VIRTUAL REALITY AND AUGMENTED REALITY IN BUSINESS
Virtual reality (the most immersive form of extended reality), is the use of a computer-generated 3D environment called a virtual environment (VE). Synthetic 3D content, which is the main element of virtual and augmented reality applications, typically includes objects, which react to interaction with users and objects (Flotyriski, Nowak and Wolczak 2018). The marketing sector is constantly evolving and just like any other emerging sector with both challenges and opportunities (Guttentag 2010). With more widespread and complete understanding of the relationships between VR, AR and marketing, promising applications in the areas of planning, management and sales will be implemented into future digital campaigns of companies.
Augmented reality (AR) is an enhanced version of the real physical world that is achieved through the use of digital visual elements, sound, or other sensory stimuli delivered via technology (Hayes 2021). Augmented Reality technology has seen unprecedented growth in 2021 (Makarov 2021). The market for AR technology is worth 15.3 billion US dollars. Due to greater app support, AR- capable devices and their users have dramatically increased. It is a growing trend among companies involved in mobile computing, business applications and a formidable tool in the advertising and public relations sector’(Hayes 2020).
Augmented reality and business
IKEA, the Swedish furniture giant has got an app named the Place app, which allows a customer to place their furniture into different areas of the house such as the living room, bedroom and kitchen. A phone camera within the app is used to point at any section of the house and place IKEA furniture into that place. These include sofa sets, beds, cupboards and so forth.
The company Rolex has developed an app that allows you to try on a Rolex onto your wrist using an AR application on a phone/tablet to see what the different models might look like on one’s wrist. This helps customers in the way that they are able to have try-ons and peruse through available suggestions online through realistic fields of frame. If one is not able to move around due to pandemic reasons or other inconveniences, they are still able to get a realistic point of view of what this product would look like, hence encouraging more purchases.
For Warby Parker, supplier of eyeglasses, utility AR was implemented through virtual try-ons of the specks. Within the app of Warby Parker, there is a virtual try-on AR feature. Through the camera, a customer is able to try on the different glasses and eventually buy the one most suitable for him/her/them. It is normal that people would like to try on glasses before buying them. But implementing the use of AR digitizes this in a way that makes it more efficient, in that you can try on the product straight from your home.
Virtual reality in business
Virgin Holidays has begun to film some of their resorts and hotels in order to put it into a VR environment. Therefore, as a customer (holiday maker), when looking to go for a vacation, one has the option to put on VR goggles and see/ walk around the different areas of the resort such as the restaurants, spas, rooms and so forth.
For a Mercedes Benz car, only a few exist within the showroom. If one wants a different interior design of a car, the option of wearing VR goggles is applicable in order to see what the preferred design looks like.
Within training environments, VR is also used. The United States army for example, uses VR to create simulations in which soldiers and trainees experience what different scenarios within their field require of them.
The Don’ts of Augmented reality and Virtual reality in Creative strategy
The camera plays a large part when it comes to the implementation of augmented reality. AR brings 3D and virtual objects into the user’s natural environment. However, the question is, does the camera implementation of AR work in all environments? For example, when it comes to certain mobile games, such as racing and music games, VR, which creates its own cyber environment towers over AR in that certain technologies need to be more immersive in order to create a proper consumer journey. When it comes to VR, a common mistake to be avoided is the triggering of certain issues within customers such as claustrophobia, agoraphobia and so many more. Precautions should be taken to ensure that immersive cyber environments will not have negative effects on customers. For a business, this risks driving away prospects, and gaining negative press.
References.
De Paolis, L. T. and Bourdot, P. (2018) Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Computer Graphics: 5th International Conference, AVR 2018, Otranto, Italy, June 24–27, 2018, Proceedings, Part II. Cham: Springer International Publishing AG. doi: 10.1007/978–3–319–95282–6.
Flotyński J., Nowak A., Walczak K. (2018) Explorable Representation of Interaction in VR/AR Environments. In: De Paolis L., Bourdot P. (eds) Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Computer Graphics. AVR 2018. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 10851. Springer, Cham. https://doi-org.ezproxy.mdx.ac.uk/10.1007/978-3-319-95282-6_42
Guttentag, A, D., 2010. Virtual reality: Application and implications for tourism. Tourism Management. 31 (5). 637–651.
https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10611/
https://mobidev.biz/blog/ar-ai-technologies-virtual-fitting-room-development
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/augmented-reality.asp
https://www.fi.edu/what-is-augmented-reality
https://mobidev.biz/blog/augmented-reality-future-trends-2018-2020
https://www.pocketgamer.biz/interview/62596/vr-developers-discuss-dos-and-donts/
©Keren Obara Mar 2021
