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Today, every aspect of our lives is governed by technology. With our increasing dependence on smart devices aided by broadband connectivity, technology is defining, deciding and designing every waking moment of our lives, from ordering groceries and appeals, to booking a cab and vacations to even managing our finances. Immersive technologies are redefining our experiences and leading to a paradigm shift in how consumers make their buying decisions.
Brands are looking at ways to bring storytelling to life with these immersive technologies. When done right with the messaging that connects and empowered with the right mix of technology, immersive marketing transforms an ordinary event into an unforgettable experience and makes engagement between brand and its target audience feel natural. Successful event marketing uses immersive technologies that foster greater brand engagement through a deeper and more dynamic experience.
When integrated well with the central core of the campaign, immersive tech can be a powerful tool for event marketers in any industry irrespective of the product or the audience they want to connect.
These immersive technologies like Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, 3D Projection mapping, and Mixed Reality can be used in isolation or in combination to create an experience that is real yet surreal.
What have helped today’s marketers amplify the reach are smart device and its close cousin “Social Media”. Today’s events are no more about reaching an audience on ground, but to facilitate them to influence and amplify the outcome by becoming a part of experience and storytelling.
3D Projection Mapping: The early days of immersive technology was all about 3D Projection mapping where any surface including historical buildings was turned into a video canvas, adding texture, sound and video to an environment, latter part of it was to add fragrance and convert an entire environment which takes the audience to the world of imagination. From Gateway of India to India Gate structures have been transformed into a canvas to tell our reach cultural heritage taking us to the times we have never been before.
Augmented Reality: Overlaying a virtual environment into a real world has been a norm since last few years; this was the precursor to “Mixed Reality” where the image was not only overlaid but anchored too. In the Opening Ceremony of the Hannover Messe 2015, the key highlights of the ceremony were this augmented reality lion integrated into a ‘live’ performance for the first time. It was one thing to see the lion in pictures and quite another to experience it come alive amidst the performers.
Virtual Reality: Virtual reality is a three-dimensional completely computer generated environment. Users usually need to wear a Virtual Reality headset and may need a compatible accessory to be able to effectively interact with this world. VR improvements are pushing marketers to evolve their strategies to make use of these technologies. Marketers use the concept of AR and VR to create “experiences” which attract more consumers and increase brand awareness. Coca-Cola event in the 2014 Soccer World Cup, held in Brazil in their booth allowed the audience to play soccer with their favourite players. Auto Expo in Pragati Maidan now has a host of Car manufacturers who allow the visitors to take a cruise in machine-generated simulated environments giving them a feel of what it’s like to take a long drive in their dream car.
These are just a few examples of how event marketing has come a long way from those boring launches and conferences with lengthy product demos and graphs on a flat screen. As immersive event marketing continues to grow in experience, relevance, and scope, many untapped opportunities are yet to be explored. Fun has just begun!
(This article is written by Prateek N Kumar, CEO & MD, NeoNiche Integrated Solutions Pvt. Ltd)