The future of marketing could lie in cutting-edge virtual reality technology, according to a South West-based firm.
Already a staple of the games industry, Rendermedia is looking to apply the tech to develop the ultimate form of “immersive marketing”.
The Swindon firm was one of the stars of the HTC stand at CES in Las Vegas at the beginning of this year, where they showcased their VR experience developed for Airbus.
That same VR could be used to market B2B products – including helicopters, aeroplanes and spacecraft – but they claim the applications could penetrate any sector.
Rendermedia founder Mark Miles said: “Quite simply, we were able to take Airbus customers on an experience that allowed them to really engage with the products.
“VR’s use within the advertising and marketing industry is obvious. yAfter all, it is the ultimate manifestation of ‘immersion’ – physically and emotionally engaging with a brand through virtual reality.
“This technology could blow apart how we currently market products.”
Visitors to HTC’s booth in Vegas were able to immerse themselves in the experience of taking part in a helicopter rescue mission following an earthquake, flying an Airbus A400M flying close to the ground through Mach Loop in Wales, and landing an Airbus A350.
Dan O’Brien, VP of Virtual Reality for HTC VIVE, added: “Rendermedia provided a critical component to delivering an immersive VR experience and building out the ever-growing Vive ecosystem.
“We built Vive to deliver the most immersive, room-scale VR experience on the market today. Companies like Rendermedia are helping us meet this vision.”
VR has been around since the late 70s, but it’s only now that the technology is starting to offer up a rich seam of possibilities in the worlds beyond gaming and architecture.
Paul Hannah, Creative director of Future Concepts at Airbus, says: “At Airbus we are always looking for innovative new ways to communicate with our customers.
“VR gives us a chance to engage with them directly and to experience the Airbus story.”