AR/VR Trends That Could Impact 2020 And Beyond

Augmented Reality

AR/VR Trends That Could Impact 2020 And Beyond

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

As chief experience officer at Marketing For Wellness, I focus on innovations that will shake up how people interact with the world. I have been exploring how AR/VR might transform our web experience and blur the borders between offline and virtual worlds.

With the rapid digital transformation we’re experiencing, marketing professionals should 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 across different areas of business.

Advertising

AR advertisements will make surfing 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 instance, you can see some of the cave paintings in your own space. Snapchat and Instagram are already using AR as well.

 

To get ready to leverage AR and VR technologies for advertising, try to envision the future changes that will impact how we communicate and relate to the world by collaborating with thought leaders in the space. Translating vision into an actionable strategy is the next step. Drive strategy by asking yourself what 2025 might look like, and then plan backward to 2021 to make sure that your brand is positioned to keep and grow its followers.

Events

With large gatherings being off the table, virtual events are in and here to stay for the foreseeable future. As more consumers come to own VR headsets, we are probably going to see more events transitioning over to VR spaces. The 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 Israeli Independence Day, AR technology allowed the country’s president to virtually visit citizens in their own homes.

Marketing professionals may need to quickly adopt new ways of bringing people together and create virtual experiences that are just as engaging as offline experiences. Create an event engagement map that outlines how participants can most 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.

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AR/VR Trends That Could Impact 2020 And Beyond