Putting Strategy Above Technology

Recently, our Creative Director, Dan Pratt, had a chat with InnovationMap about the importance of strategy driving projects rather than letting the latest technology determine the course of action. In any industry, the utilization of innovative technologies is typically associated with innovative businesses. As immersive technologies, like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and interactive media, head into the mainstream due to the pandemic, brands now have the ability to reach audiences like never before. However, we are seeing many brands attempt to use these new technologies as the strategy, rather than using the technology as a tool within the overall strategy.

In all fairness, it’s not hard to see why this happens. In a world where keeping and maintaining consumer attention is a constant challenge, marketers often turn to new and exciting ways to connect with audiences. And while these tactics may initially attract audiences’ attention when the technology is still new, in the long run, the campaign itself most likely won’t make a lasting impression, especially as these technologies become more mainstream. Furthermore, the new and shiny tactic might not be the best option to accomplish the brand’s ultimate goal.

Starting with Strategy

While the use of immersive technologies is growing at a rapid pace, it’s imperative that you first determine whether it is the right solution for your company.

For starters, brands should assess their goals and target demographics before making an investment in new technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality or animation. Shaping the experience for maximum engagement and connection with target audiences will be easier once all possible stakeholders are taken into account. For instance, our team worked with a client who wanted to use Google Glass AR for a trade show experience where they could invite both existing and prospective customers to a private experience using this innovative new technology. However, they didn’t have a plan for what the experience would be or why the customers were experiencing it. Instead, they wanted to rely on the technology’s novelty to create word-of-mouth buzz. Our team came in and listened to the project goals, gave our recommendations, and the client concluded that they needed to first consider who the customer was and determine the message they wanted to communicate to the customer from a sales perspective.

That same client came back with a strategy behind the trade show experience and based on that strategy, realized that an augmented reality experience wasn’t the best route, but instead opted for a complete immersive experience. From there, this client engaged VISION to create a 3D interactive experience that they could deliver directly to their clients virtually online. As it turns out, it ended up being the most successful sales tool they had ever produced, and it wasn’t even used for the trade show as they originally intended. Instead, with our help, they went in a completely different, and more effective, direction.

What Technology Can Do For Strategy

In addition to having a broader idea for the marketing goals and overall strategy, it’s imperative that marketers also understand what these new immersive technologies can accomplish. Beyond creating “buzz,” it’s important to determine how each technology will actually drive the customer experience and end action desired.

Interactive Media

Interactive media is a method of communication in which a program’s outputs depend on the user’s participation, and the user’s inputs, in turn, affect the program’s outputs. This type of digital media enables brands to connect with their audiences and make them active participants in the media they consume. Examples include interactive video, digital graphics or in-person touch screen activations.

There are many different types of interactive media, but at its core, the aim of this tactic is to create an experience that is personalized to the user while establishing a memorable connection.

While people don’t typically retain a lot of what they read, they are more likely to retain information that they view in a video format. However, they are most likely to remember something they have had a role in themselves. This makes it an especially compelling technology if the end goal is around education or awareness of a new topic.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is the overlaying of digital content on top of the real-world environment. AR allows the user to interact with the real world in addition to digital elements or augmentations. Augmented reality can be offered to users via headsets or through the video camera of a smartphone.

In experimental as well as practical implementations, AR can also diminish or replace the user’s perception of reality. This altered perception could include simulation of an ocular condition for medical training purposes, or gradual obstruction of reality to introduce a game world. It is worth noting that there’s a point when AR and VR likely merge, or overlap. In those cases, it would be referred to as ‘Mixed Reality’ (MR).

Particularly in a post-pandemic world, Augmented reality’s applications can meet goals such as facilitating a try-on experience that can lead to direct sales or telling a brand story without the need for an in-person activation or event. In addition, we are seeing AR replace the exhibitor experiences at would-be in-person events, where augmented reality allows the demonstration to come to the user. Now with social distancing mandates restricting in-person gatherings and presentations, AR is proving to be even more valuable than ever before as more people are beginning to see the practical values beyond entertainment.

Virtual Reality

Typically, virtual reality experiences engage your sense of vision and hearing via a VR headset and headphones. The virtual reality headset wraps the virtual world or experience nearly to the edge of your natural vision field of view. When looking around, you experience the environment the same as you would when looking around in real life. Headphones amplify the experience by blocking the noise around you while allowing you to hear the sounds within the VR experience. When you moving your head, the sounds within the virtual environment move around you like they would in real life. The user becomes immersed within the VR environment and whilst there, is able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions. Virtual reality has some great applications for training, particularly in healthcare fields or for active shooter preparation. In marketing, businesses are implementing VR to enable the consumer to interact with products without having it physically in their hands – this is particularly appliable for selling luxury properties or furniture that consumers like to touch and feel prior to purchase.

One caveat with VR is that consumers cannot typically experience it without the use of a headset, and it’s not conducive for a shareable experience that the audience can relive. So, particularly with this tactic, it’s important to ensure that the “wow-factor” isn’t the primary objective.

As with anything, knowing what you want to achieve paves the way to get there. Each campaign should begin with establishing the goals. Once brands know what success looks like, they can then use creative and effective audience engagement strategies to reach these goals with presentation technology that helps get there.

Every project is unique, so it’s impossible to say that any single tactic is right for a specific goal. However, there are ways to think about technology when it comes to those tactics. While a product launch might be good for augmented reality, a real environment visualization is great for virtual reality, or that a multi-user experience is an excellent way to utilize a permanent interactive display. But the truth is that if you have an effective strategy and you partner with a great content provider, who truly knows how to develop any type of content, they will be able to guide you in the execution of that tactic and the right technology to support your needs.