Immersive media creates a new reality using AR or VR, essentially creating an extended reality.
Immersive media is available in many different forms. It lets people interact with various forms of content on another level. Apart from just viewing the video, immersive media allows viewers to be part of the video and interact with the content within the video.
Some examples of immersive media are virtual reality, augmented reality, and holopresence. Extended reality creates more opportunities for work, learning, and social interaction. So, the demand for immersive media is also growing.
Any technology that extends reality to include different dimensions is immersive. By using the 360-degree space, it creates a new reality. Users can experience the content from any direction.
Some immersive technologies extend reality by overlaying digital images in a user’s environment. Others create a new reality by immersing the user in a digital environment.
Kinds of Immersive Media
Immersive media provides a complete environment. Users of this media are not just viewing a picture or consuming an audio confined to a screen. They interact as a part of it.
With something like 3D content, users can view a flat sphere of virtual content around them. They adapt it according to their position or view, managed by three dimensions, referred to as degrees of freedom (3DoF). But with extended reality (AR, VR, and MR) allowing for deeper interactions, immersive media would map the experience onto a physical space. This is known as 6DoF (6 degrees of freedom).
Almost all kinds of immersive media fall into the 6DoF or 3DoF categories. Some of the options include:
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Virtual Reality (VR)
The most commonly referenced content in immersive media is Virtual Reality (VR). It involves using a digital or virtual environment to replace a real-world space. VR fully immerses the consumer in a digital world through head-mounted displays and sensors.
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Augmented reality (AR)
AR or Augmented Reality takes digital content into a real-world environment. Rather than the replacement of physical surroundings, this allows for enhancement.
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Mixed reality
MR or Mixed Reality blends both the digital and real world in an environment where they co-exist. Things like holoportation and holograms include Mixed Reality experiences. A much deeper level of interaction is possible with Mixed reality than AR.
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3D content
3D images and videos allow the users to surround themselves with unique videos or pictures. Although it allows for immersion within the media without a smartphone or similar device, direct interaction with the content is impossible.
Immersive Technology in Marketing and Advertising
Today, there are many applications for immersive technology. Brands and consumers can use it in countless ways. One of the ways brands use it is for various types of marketing and advertising. Let us look into how brands use immersive media for marketing and advertising.
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Immersive Advertising
There was no major technological shift in the ad industry for a long time. However, the arrival of immersive technology has changed it.
Immersive media, an entirely new ad format, uses immersive technology. However, it can still use today’s currently used ad channels, ecosystems and channels, and ecosystems. This new ad technology makes use of the mobile phone’s sensory inputs. They can include a gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer.
Due to these sensory inputs, immersive ads can respond to device motion, making mobile advertising very convenient. Immersive Ads can initiate and sustain ad engagement as they are very interactive. They also can offer an elevated ad experience for consumers. This is essential as the ad industry needs to eliminate irrelevant and intrusive experiences.
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Experiential Marketing
One of the most common implementations of immersive technology in business is experiential marketing. With experiential marketing, brands can set up various interactive booths at county fairs, trade shows, sporting events, and malls. There, people can try multiple promotional VR experiences to promote a new product.
For instance, Netflix created an immersive experience to promote the first season of Stranger Things. This puts the consumer in a scene of the show where they can view the scene unfold in first-person perspective. Recent examples are movies like The First Purge, The Meg, and Mission Impossible. One of the other examples of experiential marketing can be related to travel trade shows.
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Immersive Web Apps
As discussed, Immersive Ads are particularly effective on mobile platforms due to their flexibility, as they operate in both mobile web and in-app environments. These ads enable consumers to interact with a brand within the ad during their internet browsing experience, eliminating the need for page redirection.
A noteworthy aspect of Immersive Technology is that it allows brands to go beyond simply using Immersive Ads to reach consumers. Brands can enhance the implementation of Immersive Ads via Immersive Web apps, facilitating a greater and more detailed consumer interaction.
For instance, when consumers interact with an Immersive Ad and wish to learn more, they can select a CTA within the ad, redirecting them to an Immersive Web App (IWA). Furthermore, an IWA functions as a landing page, enhancing the presentation of a brand. This allows brands to augment their messaging impact while targeting consumers further along the sales cycle. It represents a larger and more comprehensive manifestation of an Immersive Ad.
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Immersive Technology Shopping
Immersive Technology has revolutionized the concept of online shopping. Numerous stores now utilize Augmented Reality (AR) apps that empower customers to try products before purchasing.
Brands in the automotive industry employ Virtual Reality (VR) to create virtual showrooms. Customers can explore cars, indulge in virtual test drives, and even ‘sit’ inside the vehicles. They are provided the unique experience of sitting in actual car seats, enhancing the feeling of being in a car.
Additional examples of Immersive Technology in eCommerce and shopping include AR apps from well-known brands like Target and Ikea. These apps let users visualize how products look in their homes, enhancing decision-making.
Immersive technology also proves beneficial in the real estate sector. Prospective buyers can take virtual home tours to decide which properties are worth visiting in person. This advancement in technology not only saves time but also enhances the buyer’s property hunt experience.
Immersive technology enhances online shopping by providing consumers with a ‘try before you buy’ opportunity, leading to a smoother, more engaging experience. Immersive technology enables brands to engage with customers at every step of the purchasing process.
How Will Immersive Media Change the World
Experts can make interactions between humans and machines more engaging by adding enriching experiences. For instance, a company can generate a digital product copy using VR tools. This allows engineering and production divisions to prototype designs and improvements for that item.
A team of VR specialists can then collaboratively fine-tune this digital copy in real time. They don’t require any machinery or physical resources to do this. The outcome is a significantly faster and more resource-efficient creative procedure for all stakeholders.
Immersive media doesn’t just enhance creativity. It also provides opportunities in various sectors, such as tourism, real estate, healthcare, and remote working.
Also Read: Enhancing B2B Marketing through Immersive Media
In the tourism industry, immersive technologies enable users to explore destinations virtually before the actual visit. Similarly, in the real estate sector, potential buyers could virtually navigate through a yet-to-be-constructed home.
Healthcare professionals can utilize Augmented Reality (AR) to gain insights into a patient’s system or diagnose problems.
Moreover, this technology simplifies collaboration in remote and hybrid work. It goes beyond the standard video conferencing by allowing users to share digitized workspaces. With mixed reality, employees can interact with others as holographic avatars.
The Future is Immersive
Immersive media empowers businesses and individuals to enhance the bond between human users and the machines they interact with. It provides a deeper understanding of vital content. It also contributes to improved teamwork and enhances customer service possibilities.
As the digital landscape expands, there is an ongoing search for better ways to harness its potential; therefore, the need for immersive is a growing trend.
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