people in digital spaces,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said about the Metaverse.

Director of the technical department at Byte Isabel Perry said, “Metaverses are jam-packed with innovative marketing potential, ranging from live shopping to virtual stores, fashion shows, launching of products, and live events, content production, NFTs…” 

These developments are paving the way for the real economy.

The possibilities these hybrid worlds offer are endless. It’s time for innovative brands to get involved in this new technology of the future.

Metaverse is the next generation of the online channel. 

source: https://i1.wp.com/journaltimes.co.uk

Metaverse works in a way that is different from normal advertising. It aims at creating brand experiences that are more engaging and exciting and less invasive than what online viewers are experiencing with current digital advertisements.

All the traditional methods of placing online and offline advertisements such as the flagship shops, large billboards and advertisements on the web are turning out into a thing of the past. 

Digitalization alone is not enough. People want it to be more interesting. For those looking to build relationships with customers from young generations today, the phrase “in real life” has taken a whole new meaning. People from every age group are showing interest in such innovations. 

Although this is currently a fresh concept, many luxury brands are already creating avatar apparel since 2018, and various such brands have been collaborating with games for the last few years.

Other areas such as NFTs and collectibles have made dramatic progress, and the new technology is driving massive interactive live events (MILEs).

Utilises Future in XR productions for advertising

Extended Reality or XR is the term that refers to both Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies. Extended Reality is not something completely new. However, you’ll be surprised to know for how long it has existed. The first Extended Reality or XR device was a head-mounted display created as early as 1960 for training simulators in the military. 

More recently, we have seen the rise of affordable and readily available XR devices used in the gaming and entertainment industries. Interestingly, consumers are spending more than twice in 2018 than what they gave in 2017. Extended Reality, which virtually takes you places, is certainly a significant market player, is now a valuable training and education tool. Various industries are now seeing its actual value and potential. 

For what can Extended Reality be used?

Now that is an exciting question. Over the years, XR technology has improved a lot, thanks to sophisticated technology, premium-grade imaging modules, and its inherent perception of spatial movements and hand tracking. This makes XR environments very similar to the actual physical environment. So the current time is fascinating as far as these developments go. 

VR in education

Students are using Oculus Rift at schools to glimpse the future and see other new technologies. VR headsets are readily available at a heap price. In the education industry, it utilises 50% of Extended Reality’s use. Unique interactive experiences like Google Expeditions allow students to see virtual words while still at their seats. Other apps like Unimersiv enable students to experience the sights and sounds of a foreign culture. Technologies like these certainly aid a lot in boosting learning and development. For one, almost all teachers in the UK believe that their schools should use XR to teach children.

VR in healthcare

In healthcare, VR is used in various applications and specialisations, from doctors to surgeons. For example, the demand for VR in healthcare is that medical professors from Stanford University have said they wish to teach VR students. Similarly, one of Cambridge University’s research teams wishes to create 3D models of tumours to study and explore in far greater detail. 

Research in Virtual Reality has found that it allows healthcare specialists to change instantly as the situation demands. Thus, they can decide on the spot. For instance, such research has showcased that practising and rehearsing surgery in Virtual Reality aids in speeding up surgery and other operations. It also shows that VR aids emergency responders and health and safety trainees respond to emergencies faster and safely. 

Use of XR Technology in other industries

Besides education and healthcare, XR technology is used in other fields like architecture, design, and engineering. For example, with the benefits of VR, architects can make scale models of their projects. These they explore, test and manipulate before creating a building in the real world. In automobile engineering, engineers are not creating new vehicles and engines in the virtual world first—this aids in bringing down costs by a considerable margin.

Virtual Reality helps fashion retailers to enable customers to customise the costumes they like. It also helps retailers in creating virtual shops where people can browse goods online. Furniture and eyewear retailers are using it in this way, as we can now see widely. 

As we can see, Extended Reality is here to stay. It helps people to learn, experience and improve the real world around them safely. Moreover, it aids in finding logical solutions to new challenges. 

How has the pandemic increased interest in XR?

Since the pandemic, hybrid experiences which blend digital elements with interpersonal communication have seen a considerable increase. According to research, the AR market will grow from $15.3 billion in 2020 to more than $77 billion in 2025 alone. And this will continue to grow. In its own right, the VR market will grow from $ 6.1 billion in 2020 to more than $20.9 billion in 2025.

