By Kristen Matthews
Virtual Reality: A Marketer’s New Secret Weapon
Virtual reality (VR) is rapidly becoming a brilliant tool in the marketing and sales world, specifically at trade shows, allowing brands to showcase their products in ways that were previously impossible—until now. A customized VR video can take your clients on an immersive experience that guides them through your product. From a trip through a fiber-optic cable to a ride on enormous construction vehicles, VR allows unprecedented access to items that could never before be experienced in a trade show booth. And get this—the technology is available right now and more affordable than you might think.
Meet Virtual Reality Expert Dave Beck
Dave Beck, Managing Partner at Foundry 45, is dedicated to working with brands to develop and implement virtual reality technology in their marketing and sales strategies. Foundry 45 works with brands that frequent trade shows to showcase their products and equip them with the right advice and technology that can give their booths the buzz they need to succeed.
Q: Is VR becoming an affordable option for brands to use in their marketing?
DB: VR is definitely an affordable option today. We did over 50 VR experiences last year for brands ranging from Fortune 500 companies to companies that make brewery equipment and drywall. These customers found a clear ROI in multiple areas. The buzz generated from VR content is great, and even more powerful is the fact that when people watch your VR content, they are actually listening to your message. They are essentially lining up to hear what you have to say. Compare that to putting up a 2-D video on the wall or handing out collateral. VR is a much more powerful medium; we have customers who have seen a 33 percent increase in leads generated at a show year over year. Additionally, exhibitors can often purchase smaller booths when they don’t need as many products or equipment on the floor. All you really need are a few comfortable chairs! There are VR experiences for all budget levels, from less than $10K on the low end to six figures on the high end. And there are three levels of experience. The first is Light Customization, where we use existing stock, 360-degree footage combined with a company’s branding and custom voiceover messages to create a powerful yet economical experience. Second, Linear Stories are where we craft custom VR stories where the viewer is taken on a journey from point A to B to C. Finally, there are Branching Narratives, where we are essentially creating “Choose Your Own Adventure” experiences. These are fully customized VR experiences that are interactive and allow the user to make decisions on how they interact with the VR world.
Q: What was your first virtual reality experience?
DB: I had an opportunity to try the developer’s edition of the Samsung Gear VR headset a few years ago, and it completely blew me away. My business partners and I had been working in the augmented reality space for years, so we already had experience working with the general development tool chain needed to create VR. Overall, VR felt like the next wave of new technology, after mobile 10 years ago and the Internet before that.
Q: Why is VR great for live events such as trade shows?
DB: In addition to significantly increasing prospect traffic, the biggest response we get is that our partners are amazed at how their prospects actually hear their value propositions and receive their messaging about product benefits.
Q: How immersive is this experience?
DB: VR can transport users to any place you want your prospects to experience. Let’s say you make construction equipment. You can be at a trade show in San Francisco with a few VR headsets. When prospects put on the headsets at your booth, they can be taken on a journey that starts at your home office in New York and then goes on a tour of a construction site in Chicago—all while sitting down in your booth. Experiences are self-contained and generally have a voice-over that guides users through the story. Lots of companies like to show multiple experiences, either as a linear story or as a “Choose Your Own Adventure”-type experience. “Farm to table” is a great example of what’s possible. Imagine an experience starting at a restaurant where the chef talks about a specific dish he is preparing. The users can then be transported to see the specific places where the vegetables are grown, the eggs are laid, the milk is produced, etc. It would give them a true sense of what they are eating, and they could experience it all without having to move from one place.
Q: In what other ways can sales and marketing teams use VR experiences?
DB: The same experience that can be shared at a trade show can also be used as a direct-selling tool or even shared through Google Cardboard apps. These are VR apps that can be downloaded on iPhones or Android devices and viewed on low-cost Cardboard headsets that can also be custom branded for businesses. Anyone can view them from anywhere. Additionally, most VR experiences can be developed for 360-degree video formats that can be viewed and shared on YouTube or Facebook. Sales and marketing tools for trade shows, conferences, and brand activations are just some of the ways brands are implementing VR. Recruiting is another big area. VR is a great way for businesses to demonstrate their working environment to prospective new hires around the country and the world. Training, tourism, and real estate are other excellent examples of where VR is taking off.
