What Happened
After years of small incremental growth, virtual reality (VR) technology is enjoying a rapid ascent into public consciousness as more brands and services start to experiment with the immersive media platform. This past week saw Flickr, Sony, and ABC News join the growing list of companies creating branded VR experiences:
• Flickr showcased an early preview of a virtual reality experience powered by Oculus DK 2 headset that it hopes to integrate with its photo service.
• Sony rebranded its VR headset previously named Project Morpheus to PlayStation VR, which will reportedly be focused on VR gaming.
• ABC News launched its first VR experience to give viewers a 360-degree tour of Syria’s capital shot by Jaunt VR cameras.
What Brands Should Do
Besides the three brands mentioned above, Birchbox, Marriott, and others are also developing their own branded VR content. We expect VR to be a niche market in 2016 in the same way that smartphones were a niche market in 2007. Therefore, it’d be wise for brands to prepare a VR strategy to stay ahead of the curve.
The Lab currently has two VR headsets—an Oculus Rift and a Samsung Gear—ready for demo in the Lab. Virtual reality is something that has to be experienced to be understood. So come by the Lab and get a VR demo to see just how engaging it can be, and understand why consumers would be excited by this technology.