This growth is here because industries like education, healthcare, retail, eCommerce, video game, and entertainment invest in XR to reach more customers during the pandemic. This has led XR to come into the mainstream, which aids companies in finding out new customers and creating more demand for their offerings. Their products are made interactive, immersive, high quality and innovative. 

Future in XR productions for advertising

XR technologies will play a big part in the future of marketing, advertising and storytelling. Technology continues to become cheaper and advanced. XR now helps directors and creatives to embrace the new technology with ease while getting customers curious and excited about it at the same time.

The pandemic is far from being over. But brands are not letting that stop them. Instead, they are using the challenges and opportunities to change how they use new technologies entirely. Consumers now want to experience services and products from the safety of their homes due to the pandemic. Due to this new demand, companies using XR had more success than companies that did not use it. 

For instance, take the eCommerce and retail industries. With AR, Virtual Reality and 3D technologies, they allow customers to experience their products. See Lenskart’s website, for instance. After picking a product you like, you can upload a picture of your face. The website then creates a digital 3D model of your head. You then try out all products and check if they fit on you. 

The Future Of XR In A Post-Pandemic World

XR is set to grow in the future as new products and services rise. It will also increase as more and more companies start XR technologies to gain more customers and sales. The pandemic is considerably responsible for showing people how entertaining XR experiences can be.

Contact MIU for effective advertising that brings results.

Dress To Impress With AR and VR In Fashion Branding

Fashion is sophisticated and complicated, being at the forefront of creating trends and pushing boundaries to pursue beauty. Many praise the fashion industry for innovation and criticize its ethical standards.

You’re familiar with these challenges if you’re running a fashion business. But could AR and VR in fashion bring your business’s sustainability to the next level?

We say yes!

Contemporary fashion thrives on innovation and technology, and industry professionals like yourself know that technology is constantly changing. According to the Consumer Market Outlook, the lucrative fashion industry fetched around 1.46 trillion USD in 2020. To maintain this revenue, fashion brands must innovate.

So, what’s the next big thing in fashion tech? Experts have said it’s augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Using AR and VR in fashion sounds far-fetched, but the market already uses them.

We’ll show you a few splendid examples for inspiration here, so stick with us till the end!

How Do AR and VR In Fashion Work, Anyway?

If you’re reading this article and wondering what AR and VR are, here’s a summary. AR and VR are the technologies used to create alternative or enhanced digital reality. It includes adding digital elements to real world backgrounds (AR) or immersing customers in entire virtual worlds (VR).

More specifically, AR enhances the physical world by enhancing sight and sound. It highlights specific real world features or overlays digital elements on them.

Viewers can access AR technology on their smartphones through an AR app.

VR is a complete simulation experience in a digital world created from scratch. It introduces viewers to an all-rounded computer-generated artificial environment with interactive elements.

Users can see, hear, and interact with the virtual environment in real time. They use a virtual reality headset to engage with the VR world.

AR is generally more widely used than VR because of its high accessibility on smartphones.

But both AR and VR in fashion provide a unique and memorable customer experience for your brand. They enhance the shopping experience with awe-inspiring graphics and keep your customers engaged.

So why do AR and VR matter in fashion retail?

Fashion retail is going ‘phygital’; more customers interact with retail brands using a hybrid of physical and digital mediums. AR and VR help to bridge the gap between both forms. They offer virtual fashion experiences just as good as physical brand interaction.

AR and VR technology used in the market are changing how customers interact with brands.

3 Ways AR and VR In Fashion Will Impact The Retail Industry

3 Ways AR and VR In Fashion Will Impact The Retail Industry

1.   Improved Sustainability

The fashion industry has faced criticism for its unsustainable practices and wasteful consumption. But not all is bleak because AR and VR in fashion could be the key to positive change for many fashion businesses.

Augmented reality in fashion industries helps reduce unnecessary product shipping. Customers can try products on before they buy them, reducing impulse purchases.

Globally, there will be less production and consumption of fashion products, decreasing the number of wasted apparel and resources. It’s better for the environment and a step in the right direction for fashion businesses.

2.   Reduced Costs

AR and VR reduce unnecessary shipping costs so that you can save on freight charges. It also decreases spending on traditional advertisements like print and television because you can market online.

With AR and VR, you can take advantage of free social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. Use social media to host your AR technology and reach out to more customers at a much lower cost.

3.   Increased Sales

Customers are more likely to purchase something when they know what they want. On traditional online shopping platforms, customers can only see 2D product images. They need help to visualize what the actual product looks like realistically.

