Immersive video using virtual and augmented reality could be the future of digital marking. Source: TechCrunch

Digital advertising is not easy and those who venture into it know very well that it takes a lot of creativity and effort to make ads more effective in conversion. The biggest challenge though is targeting. How do you know the people targeted by ads are actually seeing them? What kind of impression is an ad creating on the intended demographic? Is it sufficient to inspire an action? These are some of the questions many digital advertisers grapple with and with many ad blocking softwares available, users can literally switch ads off the moment they feel they are not interested.

This can only mean one thing: targeted customers are not seeing as many ads as perhaps many marketers would want and this basically means that the rates of conversions are low and marketing spending isn’t achieving the required outcomes. There is also the issue of mobile. A lot of people these days are using their mobile phones as the primary device for accessing digital content and sadly, many digital advertising companies and experts have failed to move along with the time. Even though there is a renewed effort to try and align digital ads with mobile, it’s more of a reactive move other than proactive. But there is hope after all.

The few companies who have tried immersive video ads have had very positive responses. Source: Extreme Tech

Immersive video through virtual and augmented reality could be the game changer digital ads need to finally make it count. Immersive media delivered through virtual reality is seen as a disruptive technology that could change how consumers interact with brands. Many experts in marketing are looking at virtual reality as the new mobile and urging digital marketing companies that missed the mobile revolution to keep their eyes open on virtual reality. Of course, it seems farfetched and it will take time before immersive media becomes an option in digital marketing.

However, many will argue that a few years ago virtual reality was a dream and the pace in which it has developed has been quite fast. There are many applications for virtual reality and it’s not at all crazy to suggest that the technology will be very helpful in digital marketing. According to an analysis, it is emerging that advertisers lost $5.7 billion due to blocked ads and this figure will hit $12 billion by the year 2020. A survey done also showed that one of the main reasons why people blocked ads was because they found them annoying.

Digital marketing needs to be creative and relevant, so virtual and augmented reality ads seem to be the answer. Source: Enhance Media

This simply means that there is a breakdown in communication. Advertisers must find new creative ways to reach out to targeted audiences in a way that is attractive enough to keep them glued. Immersive videos are a better option and for a few companies that have tried it, it looks promising. A 360° immersive video by a travel company in Hong Kong received 9x more views than a normal YouTube video. This simply breaks the ice on what immersive videos could offer in the digital advertising space and it’s up to digital marketers to seize the moment and take control of the future of advertising.