Use Case Examples of Virtual Reality (VR) For Increasing Sales
“You can’t explain much in 60 seconds, but when you show Michael Jordan, you don’t have to. It’s that simple.” – Phil Knight
These words, from Nike Founder CEO Phil Knight, applied to marketing throughout the 1980s and 1990s. A celebrity endorsement or clever marketing hook was enough to get buyers interested.
But technology, and people’s attention spans, have changed. You only have a couple seconds to make an impression. And you must exceed their expectations. There’s simply too much competition and marketing noise not to. To connect with buyers, you have to give them an unparalleled experience.
Enter Virtual Reality.
VR enables businesses to connect in a unique and memorable way with buyers. An immersive 360-degree video and audio experience — coupled with interactivity — can in seconds make a lasting impression. And hold users’ attention. And be informative and educational.
People want a personalized buyer’s journey, and what better way to do so than transporting them to a different place and giving them an experience?
We’ve had many clients successfully incorporate InstaVR-generated applications into their sales process. Be it equipping sales reps with VR headsets, incorporating 360-degree WebVR into their web site, or widely publishing VR for download on iTunes, Google Play, or the Oculus Store.
We see our clients’ apps being used by potential buyers on-site, in meeting rooms, at conferences/trade shows or virtually in the home — to name but a few locations.
So below, we’ll summarize some of the most impressive sales use cases by InstaVR clients, and how they have impacted the buying process. And if you have your own, please share them with us. We love to promote our clients’ successes!
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1. At Conferences, Trade Shows, and Events
Conferences and trade shows can be overwhelming experiences. There’s so many booths and so many vendors vying for attention.
Often, a company can’t bring their product or service into their allocated space. So how can a company make an impact? By transporting their visitors to another location, immersing them completely, and making a lasting impression.
You can read our complete how-to guide on building a VR app for conferences here.
The use cases for VR at conferences and trade shows are plentiful. So too is how you present the InstaVR-generated experience — you could have it running on a loop on a TV, while also showcasing it on higher-end VR headsets (ie Gear VR, Go, Rift, or Vive), and handing out Google Cardboards with scannable QR codes for downloading the app to an Android phone.
It’s very hard to stand out and make an impact at larger conferences. But VR, particularly when done right (immersive, interactive, visually & auditorily clear), can have a real impact on post-event sales.
InstaVR Client Use Cases:
Zimmer Biomet Dental – Created an Oculus Rift application using InstaVR for their industry’s largest conference, allowing users to really see the impact their dental technology has in their simulation lab.
Zuo Modern – Load 360 virtual showrooms created on InstaVR onto oversized iPad Pros, so customers at major furniture industry events can easily navigate a CGI-rendered staged house and learn more about their furniture offerings.
Rapid Films – Partnered with the World Surfing League & Jeep on a VR experience designed to promote both organizations at WSL events (via Gear VR headsets) and that users at home can experience too (on iPhone, Android, and Gear VR). Great way to connect users to a brand memorably!
2. At In-Person Meetings With Clients
Face-to-face meetings are some of the most effective in generating sales.
But the days of bringing along printouts or a PowerPoint have long passed. You can showcase your company’s achievements easily, clearly, and memorably using VR. And thanks to the numerous portable standalone VR headsets hitting the market in 2018, you can do so powerfully and on a budget.
VR has the power to persuade buyers. They can see in first-person what a solution or product will truly be like. They can virtually see it from all angles, listen in clear surround audio to the sounds, and get a true sense for if the product/solution/experience is the right fit. And they can do it regardless of location!
You can have a meeting in an office, but through VR be transported 30,000 feet in the air or across the globe.
Read our how-to guide for Marketers looking to equip sales teams with VR.
And creating applications using InstaVR is simple. Salespeople or marketers themselves can film, upload, and publish without having to get any IT or creative employees involved. You can also consistently push out new content with InstaVR.
Making a lasting impression with VR is a great way to complete a sales cycle. Once you have a potential clients’ attention, using VR can give them the confidence to make a decision.
InstaVR Client Use Cases:
TUI Group – Guests are given the opportunity to experience an excursion virtually before deciding to book it. Their conversion rates during test runs proved that VR headsets loaded with compelling content make a financial impact.
Premise LED – It’s hard at on-site meetings to explain the impact a new light set-up with have at a location. But it’s easy to show it — particularly before-and-afters of successful client installs. And that’s exactly what Premise LED does to gain customer trust using InstaVR.
Hello Kitty’s Puroland – It’s hard to really show travel agents the magic of Puroland, when their location is hundreds and (more often) thousands of miles away from the park. But by far the most immersive, sensory-rich way to do it is through VR. And that is what Hello Kitty’s amusement park marketing team does using InstaVR-generated apps loaded onto high-end mobile VR headsets.
3. Distributed Widely – through WebVR, iTunes/Google Play, and VR Headsets
Not all sales and marketing are done on a 1-to-1 basis.
Sometimes, you want to advertise your business widely. For a long time, that meant via a web site. Now, that might also include a mobile app for Apple or Android phones. Increasingly, it’s also incorporating developing VR for end-users who have access to Google Cardboards, Gear VRs, and Oculus Gos.
In each scenario, you want that person in their home or office to take notice. You want to enthrall them. You want to immerse them, get them to interact, and seek out even more information.
360-degree media, particularly stereoscopic VR, has a way of breaking through the traditional marketing noise. It’s new and exciting. And not nearly enough companies are leveraging it, even though 360 cameras + InstaVR can be used by almost everyone, without any technical knowledge.
Read our how-to guide on leveraging VR to better promote your brand.
Web remains one of the most viable ways of reaching a wide audience. But WebVR makes a web page more interesting, particularly when its interactive. Reaching a broad audience using virtual reality makes your company stand out, increasing potential sales leads. And with InstaVR, you can publish to Web, Mobile (iPhone/Android/Google Cardboard), and VR specific headsets (Oculus Go/Gear VR/Daydream/Oculus Rift/HTC Vive).
InstaVR Client Use Cases:
Zuo Modern – Virtually shop the Zuo Modern furniture catalog, including clicking links to product pages directly from the VR.
University of Arkansas -Pulaski Technical College – Looking at potentially visiting the college? Increase enrollments by having your first touch points with students be interactive 360-degree tours of your buildings and various programs.
4. Conclusion
This century has seen a lot of advancements in sales technology. VR is one of the most impactful, when done correctly.
InstaVR allows you to create immersive, interactive, 360-degree applications that visually transport users. This can be used for educating the buyer, or allowing them to experience something new, or exciting them to make a purchase.
The cool thing is VR is no longer the domain of only technical folks or those with six figure budgets.
You can literally purchase a sub-$1K camera, an InstaVR Pro account, and one of the many impressive sub-$1K VR headsets — and that’s it for your hardware and software needs! In days, you can have a working 360-degree 3D VR app for your conference, for your sales team or for your web site.
Utilizing VR to increase sales is a great way to separate yourself from the competition. If you haven’t already, sign up for a Free InstaVR account and attend one of our Thursday live trainings at 10am EST. We’d be happy to show you during that training how you can effectively and efficiently create VR that increases your sales!
