Fresh off the best regular season in NBA history, the Golden State Warriors knew they had a strong case for courting coveted free agent and bona fide superstar Kevin Durant to San Francisco this summer.
But in order to truly leverage their star power and championship promise, the sports team needed a way to bring their offer to life: a way to show Durant just how he’d feel stepping onto the court as a Warrior, the ovation he’d receive from the crowd, and the unique opportunity he would have to play with three of the best basketball players in the world.
In a move that comes as little surprise to any tech savvy digital marketer, the Warriors turned to virtual reality: a cutting edge technology poised as the biggest development since the launch of the smartphone. Using VR goggles, representatives for the team showed Durant footage of the Golden Gate Bridge, team practice, and his potential future coach addressing the team in the locker room, according to USA Today.
Virtual reality is not what closed the deal in and of itself, but its role within a successful pitch does point to a lucrative and relatively untapped marketing frontier. If the Warriors sold Durant – a global brand himself – by using virtual reality technology, why can’t other brands do something similar with their audiences?
At my digital marketing firm, we focus on luxury brands and experiential marketing, and leverage VR to develop solutions for hotels to showcase weddings held at their properties. Instead of just touring an empty ballroom or reception venue, a hotel salesperson can show the potential bride and groom a VR video, helping them understand the transformation and what their dream day could actually look like.
The concept extends to many other luxury brands, which base much of their marketing strategies around the concept of storytelling. At the 2015 National Business Aviation Association conference in Las Vegas, for example, Gulfstream was handing out custom VR goggles, allowing potential buyers to tour the inside of a G650. Virtual reality took its high-quality video – which has proven to be the most effective digital medium from an engagement perspective – and raised it with a three-dimensional, immersive experience that vividly captured the essence of its product. Complete with audio narration, it’s the closest a prospective buyer could come to experiencing the reality without actually being in it.
Likewise, imagine the benefit of marketing a luxury car and being able to take digital shoppers on a virtual test drive, promoting a five-star hotel getaway by allowing guests to preview their stay, or selling an action product (like GoPro) and giving a sneak peek into the adventures that lie ahead.
Even the nonprofit sector can benefit, as virtual reality helps tell the stories of the underserved populations the organizations are supporting. For example, in a mission that hits close to home for my team, virtual reality can help empower teachers to integrate visual and performing arts in their classrooms by allowing them to envision dance, theater and music instruction in ways not previously possible. At my agency, we are involved in this cause through our nonprofit foundation, which helps arts education organizations across the U.S. implement strong content that includes virtual reality instruction.
All of these scenarios have one thing in common: marketers are now able to tap into customers' emotions in an entirely new dimension. And since empathy plays a part in driving conversions, the potential ROI fully justifies what is currently a relatively high price tag for production. Considering virtual reality companies are seemingly launching new innovations every week, associated costs can only be expected to decline over time.
A 2015 study showed that 75% of the Forbes’ World Most Valuable Brands have created some form of virtual or augmented reality experience, a number that has undoubtedly increased over the last few years, and will only continue to do so in the future. Much like the Warriors utilized VR technology to win over Kevin Durant, consider how your brand can use it to capture the hearts and minds of your audience in a way that was never previously thought possible.
