With the rise in popularity of VR, 360-degree videos are becoming more and more mainstream. Last March, YouTube launched support of 360-degree videos, but the feature is more than just a novelty. Brands, especially, can start getting in on the ground floor of this technology for their own uses.
Not just a novelty
For those not too familiar with them, 360-degree videos let you look in any direction—not just where the camera is pointing. Essentially, you could see from the perspective of a race car driver or experience a show as if you were there.
You can view 360-degree videos on YouTube via a browser, using the mouse to look around. Or, from your Android device with the YouTube app. YouTube also has compatibility with Cardboard on Android. Cardboard is Google’s fold-out cardboard mount for a mobile phone used to provide virtual reality (VR) experience. With Cardboard, viewers can watch YouTube 360-degree videos in full-screen, giving a theatre-like experience. With the added VR, viewers feel as if they’ve been transported to a theatre and are watching a big screen. Facebook also rolled out support for 360-degree videos last year.
Opportunities are endless
There are myriad possibilities for brands to use the new immersive videos. Brands can create 360-degree videos themselves. They can share videos with potential consumers through YouTube. Using 360-degree videos gives brands the ability to reach consumers in a new and creative way. Such an innovative form of marketing might just provide brands a leg-up on competition and be able to break through the clutter to reach customers. Sharing these videos on YouTube gives brands access to YouTube’s vast user-base. Similarly, while Facebook hasn’t rolled out advertising for 360-degree videos, brands can share their immersive videos with customers via pages.
Easy to capture and create
Creating 360-degree videos doesn’t have to be for advertising. Companies can use it to showcase a product debut at a conference or an experience they offer. Realtors, for instance, could create 360-degree videos for potential homebuyers.
It is becoming easier to capture and create a 360-degree video. GoPro cameras has a special camera holder with video-stitching software. Other new 360-degree cameras include the Ricoh Theta and Kodak SP360. Grioptic, Bublcam, and Allie are also upcoming options.
#360DegreesofOpportunity
Nichole earned a Master's in Sociology from Texas State University and has publications in peer-reviewed journals. She has spent her career in tech and advertising. Her writing interests include the intersection of tech and society. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Communication and Media Studies at Murdoch University.
