TECHNOLOGY
IS THE FUTURE OF MARKETING VIRTUAL?
South West business Rendermedia has found itself at the cutting edge of applying virtual reality( VR) technology to the challenge of marketing B2B products- including helicopters, aeroplanes and spacecraft. But the applications, they say, could penetrate any sector.
Already a staple of the games industry, everybody is looking for new ways to apply the technology, but does it have its brightest future in the world of marketing? Rendermedia founder, Mark Miles thinks so, and his firm was recently invited to the largest technology show in the world- Consumer Electronics Show( CES) in Las Vegas.
Rendermedia were one of the stars at the HTC stand at CES, showcasing their VR experience developed for Filtonbased Airbus.
Helicopter Mission Showcase in development for CES Show
Visitors to HTC’ s booth were able to immerse themselves in the experience of taking part in a helicopter rescue mission following an earthquake, flying an Airbus A400M through the Brecon Beacons in Wales, and landing an Airbus A350.
www. youtube. com / watch? v = lIjOVC0RR8U
Mark Miles: Managing Director at Rendermedia Keynote speaker at VR & AR World, London, Oct 2016
Mark said:“ Quite simply, we were able to take Airbus customers on an experience that allowed them to really engage with the products.”
“ Virtual Reality is changing how businesses experience and showcase their USP”
Leaders in the VR sector are also recognising that this direction of travel offers exciting new ways for the technology.“ Rendermedia provided a critical component to delivering an immersive VR experience and building out the ever-growing Vive ecosystem,” said Dan O’ Brien, Vice President Virtual Reality, HTC VIVE.
“ We built Vive to deliver the most immersive, roomscale VR experience on the market today. Companies like Rendermedia are helping us meet this vision.”
Mark added:“ VR’ s use within the advertising and marketing industry is obvious. After all, it is the ultimate manifestation of‘ immersion’ – physically and emotionally engaging with a brand through virtual reality. This technology could blow apart how we currently market products.”
“ VR is about taking the user on an immersive journey and telling them a story that they feel part of, creating emotional engagement. And every marketer will know that engaging with a brand is the Holy Grail.”
“ Engage”,“ experience”,“ story”… these are three of the primary concepts that brand gurus will weave into their presentations when they make a pitch, and this is what VR delivers by the truckload.
Paul Hannah, Creative Director of Future Concepts at Airbus, said:“ At Airbus we are always looking for innovative new ways to communicate with our customers. VR gives us a chance to engage with them directly and to experience the Airbus story.”
Want to try out the latest top end motorcar without leaving your chair? Strap in. If you like the experience, you can stay where you are and customise the vehicle interior to your precise requirements. Boat and yacht makers have a constant issue around building vessels to the spec their customers provide – only to find them changing what they’ ve built when delivery day arrives. With VR, you are infinitely closer to the end product, so fewer changes and happier customers.
Looking to sell an apartment or house off plan? Take your prospective purchaser on a VR tour around their new home... check out the view from the balcony, see just how large the rooms are, choose your fixtures and fittings even before the builders have got the foundations in. Put the“ sold” sticker on those property details.
The possibilities are endless, from choosing clothes online and seeing yourself wearing them in a mirror through to checking out how your dream kitchen will really look when you walk around it – and everything in between.
With costs coming down all the time, this technology can now be applied to products and services way less expensive than a plane, boat or automobile.
“ If you want to stand out from the crowd,” concluded Mark Miles,“ virtual reality will be the place to be in the next couple of years.”
For more info: www. rendermedia. co. uk
@ rendermedia
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2017 29