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We began our questioning of these eight experts on VR by asking about
whether SMBs need to look at including virtual reality in their
marketing plans this year, and how best to select a VR platform which is
appropriate for any given business.
They all chipped in as and when they had a relevant point to make… Techradar
Pro: With a number of VR devices available or coming this year, should
small business owners place VR in their marketing strategies? Dean Johnson:
"Yes, if it's relevant. It's a similar question they should have been
applying to apps – 'do you actually need an app, or could the same
experience be better delivered by another platform or technology?' They
should ask themselves if VR enhances their existing product or service,
if it brings their audience closer to their brand or if it presents an
entirely new business opportunity or brand extension. If the answer is
no to all the above, then there's no real benefit to being an early
adopter, unless you can put a PR spin on being so."
Mark Curtis, Founder and Chief Client Officer at design and innovation firm, Fjord
Mark Curtis:
"No – it's too early. It's a good investment for large businesses to
begin to think what this means, but too early to invest the cash. Any
marketing at this stage would be highly experimental." Bertie Millis: "For
a number of small business owners, VR may still seem like an expensive
path to travel down. However, this expense will set you aside from your
competitors and give you a unique channel to communicate to your
customers. As with all technology, VR will get less expensive as time
goes on. Currently we are in the early adopter stage, and it costs to be
an adopter." Chris Savage: "If early adopters
are in your target audience, then you should be considering VR as a
marketing channel. VR advocates are looking for compelling content, and
because it is still early days, there is very little content competition
at the moment." Luke Ritchie: "I think you have
to. It's absolutely fair to say that it's still early and adoption is
very limited. However even if VR was a huge failure (which seems
unlikely) we're going to have at least two to five years' worth of VR
hardware and content – so it must be part of the strategy. Also in my
opinion small businesses have an opportunity to innovate at this early
stage which will be harder later on. So while content is limited and
adoption is low, there's a genuine opportunity to stand out."
Techradar
Pro: With a range of VR platforms from Google Cardboard to Oculus, how
should small businesses evaluate which platform they use across their
operation? Mark Curtis: "Try them. Observe where you think the market is heading. There's no need to make heavy investment yet in most industries." Bertie Millis: "There
are new VR headsets being released everyday, however the real idea to
focus on is whether you want your virtual reality experience to be
portable. For portability you'll be looking at mobile VR platforms such
as Google Cardboard or Merge VR. Since these experiences are powered by a
smartphone, they tend to be a lower quality than their computer-based
counterparts – however, this is juxtaposed by the fact you can pretty
much take it anywhere. If you're looking for a high quality experience,
you're better off using a computer-based experience such as the Oculus
Rift or HTC Vive." Amelia Kallman: "I
think it's important that your choice reflects your brand and offering,
and also to keep in mind that devices are not necessarily mutually
exclusive, and businesses will probably want to adopt several different
VR brands for different reasons. But to me, the most sophisticated VR
product I have experienced is the HTC Vive as it really does transport
you into another world. At the Flux Innovation Lounges I curate in
London and Dubai we like to be able to show off the capabilities of
several brands giving people the opportunity to compare and realise
their own preferences." Luke Ritchie: "It depends
on the metrics of success. Certainly the higher-end platforms like the
Oculus have a higher price tag and are aimed at gamers more
specifically. Cardboard or Samsung Gear have already been released,
utilise your mobile phone and are significantly cheaper – so it's fair
to say these will have quicker and wider adoption rates. Then we have
YouTube360 and Facebook360 which already offer the 360 experience and
stereoscopic versions (for VR) and are accessible by just about
everyone."
Joss Davidge, Director of the Unexpected, BEcause Brand Experience
Joss Davidge:
"Choosing the right VR platform comes down to three simple questions:
How are you planning on using it? What content will you show? And what
audience are you looking to reach? Simply put, the VR viewing experience
is enhanced by the amount you decide to invest. VR provides the
opportunity for significant levels of interactivity, but with that of
course comes additional costs."
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