February 07, 2019
Virtual Reality (VR) was born into a world of gaming fanatics as a niche product, with the intention to advance the gaming industry. However years down the line, it has grown well beyond that of which we once thought humanly possible.
It was only recently that VR broke into the mainstream market with the arrival of an interactive, user-friendly experience allowing consumers to immerse themselves into the midst of their favourite games. Therefore, as with any trending innovation, the demand has sky rocketed, meaning that it is no longer sufficient to just take part with 3D visuals or settle for surround sound. It is becoming the norm in the gaming sphere to crave a sense of reality one can only experience in a virtual dimension. However, with publicity and sales reaching such magnitude at record speed, it was only a matter of time before it caught the attention of surrounding industries.
A once limited technology is now rapidly growing into a global phenomenon, well on its way to take the business world by storm. Not only are industries expanding their marketing capabilities thanks to the countless avenues introduced by this digital experience, but the way they go about implementing their sales regime is no doubt taking a turn towards a revolution.
Which industries will benefit the most from VR implementation?
Virtual Reality has the key benefit of flexibility, allowing sales strategists and marketers to mould the technology to their professional needs. Unsurprisingly, the majority of business sectors have, up until recently, required significant physical backing to function to the best of their ability. Despite this age old routine, many are now gaining increasing access to virtual processes, allowing them to streamline sales and maximise efficiency. Tasks such as viewing a property or finding a new car could take up hours of the day, not to mention the frustration of having to travel country-wide for an ultimately uncertain outcome. However, companies that pride themselves on their ability to lead digital innovation, are already rolling out opportunities being coined as ‘Virtual Viewings’.
This process, which is hugely popular in the real estate sector, allows potential buyers to not only look around a property with a full 360-degree view on a computer screen, but take a complete virtual tour without so much as a click of a button. The ability to slip on a headset and be taken through a guided viewing of prospective properties is mind-blowing in itself, let alone the additional benefit of complete immersion from the confinements of your sofa. This gives you the comfort of imagining yourself in new surroundings, and with it brings a unique and incomparable edge that has only been brought about through the use of this technology.
On the flip side of this corporate endeavour, the music industry is one collective using VR to their full and abundant advantage. Being one of the most diverse and ambitious commercial divisions in the world, music moguls are always looking to stay at the forefront of their competition. Bringing live experiences to the comfort of consumers’ living rooms and enabling viewers to interact in a panoramic music video, with some of the most famous names of this decade is just the beginning. This strategy is currently being perfected by hundreds of companies around the globe, and in a not so distant future it is thought that fans could experience concerts live through a screen. While the concept of live streaming may not come as news to most, it is the interactivity which has the world talking. Paying a fraction of the price for a viewing which encompasses not only the audible aspects but your whole being, allowing you to travel to any time, space or dimension without moving for a second.
While only time will tell the extent of this alternative reality, it is already harnessing the ability to impact just about every walk of life. The VR vision which started as a niche gaming accessory is now on track to change the face of digital innovation. Having surpassed the expected $2 Billion revenue mark in 2018, Virtual Reality is notably putting those which choose to embrace it above their fiercest competitors.
