18 July, 2017 - 08:40
The era of alternative realities - Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) - is taking over and what was once considered the future is now here. Previously limited to the realm of gaming - VR technology is no longer classified as emerging technology and by the end of 2016, widely held opinion was that VR was an established part of the now. One that's finding its way into all spheres of life, private and commercial, but predominantly in broadcast and content delivery, including marketing and advertising, events, training and education, and narrative film making.
Early adopters have been predicting a collective slide into a VR-enhanced world for years. Founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerber, predicted: One day, we believe this kind of immersive, augmented reality will become a part of daily life for billions of people. His forecast was on point and is further supported by research that confirms VR's potential for emotional engagement. A study by ad tech firm YuMe and research firm Nielsen found VR elicited 27% higher emotional engagement than in a 2D environment and 17% higher emotional engagement than a 360-degree video on a flat screen. Adding to this, VR viewers were emotionally engaged 34% longer than when they viewed the same content in 2D and 16% longer than when they watched it in 360-degree video on a flat screen.
Mediatech Africa show director, Simon Robinson says, that the adoption of this technology has been extremely rapid and the potential user base is massive; anyone who owns a smartphone is a potential end user. Whether using the technology as intended by full immersion or just viewing in 360 [essentially a byproduct of the technology] - users are driving this tech category through sheer mass demand.
High-production Events:
Despite oversized headsets and unwieldy touch-responsive gloves, the potential of VR technology at events extends beyond its novelty and into value creation and as it becomes more mainstream, it's providing the opportunity to deliver a rich event experience. No longer a nice-to-have' - event organisers are increasingly integrating VR as a rudimentary element of events. The high-production end of the events industry is looking for that personalised event experience, and VR is more in demand as a result. ABBA's announcement that their 2018 reunion tour will be a virtual and live performance' confirms the limitless possibilities of this technology and confirms the uptake of the technology in this environment.
Robinson says, One thing that's certain is venues will have to transform so as to meet the more advanced technological requirements that events now require.
Immersive Brand Experiences:
VR is an ideal vehicle for storytelling and high-end experiences and a lot of money is being invested in the technology as brands seek to better engage and connect with consumers. This is further driving the growth of this category. Steven Pinto, CEO of technology company, New Reality, says that many progressive brands are creating and sharing immersive experiences with customers: Full 360 degree experiences that tap into all the senses, blocking out all external distractions.
Globally Oreo used it to promote its new Filled Cupcake Flavored cookies, creating an animated virtual world that took users through a mystical fantasy land complete with milk rivers and chocolate canyons. Mercedes showed off its latest SL model with a virtual drive on the Pacific Coast Highway in California. Users were able to look around the interior of the car, peer up through the sunroof, and watch as the car navigated the road. When transitioned to convertible mode, a glance to the right revealed the Pacific Ocean. Shoe company Toms took users to a remote village in Peru where they could experience a giving trip. Kids then appeared, happy and grateful for the arrival of, and attention from, the volunteers. The immersive experience allowed for incredibly emotional storytelling.
Pinto says, By creating hands-on experiences, attendees are more likely to cultivate memories and build emotional connections with your brand or event. With the ever growing need to escape, it's only the progressive who will keep up with the ever growing consumer need to have a deeper emotional touch point with the brands they interact with every day. Adding to this he says, In a world that's physical - brands need to elevate the customer experience to a new reality.
Education and Training:
Workforce training is another area where VR is being used most effectively. Part of its appeal lies in the fact that it's safe, more accurate, cost-effective, and it has the unique ability to transport you to an entirely fabricated, yet completely real environment which makes it more memorable. It's also participatory in nature - think simulations - so the tech allows users to experience situations and absorb information in a way that is more effective. It's highly visual which enhances learning and perhaps most importantly, it's fun, ensuring better recall. Without doubt, VR will transform the classroom, universities and offices of the future.
Advertise Here
MediaTech Africa 2017
Register for MediaTech Here!
5 top tips to get you saving on airfare for film crew
Travel with Stage and Screen
Market your Film Services
Start a Film Marketing Campaign Today
Film and Production:
Not long ago immersive, experiential and virtual reality were terms considered to be on the outer fringe of film-making but today many believe that film is one of the key outposts of this generally unfamiliar and constantly expanding frontier. The BBC recently reported that analysis shows that by 2021 - the VR industry could generate revenues of U$75bn (£60bn) annually. Not everyone agrees. Some of the old guard in the industry are skeptical of
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
20/09/2025
LOS ANGELES A coalition of media companies, streaming services and other firms have launched the Automotive Streaming Council (ASC). This new group said it aims...
20/09/2025
NEW YORK The MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 7 set a record for the most-viewed and engaged VMAs in history with more than 5.5 million viewers watching on C...
19/09/2025
Laver Cup 2025: Tennis Channel Serves Up First-Ball-to-Last-Ball Coverage, Debut...
19/09/2025
SVG Sit-Down: EVS CCO Nicolas Bourdon on Telemetrics, XD Motion Deals, and What ...
19/09/2025
New WWE, ESPN Partnership Kicks Off With First-Ever WWE-Branded WrestlepaloozaFive-year deal makes ESPN the exclusive U.S. destination for WWE premium live even...
19/09/2025
Pace of Change: Gainbridge Fieldhouse Goes ST 2110 to Maximize the In-Venue Expe...
19/09/2025
Laver Cup 2025: Tennis Australia Take Over Chase Center; AR Set To Shine for 108...
