Why Marketers Shouldn't Get Overexcited About Virtual Reality as a Branding Tool

Virtual reality is an extraordinarily hot topic right now in media and technology circles. We've seen some amazing developments in recent years, but for the purposes of marketers, technology has not caught up with needs. Beyond functioning, we need it to scale and affect consumer behavior. This will likely happen in time, but many years from now. To understand why there is so much buzz in adland about VR and why expectations need to be contained, it's worth taking a look back. Andy Maskin Illustration: Alex Fine In the 1990s, there was a spike of interest on the subject. Books like Snow Crash and movies like The Lawnmower Man ignited the imagination, and virtual reality games started popping up in arcades. And then, unlike most major innovations of that era, it seemed to fizzle out. Fast forward to 2012, and the advent of Oculus Rift reawakened the sleeping giant. Since its legendary Kickstarter campaign, other players have rushed into the market including Samsung. The acquisition of Oculus Rift by Facebook caught many off guard and has many wondering whether this time VR is for real. The original wave of VR excitement was really built on metaphor. The idea that computers could connect to each other was relatively new to most outside academia and the military. Just as the physical world concept of folders holding documents was borrowed to explain how computer files were organized, people shopped in online stores and met in chat rooms. Once it clicked for people... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'

[ AdWeek | 2015-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #financial services #programmatic buying #adweek magazine

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Beyond 'Event' Book Marketing

How do you promote a book effectively at a time when ebooks may stay in print indefinitely, but not have a physical presence in a store? Internet book marketer FSB Associates has just launched Amplify, a marketing strategy that brings together a list of related titles and creates a Web community... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Seven Ways to Monetize Marketing Services Online

“Beyond the banner” is a term that publishers have kicked around for years in terms of digital marketing opportunities. As the number of different channels grows, so does the opportunity to really go beyond the banner but it often requires a significant commitment. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's illustrators concerned over UK market

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Fri, 10/06/2011 - 08:14 An up-and-coming children's illustrator has warned that new British talent is being forced to go abroad in search of work as the UK picture book market becomes increasingly conservative. Frann Preston-Gannon, who was recently... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Open Road Expands Marketing Team

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA: big ideas, B&N and global brands

Written By: Gayle Feldman Publication Date: Fri, 03/06/2011 - 08:50 Like much of our world, BEA has shrunk but also expanded. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N launches new Nook and eyes international market

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Tue, 24/05/2011 - 15:40 Barnes & Noble c.e.o. William Lynch has said he is looking at international opportunities for its Nook ebook reader, as it announced a new touchscreen device today. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chief Brand Officer Andy Sareyan Parts Ways with Meredith

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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Getting the Word Out: Audio Book Marketing 2011

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Small Publishers and Marketing Services

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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Easter break boosts market

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Dynamic Russian Book Market

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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