From the inside, the immersive industry is thriving with innovation and potential. Virtual reality (VR) building empathy with social causes, driving donations and changing lives. Augmented reality (AR) brings a new depth of engagement that immerses people into a different world. Interactive media tells new stories differently – and powerful enough to drive change.
But from the outside, it is surrounded by a thick and nebulous fog. Companies and agencies are not confident how to use immersive tech or what kind to use. The lack of clarity means it is challenging to start a conversation to assess the best way to use it. Because of this, companies either don’t proceed with immersive projects or use it poorly. The fog must be cleared.
To plan this, the BIMA Immersive Council met to discuss their plans for 2020. The aim is to help BIMA members, and the wider industry, understand the possibilities of immersive technologies.
The council agrees that agencies and companies do not fully understand the applications or use-cases of immersive technologies. It’s no surprise; spacial computing has been riddled with acronyms and differing tech such as AR or VR, and are unsure when to use it.
Take marketing campaigns as one example. Immersive companies are not brought into the campaign planning process, and agencies use immersive technologies tactically, not strategically. Many use the technology as an add-on to a campaign, an addition to complement the PR and marketing push. By not integrating right at the beginning, immersive companies are at a disadvantage to make something compelling that ties with the campaign’s story. XR has the potential to grow the impact of a campaign – if looped in correctly.
There are two reasons why this happens. One reason is the lack of ROI. The council agrees that there should be more publically-available case studies that demonstrate an impact on use. If a charity wants to use VR, show how it can drive donations. If a food brand builds an AR experience based on its packaging, show how many people use the complimentary coupon code. Demonstrate value and use-cases, and the fog gives way to clear applications.
The second misunderstanding is what tech should be implemented, and where. VR could mean a 360 video on a phone, a 3DoF experience on a Oculus Go, a web-designed version on a computer, or a fully immersive 6DoF game on a powerful headset – all under a single umbrella term. The industry can’t expect to know where to apply it.
Companies tend to hop onto the trend and use it tactically to capitalise on a trend, then dispose of it afterwards. Expecting a massive impact and expecting a world-changing result, companies are inevitably disappointed by the result. One member notes that clients expect WebVR to deliver the very best experiences, a misconception born from misunderstanding tech and its uses. With so many ways to provide immersive experiences, the council needs to break down the different types of AR and VR.
Based on the discussions, the council agrees that:
The council needs to clarify the best ways to use immersive technologies. This includes case studies and advising which pieces of tech would work best for a particular project.
The council needs to ensure that immersive companies are part of the pipeline from the beginning to ensure they are used strategically, not tactically.
The council needs to supply content to demonstrate use cases and ROI, to further convince people of its value.
With AR glasses coming in the 2020s, and more significant innovation by developers, the council is planning for the next few years to support the industry. 2020 looks to be an exciting year.