19/09/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Pixellot's Rob DeSlavo on the Automated-Production Revolution ...
19/09/2025
SBS introduces bold new series with ADHD, obesity, ageing and menopause as the h...
19/09/2025
Berklee Alumni Nominated for the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards A total of 14 alumni, including Miguel Zen n, Elsa y Elmar, Lewis Pickett, and Nicole Zignago, earne...
19/09/2025
Philo has announced that its free TV lineup continues to expand, with the addition of five new channels from Lionsgate and one from QVC Group, boosting the free...
19/09/2025
Keepit, the market leader in SaaS data protection, recovery and cyber resilience, today announced the appointment of Jan Ursi as Vice President of Global Channe...
19/09/2025
Hornets Tech is delighted to announce that Director Alistair Horne has been recognised with the IABM Technology Catalyst Award at the 2025 IABM Awards. This cel...
19/09/2025
Lightware, a global leader in signal management, is expanding its partnership with NETGEAR through a new agreement which integrates both manufacturers' e-le...
19/09/2025
Friday 19 September 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cookies...
19/09/2025
Fast walking lanes trialled in two major cities for the first time Friday 19 Sep...
19/09/2025
Back to All News
Manny Pacquiao, Robert Whittaker, and More: Netflix Announces ...
19/09/2025
AI is no longer solely a back-office tool. It's a strategic partner that can...
19/09/2025
RT SHORT STORY COMPETITION 2025: SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED
WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED AS PART OF AN RT RADIO 1 ARENA SPECIAL ON FRIDAY 24TH OCTOBER
LIVE FROM THE PA...
18/09/2025
NWSL Brings on Victory as Rightsholder, Expands Deals With CBS and ESPN for 202...
18/09/2025
CBS Sports Travels to Far Reaches of Europe To Tell Clubs' Stories During 20...
18/09/2025
The Great Integration: How Sports Media Leaders Are Making MAM, Storage, and Clo...
18/09/2025
Amazon launches Prime Vision for Champions League coverage By George Bevir
Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 18:28
Print This Story
Amazon is rolling out its ...
18/09/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Canon USA's Rich Eilers, Yuji Tanaka Talk Novel' Feature,...
18/09/2025
NBC Sports Will Deploy a Pair of Dedicated Analysts On the Bench' for Peaco...
18/09/2025
Editor's Note:
The loss of our founder and friend Robert Redford, leaves us...
18/09/2025
Editor's Note:
The loss of our founder and friend Robert Redford, leaves us...
18/09/2025
Robert Redford talks with Lab fellows at the 1981 Directors Lab | 1981 Unknown for Sundance Institute
Editor's Note:
The loss of our founder and friend ...
18/09/2025
Forget just hearing a new album; last night, London lived one. Together with Spo...
18/09/2025
Spotify and Sony Music Group today announced an extension and expansion of their long-standing, successful global partnership. As part of their ongoing collabor...
18/09/2025
SBS Audio podcast helps new Australians keep their Head Above Water
17 September, 2025
Media releases
As Australia heads toward summer, comedians and good ...
18/09/2025
Football fans to watch the inaugural Australian Championship on SBS
18 September, 2025
Media releases
Images here
SBS and Football Australia are delighted...
18/09/2025
L3Harris's advanced large solid rocket motor eSR-73 is hot fire tested at the company's Camden, Arkansas site....
18/09/2025
August, the last month of the summer vacation, brought stability to the amount of time spent in front of the TV screen. The data shows that Polish viewers watch...
18/09/2025
WASHINGTON The controversy over ABC's decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel, continues to heat up, with FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez blasting ABCs decision to ...
18/09/2025
FOR-A America named Jo Aun as Senior Manager of Product Management and Engineering, reporting directly to Satoshi Kanemura, President and COO. In this new posit...
18/09/2025
MASV (massive.io), the fastest and most reliable large file transfer platform for media professionals and an IDC Innovator 2025 for Media & Entertainment*, toda...
18/09/2025
ThinkAnalytics, the global leader in video content discovery and persaonalization, today announced that Dish TV India, the leading content distribution company,...
18/09/2025
DirecTV continues to expand its women's sports offerings by adding Sports Fanatics' and Whoopi Goldberg's Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) All Wo...
18/09/2025
WASHINGTON NextGen TV viewers are beginning to see what high dynamic range (HDR) brings to their football enjoyment with the launch of the sport's fall seas...
18/09/2025
WASHINGTON After issuing audit letters seeking Equal Employment Opportunity data from a randomly selected group of TV and radio stations in August, the Federal ...
18/09/2025
NEW YORK Warner Bros. Discovery and Nielsen have signed a new, long-term, multi-year deal that covers measurement for all Warner Bros. Discovery platforms acros...
18/09/2025
NEW YORK As part of its ongoing efforts to develop better measurement solutions, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) announced the launch of t...
18/09/2025
IRVING, Texas Following threats from the Federal Communications Commission and the announcement that the nations largest station group, Nexstar Media Group, wou...
18/09/2025
Jim Armstrong Named Senior Director of Sales for U.S. & Canada
Search
Cleveland, Ohio (September 18, 2025) - Telos Alliance , trusted global leader in broa...
18/09/2025
Back to All News
Three Wishes and a Deadly Bet: Main Trailer Drops for Genie, M...
18/09/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Premieres the Documentary Mar Branca: The Surreal Sto...
18 July, 2017 - 08:40 
