Alana Sandel is Director of Experience at wellness marketingthe agency committed to supporting brands that defend well-being.

With limited physical interactions Due to Covid-19, companies are increasingly turning to augmented and virtual reality technology as part of their digital transformation efforts. Interactions through avatars and sensory experiences were already happening on a large scale. Japan’s Virtual Market expo, known as “the world’s largest social VR gathering”, attracted more than 710,000 attendees in 2019, and more than one million people were expected at Virtual Market 4 earlier this year.

As a chief experience officer at Marketing For Wellness, I focus on innovations that will change the way people interact with the world. I’ve been exploring how AR/VR could transform our web experience and blur the lines between the offline and virtual worlds.

With the rapid digital transformation we are experiencing, marketers need to pay close attention to emerging AR/VR technologies that have the potential to provide alternatives to the offline experience that might not be possible in the same capacity for some time. So let’s take a look at what marketers should expect in different business areas.

Advertising

AR ads will make browsing the web more interactive and engaging. Facebook has already introduced AR ads, which allow users to “try on” products before buying. Google has added AR technology to its search engine. When users search for things on mobile, they can see some results in 3D and AR. If you search for Chauvet Cave, for example, you can see some of the cave paintings in your own space. Snapchat and Instagram are already using AR too.

To prepare to take advantage of AR and VR technologies for advertising, try to visualize future changes that will affect the way we communicate and engage with the world by collaborating with thought leaders in the space. Translating the vision into a feasible strategy is the next step. Drive strategy by asking yourself what 2025 would look like, then plan ahead to 2021 to ensure your brand is positioned to maintain and grow your following.

events

With big gatherings being off the table, virtual events are here to stay for the foreseeable future. As more consumers purchase virtual reality headsets, we will likely see more events transition into virtual reality spaces. Adoption of these tools will allow consumers to immerse themselves in a virtual web experience from anywhere.

Companies like VirBELA are enabling virtual events using VR. On Israel’s Independence Day, AR technology allowed the country’s president to virtually visit citizens in their own homes.

Marketers may need to quickly embrace new ways to bring people together and create virtual experiences that are just as engaging as offline experiences. Create an event engagement map that outlines how attendees can best enjoy their online experience. It’s also important to test the flow of an event with a small group of people and gather feedback before finalizing the event plan.

consumer experience

In light of concerns about Covid-19, we will likely continue to see fewer in-person shopping trips and more retailers using virtual experiences to help consumers find products and get expert advice online. AR/VR technologies provide opportunities to create new forms of engagement with products and services. Brands like Lego and Adidas are using AR to engage with consumers. Nike has added an AR feature to its app to help consumers find the right size sneakers.

Ikea and Wayfair are allowing shoppers to virtually “try on” different products in their homes before buying. There are also 3D body scanning tools that help you find the right clothing size without having to physically try it on.

As marketers, we need to be aware of consumer pain points and think about ways to address them using AR/VR, while also preparing for potential best and worst-case scenarios with numerous technological possibilities.

We need to pay attention to how AR/VR technologies will impact our world in the future. Marketers are in the driver’s seat to encourage adoption of these technologies and create new ways to integrate them into our lives.

With that being said, I think we should ask ourselves a question: How can we use this technology to create positive habits versus negative habits that could result in social isolation and digital addiction? I believe that as long as we are clear about our priorities, the use of new technologies should help us preserve our humility while harnessing innovation to enable as many people as possible to become global citizens who can experience life together virtually.

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