Courtesy of AUDI AG
Courtesy of AUDI AG
Digital transformation has changed everything and for budding and accomplished entrepreneurs, it’s had a greater effect in the business world. From live streaming to marketing via social media strategy, the digital world has made the goal of impressing consumers a much easier task. As the technology has evolved in leaps and bounds, and there are now a variety of ways to use virtual reality for business. We’ve written about augmented reality and its application for business, here are 4 ways to use virtual reality in business.
If any digital marketing consultancy were asked to list videos that consumers enjoy, “behind the scenes videos” always features. People love feeling like they’re being given a look into a world they’ve never been privy to. Videos that show consumers what’s going on in the background make them feel like VIPs, and they’re a great marketing tactic.
Virtual reality takes this to a whole new level. Restaurants can allow patrons to create their own entrees in a virtual kitchen. Home manufacturers can take buyers through the building process. British surgeon Dr. Shafi Ahmed (don’t watch if you’re squeemish!) even set up multiple cameras so people could “take part” in a tumor removal via virtual reality headsets.
Virtual reality in business also allows entrepreneurs to expand their current offerings and services. Some business owners are already blazing the trail.
French company Parrot SA, for instance, has been manufacturing drones for quite some time. Drones have long been able to take video while in the air, and innovations eventually made it possible for pilots to see what the drones were seeing via computer monitor.
Parrot’s newest drones, however, integrate Oculus Rift so that users can have a first-person view of exactly what their drone is seeing. Since it’s not a flight simulator, it’s as if a person really is flying unassisted over the landscape. Virtual reality makes every service better; business owners just need to figure out the best way to use it.
At prior points in history, a company could only become an industry thought leader through word of mouth. More recently, a business can post blogs and videos to showcase their knowledge, and while effective, the company would need a strong social media strategy to even reach a substantial audience.
With virtual reality, though, a business can become an industry thought leader almost overnight. Any news of a company using VR to spread knowledge will get media attention — especially in local business environments. Of course, this works on the large scale as well.
London’s Natural History Museum, for instance, worked with several partners, including Google to put out virtual reality tours of the museum, as well as to provide greater insights into different
species. Now, people from all around the globe can learn about the world without leaving their homes, and individuals who had never heard of the organization now recognize the expertise of the museum and can even view the world from the eyes of a mantis shrimp swimming underwater!
It can be hard to get customers through the door to even try out a product, but virtual reality can help in this area as well. Businesses can create experiences that allow consumers to virtually try on clothes and even see how furniture would look in their homes.
World Real Estate, which operates throughout Europe, has taken to uploading virtual reality real estate tours for those who want to view a home without driving or flying to the locale. German automaker Audi has also stepped into the VR world with virtual reality showrooms.
Have you explored virtual reality? How does it work in your sector? Do share!
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