MtoM’s Top Initiatives for 2017: #3 Virtual Reality
It’s a brand new year, and we are looking forward to what’s on the horizon for MtoM and our clients. We have defined three initiatives that will be at the center of all our work in 2017: user-generated content, live streaming video and virtual reality. We’re confident that these three areas will be pivotal for brands in the future, so we’re talking about each one in detail in a three-part blog series. Today we are focusing on our third and final initiative: virtual reality.
The State of Virtual Reality
Last year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Mark Zuckerberg made it clear that VR was a priority for Facebook.
“Pretty soon we’re going to live in a world where everyone has the power to share and experience whole scenes as if you’re just there, right there in person,” he said.
“Imagine being able to sit in front of a campfire and hang out with friends anytime you want. Or being able to watch a movie in a private theater with your friends anytime you want. Imagine holding a group meeting or event anywhere in the world that you want. All these things are going to be possible. And that’s why Facebook is investing so much early on in virtual reality. So we can hope to deliver these types of social experiences.”
Virtual reality is no longer just a wild futuristic concept. It’s happening for real, and 2016 was a big year for the growth of platforms, from budget (smartphone-based Google Daydream and Samsung Gear VR) to high-end (HTC’s Vive and Facebook’s Oculus Rift). As headsets become available in a wider range of price and functionality, virtual reality is more and more accessible to average consumers. VR is no longer something only hardcore gamers are paying attention to; mainstream brands are now wisely finding ways to incorporate immersive content into their marketing strategies.
MtoM’s Vision for Immersive Content
In Part II of our blog series, we analyzed the importance of 360-degree video in terms of live streaming on platforms such as Facebook Live, Twitter and Periscope; 360-degree video is also essential to virtual reality. VR is centered around 360-degree video content that allows users to saturate themselves in an experience from every vantage point.
Because it is a new medium, brands are still figuring out how to best use it. There isn’t a lot of exceptional VR content out there just yet, which leaves the possibilities wide open for experimentation and success. Many of MtoM’s clients have great potential to lead this movement, and we plan to create immersive content to delight and engage their audiences. Hotels could offer the full sensory experience of a relaxing vacation – from eating a decadent champagne breakfast in bed, to getting a massage and facial in the chic hotel spa. Restaurants could show how the chef prepares a gourmet meal, starting with selecting best ingredients and finishing with a series of mouthwatering plates.
With immersive content projected to be an integral part of the digital landscape, MtoM will stay ahead of the curve with innovative content creation and smart partnerships. Stay tuned as we continue to dive into the space.