SINGAPORE – As more and more brands are exploring the possibilities of virtual reality or VR, many things can go wrong. It’s important to understand how to effectively use this new technology and make it work for your brand’s benefit.
Tech giant, Samsung, is arguably one of the earlier brands to figure this new medium out. Cheil Worldwide, Samsung’s advertising unit, plays a key role in coming up with unique and inclusive VR experiences for the brand.
Minah Kim, Cheil’s Director of User Experience shares the four things that they keep in mind when coming up with any VR project:
1. Virtual Reality may become the next great event stage
“Before we jump into VR content, we think more of the environment to start. Why are we creating this VR content? In what type of environment?” Kim says that it is important to create a seamless VR environment by thinking of the technical aspects concerning the audience. Content comes only next.
2. Virtual Reality may become the next great story-making canvas
According to Kim, a good VR content should enable interaction and exploration to provide a personal story. This can be done by using visual cues, graphic guides, voice overs or multi-directional audio to enrich the audience’s experience.
3. Virtual Reality may become the next great media platform
Effective VR content should be able to stimulate the five senses. This means that it’s not only a feast for the eyes but also for the rest of the senses. Samsung addresses this by creating 4D VR experiences that make content like a simulated roller coaster look and feel closer to reality.
4. Virtual Reality may become the new reality
Creating VR means you can do just about anything. As this new technology can be the people’s new reality someday, a recreation of existing realities may not be enough. So, it’s important for brands to learn how to create a mixed world that will take their audience somewhere they’ve never been, making VR a truly unique and valuable experience.
To some, VR is an expensive content creation technique. But Kim begs to disagree. She thinks that just by having a great idea, powerful content and dedication that could mean manually spritzing water to stimulate the audience’s sense of touch, then anyone can come up with VR content that actually works.
