Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets are not new concepts. Yet, many brands haven’t fully grasped the power of this type of enabled and specialized technology for creating experiences. In a constantly digital market, it’s the duty of marketing CMOs to explore the potential of these resources to create a share of memory among their target audiences, contributing to enriching experiences and a significant increase in customer attraction and retention.
Although they appear to be quite modern technologies, their fundamental ideas were already explored in the 20th century, with several attempts to create devices similar to those we have on the market today. The Oculus Rift, for example, was one of the pioneers in popularizing VR, with its first version released in 2013, 12 years ago. At the same time, augmented reality has also been gaining ground with devices and applications that integrate digital elements into the physical environment, further expanding the possibilities for interaction and immersion.
An example of case The AR campaign was launched by IKEA, a well-known international furniture brand. The brand developed an app that allowed users to visualize the furniture they wanted in their space, giving them more confidence in the space it would occupy and how it would fit into the overall ambiance. Through this AR app, IKEA took a major step toward solving a long-standing pain point for those who are captivated by furniture they discover online.
Another example worth highlighting is Volvo’s campaign. The company used virtual reality to offer users a test drive of the XC90 model directly from your cell phone, promoting the experience of a “weekend getaway” through an app. The test drive The virtual tour puts users in the driver’s seat, taking them along a mountain road. The campaign generated a significant increase in requests for information about the vehicle, surpassing 20,000 downloads of the app.
With so many companies already exploring these technologies and achieving very positive results, the entire market is projecting huge advances and investments in their applications. According to a study published by ResearchAndMarkets.com, the Virtual Reality market is expected to jump from US$43.58 billion in 2024 to US$382.87 billion by 2033, driven by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.31% between 2025 and 2033.
As a field still under development and with forecasts of continued growth, it’s time for small and medium-sized companies to start investing and taking advantage of the benefits that advertising campaigns related to this technology offer. As technology increasingly takes over the market and there begins to be little fundamental differentiation in product composition, creating an unforgettable experience for your audience can be decisive for a Lifetime Value colossal. Remembering, of course, that acquiring new customers will always be more expensive and difficult than retaining an existing base.
In this sense, seeking to utilize new technologies that are increasingly being incorporated into people’s lives is not only an interesting but also a necessary strategy for companies aiming for continued growth. Virtual reality is just one of the “new” tools available in marketing companies’ toolboxes, ready to be implemented, once entrepreneurs embrace these disruptive initiatives.
