Have you
ever regretted buying something? I would be surprised if the answer was no. We
all have experienced “buyer’s remorse” at least
once in our lives. The classic advice to avoid a bad purchase goes something
like this: “Can you see yourself using it, or wearing it?” You know—close your
eyes and picture yourself in that new car, new outfit, new home, new shoes? Visualize
your experience with whatever it is that you wish to buy. Well, this technique
might work for some, but not for all.
No brand
wants anyone to have buyer’s remorse—it harms reputations, and with the power
of social media, bad news about a product travels fast—and it is very important
for brands to do everything in their power to help alleviate post-purchase
frustration for customers.
That said,
most of us need real-life (or close to real life) experiences to judge if we
like something or not. We need to try something on. Sit in that new car, or on
that new couch. Walk through that house for sale. But what if you just physically
can’t? Can brands help customers get such real-life experiences, from a
distance, before they make a purchase? The answer is yes. In fact, 3D
technology is opening up a whole new world of possibilities for marketers.
Closing
the Gap Between Virtual and Reality
We talk
about the importance of the omni-channel approach, and how online is
increasingly meshing with offline purchasing, but there still remains a
significant gap between pre-purchase experiences on different platforms. For
instance, we love to shop online, but sometimes it is just too difficult to
know for certain if that new gadget is really what we want. Yes, there might be
millions of reviews and videos, but nothing beats holding it in your hand so
you can see for yourself, right? That is when you head to the retail store.
But, what if we could experience it without leaving the couch? We could “feel” and
understand how it would be to use the product? Get inside
the car and look around—even get into the driver’s seat—or try on those jeans and get a look
at our backsides? 3D technology can help marketers bridge the gap between
reality and virtual to create a better and more complete buying experience for
customers.
How 3D
Might Help Brands
In terms
of product marketing, 3D computer-generated imagery (CGI) has been around for
almost a decade, used primarily by the automobile industry. A 2012 Forbes
article by Alex Southern covered how companies used 3D catalogs and images
to create more appealing, cost-effective marketing overtures. Today, brands are
using high-end visualization to provide a true immersive reality to power a
customer experience. While the use of 3D has continued to evolve in the auto
industry, there are a myriad of customer service applications being employed,
from shoe design to aircraft manufacturing. I saw numerous examples
of virtual product interactions at a recent 3DEXCITE Live (Dassault
Systèmes) event I attended, and I can assure you, the applications of 3D
visualization will change the way brands market their products and engage
customers both in-store and online. Shoe manufacturer Deckers is 3D
scanning physical materials to incorporate into 3D mockups and shorten the
design process for its shoe brands. For now, it’s aiding the design process but
just imagine the ability to visualize not just the color but the fabric and
texture that clearly distinguishes suede from leather in marketing materials or
in its “custom build your own shoe” interface.
I saw a
demo of an interactive wall-sized touchscreen placed next to a white Cadillac
ATS, which acted as a blank canvas for passers-by to view customized color and
options packages projected on top of the physical car. This type of
customized window-shopping can take place even when the store isn’t open.
Stop by when the store is open, and you can put on headset to virtually sit
inside any car with any options package. Gone will be the days where every car
color and option needs to sit on the lot to showcase what a customer can
experience virtually.
Source -
Forbes
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