You’ve seen the virtual reality goggles and simulations everywhere from CES to Jimmy Fallon. VR is starting to be incorporated in marketing and sales strategies of businesses across America. That trend is not going away anytime soon, and it is one that we will start to see more often in the automotive industry. Virtual reality in the automotive industry is going to be huge for dealers because it will give their customers a chance to see the car’s interior and exterior before customers, or even the car, make it to the showroom.
Jaguar Leading the Pack
When it comes to incorporating virtual reality into a showroom or dealership, Jaguar Land Rover® is already paving the way for U.S. dealers. According to Automotive News, earlier this year, Jaguar Land Rover® shipped kits to all of its U.S. retailers as part of a global rollout of the technology. Jaguar is not the only brand pursuing virtual reality as a new sales tool. Cadillac is another luxury brand looking to expand its sales tactics with virtual reality.
Distributing Virtual Reality Content
It is one thing to create virtual reality content, but it is another to distribute that content to your potential customers effectively. Disseminating virtual reality content to a wider audience through social networking is going to be a valuable marketing strategy in the coming years. In fact, according to The New York Times, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, claimed that Facebook could end up investing more than $3 billion over the next decade to improve and make it accessible to the larger public.
Advertising Content
While we are not far off from seeing content on our social media feeds, we are equally not far off from being served virtual-based ads every single day just as we see with traditional and digital advertising. Nielsen Media’s Media Lab at CBS Television City Research City in Las Vegas is already testing and measuring the effectiveness of virtual reality-based advertising. In fact, early reports suggest, that compared to traditional ad units, virtual reality content generates a content recall 8-times greater.
VR Technology Offers a more Immersive Experience
Because the technology to preview virtual reality is already available to consumers, it is a smooth transition to using “VR” on your dealership website. Mobile smart devices and VR headsets allow your site visitors to interact with panoramic content like they’re inside the vehicle.
Nothing can replace the dealership and showroom experience, however, by embracing the trends in the industry and innovating with advanced technology, dealers can maximize the opportunity to win a sale. That’s where Impel is already ahead of the curve.
