Advertising

YuMe and Nielsen today released a new neuroscience-informed research report demonstrating how the unique power of virtual reality platforms present marketers with incredible potential, as well as new challenges, in delivering highly immersive experiences that can elicit strong emotional engagement. It also reinforced the need to align content with the right platform to produce optimal consumer engagement.

The research featured content from an entertainment advertiser and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). Consumers experienced the content, which originally was developed for highly immersive platforms, in three distinct environments – mobile VR, 360-degree video on a flat screen and flat, two-dimensional TV screens. Content on VR produced the highest emotional engagement, showcasing the rich, exploratory experiences that brands can develop. But it also reinforced the challenges in connecting consumers with key branding moments in a platform that can encourage self-driven discovery.

The report offers practical advice for advertisers and media companies who are looking to incorporate new immersive and experiential ad formats into their campaigns.

“Advertisers need to artfully balance freedom of exploration and storyline flow in new immersive environments to deliver highly engaging viewer experiences,” said Stephanie Gaines, Vice President, Corporate Marketing, YuMe. “As an industry we’ve spent a lot of time deep in the conversations about virtual reality. Now is the time, however, to move from hype to action — and this report clearly shows the path to incorporating these powerful new formats.”

Powered by the integration of Nielsen’s biometric, eye-tracking and behavioral coding technologies, the study shows that VR presented participants with the opportunity to play director, navigating through experiences in their own, unique ways. Brands must understand this journey in order to effectively divert attention to key branding moments, without interrupting the experience.

“Brands have more platforms than ever on which to connect with consumers, and this study showcases how virtual reality presents a unique opportunity to deliver a highly-engaging experience with the right content,” said Dr. Carl Marci, Nielsen’s Chief Neuroscientist. “We’ve used neuroscience technology for years to study and understand consumer engagement with different platforms. We’ve also identified the importance of tailoring content specific to the intended platform in order to realize optimal consumer engagement.”

“Las Vegas is a leader in the tourism industry, and continues to pave the way by finding creative and innovative ways to embrace the latest technology and trends, most recently through virtual reality,” said Cathy Tull, Senior Vice President of Marketing for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “Users are able to explore what Las Vegas has to offer in a virtual setting and gain the excitement needed to book their own Las Vegas adventure. The results of the Nielsen and YuMe study demonstrate strong emotional engagement from immersive VR experiences and reinforce why we believe virtual reality is the future of vacation planning.”

“Our research with Nielsen shows that VR and 360-degree video, done correctly, provides a very high level of viewer emotional engagement,” said Paul Neto, Senior Director, Research, YuMe. “It also shows there are no shortcuts to the most effective video engagement — VR and 360 experiences are at their most effective in driving audience engagement when content is of very high quality and content developers leverage the specific strengths of each format. By putting the audience first, and focusing on creating an immersive and highly engaged experience, brands have the opportunity to realize higher levels of engagement and greater branding success.”