360 Video Experiences: Show the Audience Something Fresh

It's time to get creative. When companies present 360-degree, virtual reality (VR), or augmented reality (AR) video streams, they need to be smart about how they use them. As panelists at the Video Marketing Power Summit explained, audiences will respond to 360 video experiences in a big way, but only if they're getting a peek at something they couldn't see any other way.

As Ian Busching, founder and CEO of Dig Down Media explained, his company was hired to provide immersive streams from the NHL Winter Classic. What viewers liked best were the behind-the-scenes views.

"For the Winter Classic we had four cameras set up, and had some roving cameras, so we had a camera in the locker room, we had some on the actual ice that attached to the boards and things like that," Busching said. "What we found was most engaging, though, is when you provide something that you couldn't see on the traditional broadcast. So, being inside the locker room when they're getting dressed, and being able to look around the room at your favorite player, or see two guys who normally didn't like each other interacting because it's the All-Star Game or whatever, you can add value to the broadcast."

In that case, the online stream provided the perfect complement to the linear feed. But Mia Tramz, editorial director for enterprise and immersive experiences at Time Magazine, said her audience responded to scientific events, so creating 360 video experiences from last year's solar eclipse was a perfect match.

"We know that people love space content from Time. That's just what our audience wants. So when we are able to plug into an event which is once-in-a-lifetime we know we're going to get a big audience," Tramz said. "From that particular moment, a 360 video made a lot of sense. You want to see the weird crowds that have gathered, you want to see the whole sky, you want to feel like you have a sense of immersion."

Not only did Time's 360-degree video of the eclipse do well, it outperformed the magazine's 2D live stream many times over, and was Time's most successful live video to date.

"Being smart about where you apply these technologies, and knowing what your audience wants and when it wants those things, is a big part of the equation. It's not just saying 360 or VR or AR is good for all circumstances," Tramz added.

For more, watch the full video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPuf1lrtRMc

Troy Dreier's article first appeared on OnlineVideo.net