VR ads to complete user's VR experience
Customer experience is the key to the heart of customers. But advertisements are naturally avoided by viewers. How do companies implement advertising into the customer experience model?
Advertising has been an essential value for businesses to approach their customers for decades. Traditional advertising is slowly fading away since the rise of online platforms. In fact, 2017 is the first year where investments in online advertising surpassed traditional marketing . Also a more personal approach is being used. Understanding the preferences and actions of customers becomes key. However, personal advertising is easier said than done. Because we all know the countdown moment before we can hit the “skip button”. The long lasting five seconds before your YouTube video finally starts. The moment where companies fail because the advertisement shown does not belong to the person’s interest. However, technology seems to solve it all these days. So there is already a new solution for companies who drastically feel the need of showing off.
VR ads in practice
HTC provides the answer for all the companies who lost the attention of their customers. HTC uses a virtual reality platform that only shows content that is in the interest of the person who is watching the advertisement. The VR technology was launched at the VIVE Ecosystem Conference 2017. The technology is meant to effectively pique and reach the interest of the audience and in the meantime also enhancing brand image. HTC states the following:
“Ads that appear in immersive VR environment can not only provide more effective impressions, they can also track whether the users have viewed them or have turned away their gaze”
But HTC is not the first one who saw the immersive rate growing. Google already claimed the same in 2015. With the help of the Google glass device, they mentioned that:
“Immersion display outside of the timeline, giving you complete control over the user experience from the time Glass launches the immersion”.
VR devices give the opportunity to create a more complete experience. And it seems to be the most efficient distribution platform of digital era if we should believe Immersv.
“With growth rates multiples higher than mobile, VR may define the next platform shift for ad engagement and user acquisition”. - Immersv 2017.
Elaborating on that, Immersv noticed a rapidly growth of data that is based on the performance of VR video ad campagins. They compared the difference of engagement on different platforms. VR scored an 80.6% view completion rate in July, meanwhile mobile completion rates were 66.2% and desktop rates 77.9%. A significantly remark that proves the higher engagement people have with VR ads.
VR engagement: the key of advertising?
However, introducing VR ads is a fascinating concept. Ads are naturally avoided by viewers. So why do VR ads seem to be the disruptive way of marketing these day? The idea of people wearing virtual reality glasses or augmented reality equipment on a daily basis is not that futuristic. Consider it as a feature that get used in the near future. Tomorrow you may see your neighbour sitting with VR glasses on or perhaps an AR contact lens. The wear of VR a daily basis means that literally no one could look away from VR ads. According to HTC the VR ads are not meant to function as an interruption. In contrary, it is designed to complete the experience. And not only HTC wants to implement VR ads. VirtualSKY allows advertisers to deliver immersive 360 degree ads to consumers at scale, using VR headsets and smartphones.
Yet, It will still be a challenge for companies to find the right balance between a great VR experience and creating viable advertisements. It should not force us to consume commercials. But if it succeed, it would be an amazing solution to the long lasting countdown moments we have to deal with at this moment.