11.11.16
We’re not in Kansas anymore. Or maybe we are? Still can’t decide? Blame virtual reality (VR). VR is changing the way we communicate as PR professionals. It has the potential to revolutionize how we engage with clients in the way video conferencing, Skype and FaceTime have transformed telecommunications.
Virtual reality can help companies, organizations and campaigns to communicate feeling, space and tone regardless of distance. This technology creates an immersive experience that can enhance storytelling, and helps people to participate in shared experiences – something that is critical to motivating action in support of a movement. This is already happening with criminal justice reform, among other issues.
The New York Times knows this. The once-“Gray Lady” is teaming up with Samsung on an immersive 360-degree video journalism project. The content will vary, but the first videos included scenes from the campaign trail to capture the spirit and the mood of the presidential election.
As Marc Mathieu, chief marketing officer at Samsung Electronics America, said, “Virtual reality storytelling isn’t just exciting and immersive, it can forge a lasting and empathetic connection between viewers and subjects.” As we look to the future of communications, the use of virtual reality will only grow – especially as all of us look for new ways to reach audiences with new types of content.
We’re not in Kansas anymore – but with VR, we can be anywhere we want to be.