With AR and VR, they can see and interact with a life-sized version of the product. Instead of estimating the color and size of a garment online, they can try it accurately with AR filters. AR and VR experiences give customers more accurate product information to make better decisions.

Using AR product marketing on e-commerce websites and social media platforms for luxury brands will significantly boost sales.

Nearly 80% of Burberry’s purchases in China happen on mobile devices. Experts predict that around 80% of luxury goods purchases will occur online by 2025.

So, the market for AR and VR in fashion is growing and has excellent potential for many fashion brands.

Augmented reality technology is also excellent for online retailers without physical stores. If you have an online business, customers can’t view your products in an actual store. They can use AR filters as a substitute dressing room to virtually try on your clothes before buying them.

Cool! Now Show Me Some Real-Life Examples Of AR and VR In Fashion

These are some of the most innovative uses of AR and VR in fashion. Take notes from these luxury brands to use their strategies for your business too!

Try Before You Buy

AR VR in Fashion woman searching clothes

Computer-generated 3D imagery has come a long way since VR’s early days. Modern 3D virtual models are more advanced and look like actual products. It’s because AR and VR digitally simulate hyper-realistic colors and textures of clothing on virtual models.

Customers can virtually apply clothes on AR human models to see how it looks on a human body. Interestingly, they can even customize the human model to look like them. It’s one of the most convenient benefits of using augmented reality technology in fashion.

For instance, Gucci collaborated with Snapchat in 2020 to create a ‘try-on’ feature for shoes. Users could overlay AR shoes on their feet using the Snapchat application. Customers were able to try the shoes without going to the shop. They could buy the product if they liked the shoes in the filter.

ASOS also launched a 2020 AR feature on their app that allowed customers to try clothes on different body sizes. The application offered sixteen animated models of varying skin tones and body sizes. Customers could even test the outfits and human models in realistic outdoor environments.

You can launch small-scale AR filters to showcase your products on a social media platform. Users will have fun trying the clothing filters, and it’s excellent publicity for your brand too!

You can even create virtual fitting rooms offering a head-to-toe makeover for users’ virtual avatars.

Interactive Navigation And Display Screens

Interactive Navigation And Display Screens AR VR in fashion

Earlier, we mentioned that fashion retail is becoming ‘phygital’, so remember to care for customers at your physical stores too.

Use AR and VR to improve your customer experience at the physical shop. Technology can track the shopper’s location in the store. When they access an AR app on their phone, it shows them a live navigation map. It’s helpful for customers visiting your shop for the first time.

Renowned fashion brands like H&M and Zara also use AR display screens to enhance customers’ shopping experience.

Some display screens include virtual fitting rooms, mirrors with 3D avatars, and touchscreen outfit selection. It attracts attention and enhances customer interaction with the brand.

FashTech To Expand Your Brand Experience

FashTech sounds like a big fancy word, but it simply means ‘fashion technology.’ It includes using AR and VR in fashion to expand customers’ brand experiences.

Use FashTech to expose your customers to more content from your brand. Big-label fashion brands like Coach use FashTech VR to give customers exclusive access to fashion show footage. The luxury brand installed virtual reality headsets in its stores. These headsets allowed consumers to browse looks from their latest runway events.

Fashion week runway shows are only available for a limited audience. But with VR technology, they’re made more accessible to everyone.

Customers experience a different aspect of your brand when you use VR. They can buy limited-edition products and even personally experience events in which your business participates.

You can use VR to give customers exclusive access to fashion week shows, limited-edition brand collaborations, and photoshoots.

Interestingly, VR allows you to build alternate fantasy worlds to complement different fashion themes. You’ll save production costs of renting a physical photoshoot location because you can create it virtually.

How about a virtual runway in a virtual showroom? Bring your customers to digital fashion shows without losing any of the real-life glitz and glamor.

A VR showroom lets your customers experience the feeling of walking down a runway, elevating the fashion experience. Isn’t that a grand idea for fashion week events?

AR and VR will revolutionize the fashion shopping experience for brands globally. Smaller fashion businesses can take inspiration from luxury brands’ strategies and launch mini AR and VR campaigns.

So, implement AR and VR in fashion marketing to elevate your customers’ experience of your brand and products. Dress them to impress, and you’ll also dress them for success!

Also read: How AR and VR are Transforming the Future of Businesses