Back in the day, Hollywood was all about storytelling masters. Their captivating tales never failed to entertain their audience, and it made them want to watch more. Come to modern day, and their every story is being told in hundreds of different ways beyond the silver screen. Brands all over the world have put their heart into their work knowing sharing their emotions will help consumers relate to their products. From how storytelling is done these days, it is easy to infer that the techniques have changed a lot. The next frontier is likely to be holo-grams and immersive technologies.
Now let’s look and understand how we got here, the role of new tech in brand storytelling and what this change implies for the future of marketing.
The Evolution of Storytelling in Branding
1. Tinseltown’s Impact
A brand’s Hollywood influence will always be brand storytelling’s first important factor. The older film had the audience fall for its characters, its scripts, story-lines, therefore, the foundation for marketing strategies was already laid out. Brands picked up on this immediately, as by implementing rigorously researched character sketches, cliffhangers, and emotional components they were able to get to their desired results. For instance, Nike’s motivational campaign “Just Do It!” or Coca-cola’s polar bears. These brands are and make sure are connected with movies and the cinematic world.
2. Disruption – The Digital Revolution
The internet took center stage, and storytelling changed. Social media, streaming, and gaming gave brands access to their audiences like never before. All of a sudden, marketers were able to enhance their stories and deliver them at the click of a button. Advertising borders disappeared with storytelling becoming multi-faceted. Everything turned viral – videos, AR marketing, and even more traditional touchpoints transformed into fascinating stories.
3. Experiential Marketing Takes Off
Experiential marketing was the connector between digital and the real world. Events, pop ups, and other live brand experiences immersed their audience inside the brand’s narrative. However, there are challenges – geography, price, and scalability stay restrictions. Enter holograms and mixed reality.
Holograms – A Revolution in Brand Storytelling
Holograms are not exactly a new phenomenon – scientists have come up with the idea of holography well since the mid th century. Lately, however, the improvement of projection technology, AI, and AR made them popular for marketing.
1. Stories Come to Life
Imagine visiting a store and being welcomed by a life-size hologram that narrates the brand’s story. Holograms add a human touch. They can evoke emotions, demonstrate products, and bring ethical and personalized interactivity to an otherwise static space.
2. Also Known as the Non Physical World
Holograms transcend borders. A brand can launch a global campaign at the same time in Tokyo, Paris, and New York using holographic campaigns. Not only does this reduce costs, it allows the audience to experience something unique and collective at the same time no matter their location.
3. The Best Form of Interactivity
Holograms can now engage with consumers due to AI advancements. They can answer questions related to the product and offer specific recommendations. Apart from being visually appealing, holograms serve a purpose that enhances engagement.
Real World Example: BMW and Dior are known to use holograms when telling stories about their products. Dior had a holographic runway show in Shanghai that left the audience shocked and amazed. It demonstrated how use of holography can change storytelling into an art.
Other Immersive Technologies Transforming Brand Storytelling
Other Technologies Making an Impact on Brand Storytelling Holograms while being the newest technology, are not the only ones in the industry. Brands are also utilizing virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) for storytelling.
1. Virtual Reality: The Full Immersion
Users of VR are transported into different worlds. For example, travel brands use VR to offer holiday tours of strange new places, while car brands allow people to virtually drive around their stunning cars in real cars in breathtaking virtual worlds. The potential of storytelling here is huge. With VR, brands can bring people into their story.
2. Augmented Reality: Enhancing the Real World
AR adds a digital layer to the real world with the purpose of enhancing the current experience. AR blends the boundaries of the physical and synthesis worlds. IKEA uses AR applications to allow their customers to see how furniture would look in their imagination, which tells a story of convenience and innovation.
3. Mixed Reality: The Best of Both Worlds
This is the combination of VR and AR. With MR, users are able to incorporate virtual objects into the reality that they exist in. Brand will now have the ability to offer fun and emotional experiences like a holographic fashion consultant accompanying a person using a virtual fitting room to “help” them in their wardrobe choices.
Why Immersive Storytelling Works
- Adaptation: The biggest advantage of storytelling in this instance is that one is able to use tech that already exists in the world like AR, VR, and holo-ads. These mediums focus on capturing the attention of audiences through the combination of interactivity alongside a sense of realism.
- Personalization: Customers are becoming accustomed to brand experiences tailored to them. Using immersive tech, brands can easily mold stories to fit moments which makes every interaction unique.
- Shareability: Unique experiences often go viral. A well-executed immersive campaign can generate buzz and organic reach far beyond its initial audience.
Challenges and Considerations
Immersive storytelling is not without its challenges. Although due diligence is necessary, the potential rewards can be staggering.
- Cost: Holograms and immersive experiences aren’t cheap to develop.
- Accessibility: Not every consumer has the right tech, such as VR headwear, or AR compatible devices.
- Learning Curve: These cases can’t be self-managed and skilled teams are needed to get them done, so brands have to pay more.
- Sustainability: The question over how much energy these technologies use casts shadows over their environmental friendliness.
The Future of Brand Storytelling
The beginning of what lies ahead is ready to venture into the fusion of tech and storytelling. Here is a sneak peak of what the future may look like:
- AI-Powered Narratives: Stories told by AI will be super personalized and will change as users interact with them.
- Holographic Influencers: Influencers could be holograms showing off their charm at events or right in front of their fans’ living rooms.
- Mixed-Reality Campaigns: Brands fusing physical and digitally existing parts to create cohesive experiences will be the norm.
- The Metaverse: As new Virtual worlds come to light, brands will be implementing fully interactive stories inside the metaverse along with holograms and AR, leaving users astounded.
Why Brands Should Embrace This Leap
The usage of holograms and virtual reality is more than exciting—it is more an improvement of storytelling. These modern devices have the potential to engage, amuse, and make a positive impression. For brands the problem is no longer whether or not to embrace these new devices but rather how quickly can they implement them.
Ready to Elevate Your Brand Storytelling?
At Reset Media, we create virtual experiences like stunning brand stories with the help of powerful computers. With our holograms and AR brand experiences, we make it impossible for customers not to notice and remember your brand. Let’s create your story because all brands need their time to shine.