Often when we suggest “Immersive 360 VR Advertising” as a viable way for brands to engage with consumers on mobile, we’re met with similar reactions. Where’s the reach? Isn’t it expensive? Can it be delivered programmatically? Or the popular, “but we don’t have any 360 content!”

Given the relative “newness” of this way to advertise digitally, these questions aren’t surprising. However, when misperceptions about Immersive 360 VR Advertising prevent you from reaping their benefits, it’s time to clear the air. Because in a competitive marketplace, no marketer can afford to be in the dark when it comes to new technology and tools that can be used to better engage with consumers.

So, if you’re remotely involved with the marketing and/or advertising of a product and you haven’t considered using Immersive 360 VR Advertising because of a misconception or misunderstanding, continue reading! We might just debunk a misconception of yours!

Misconception #1: You need a virtual reality headset to advertise in 360 VR.

Answer: WRONG. To advertise in 360 VR, all you need is a smartphone, a tablet, or a desktop. In other words, 360 VR ads with one-touch virtual reality mode don’t require a VR headset. With any of the other devices mentioned, users can explore in 360 by moving their device up, down, left, right, by finger drag, or mouse movement (when on desktop). If you do want a more immersive experience, 360 VR ads have a 1-touch VR mode where you can simply press the icon, the screen splits in 2 and then you can place your phone in the Google Cardboard headset.

Though 360 VR ads work on any of these devices, where they’re especially strong is on mobile. This is because 360 VR ads take advantage of a smartphone’s mobile sensory inputs (gyroscope, magnetometer, accelerometer, etc.). Due to these mobile sensory inputs, 360 VR ads respond to device motion – allowing consumers to interact with the ad by simply moving their device.

Misconception #2: These are the 360 videos you see on Facebook or YouTube.

Answer: Most of the 360 videos you see on these social media platforms are just that – they’re 360 videos being shared by brands with their fans. They’re not ad units, per se, and are posted in hopes that they’ll be seen. Further, there are limitations when it comes to watching some of this content on iOS devices and on browsers.

360 VR ads, on the other hand, can occupy the same space as digital display and native ads you see when you surf the web or use an app. And if you work with someone like Advrtas, have no worries because our ads work everywhere… even on a browser on the iPhone. And the same 360 video you create for social can also be used for advertising.

But perhaps the biggest difference between a 360 video you post to social media and an immersive 360 VR ad unit is the level of interactivity. With their innate ability to support heightened levels of interactivity, 360 VR ad units are the next evolution of digital advertising. From hotspot technology to gamification, brands can create interactive 360 video ad units that lift ad engagement and brand immersion to new heights. To better explain what we mean, check out our Jaguar ad where users can experience a virtual drive in 360 video, while also simultaneously changing the interior colors of the car (while the 360 video is playing!).

Misconception #3: There’s no reach and it’s too niche.

Answer: WRONG AGAIN! There IS reach! As we mentioned in the first misconception, 360 VR ads shine best when using a smartphone. Guess how many people have a smartphone? At least 3 billion people! And if you also factor in the number of people with tablets and desktops in the world, the reach of 360 VR ads becomes astronomical. Does that still sound too niche for you?

Misconception #4: There’s no proof that it works.

Answer: Study after study continues to report on the legitimacy of 360 content as an effective means by which to connect with consumers. With more than two years of 360 VR ad campaigns under our belt, we can first-handedly report that we consistently see results that exceed industry benchmarks – further proving that immersive 360 VR ads perform way better than any other form of digital advertising (including video). We’ve also seen that 360 VR ads work best in mobile – resulting in engagement rates that reach up to a whopping 85%. They’re also 35x more effective, have 20x higher interaction rates, and consumers are 54% more likely to pay attention to them. They also drive brand & message recall and intent to purchase!

Misconception #5: There are no standard performance metrics.

Answer: 360 VR ads deliver the metrics to which you’re already used to, plus a whole lot more. If you’re looking for more consumer insights, interactive 360 VR ads inherently feature an entirely new set of data collection points. What’s perhaps most notable is that with Advrtas the data collection takes place inside of the ad unit which essentially makes Advrtas 360 VR ads “smart ads.”

With our data collection process, we offer brands a wealth of information that hasn’t been available until now. We can tell essentially every action taken within an immersive 360 VR ad unit: how people interacted, for how long, what they interacted with, etc. In addition to that, our analytics can also help tackle viewability and ad fraud issues. This data has allowed our clients to optimize their ad campaigns in real time improving ad performance without the need to push out new ad tags. With more data in the hands of the advertiser as opposed to the networks and exchanges, we see a paradigm shift afoot in the ad industry.

Misconception #6: I don’t have 360 VR content and producing content is too hard.

Answer: Well, we have good news for you! Producing content for your 360 VR ad need not be too hard, because you can use traditional 2D assets!!!  

What does that mean? The traditional 2D images that you use to create your 2D ads can be leveraged for 360 VR advertising as well! Therefore, the lack of 360 VR content really shouldn’t be a barrier to entry for you since we’re sure you have 2D assets that you can use instead. And don’t think that using 2D assets for your 360 VR ad will only result into a subpar ad. Leveraging 2D assets for 360 VR ads allows tons of interactivity like animations, hotspots, gamifying etc (like the 360 VR ad below).

But if creating 360 VR content for your 360 VR Ad is important to you, there are plenty of 360 cameras out there that are affordable to use. The rapid advancement of in 360 technology over the past few years has allowed a significant decrease in production costs for these cameras and even supporting softwares. Also, instead of producing your own 360 VR content, there’s a plethora of licensable 360 stock images that you can purchase as well from the likes of 360 Cities, Getty Images, etc.

Whatever way you prefer, producing content for 360 VR ads is not as hard as you think it is. So don’t let that be the reason for preventing you from leveraging this new ad format.

Misconception #7: It’s too expensive.

Answer: As we debunked in #6, you don’t need 360 video or images to create an incredibly compelling and effective Immersive 360 VR Ad. But, if you’re intent on creating a 360 video and using it for advertising, technology (like that created by Advrtas) enables fully interactive 360 video to be playable in a display ad space. So you get the benefit of an interactive 360 video ad unit without the cost of video ad inventory.

Misconception #8: You can’t leverage them programmatically.

Answer: Yes, you can! The beauty of 360 VR advertising is that you can take advantage of this engaging and effective ad format, while still being able to use the current digital ad ecosystem. This means that your interactive 360 VR ads can easily integrate with existing trade desks, platforms & ad networks – allowing you to be able to leverage Immersive 360 VR Advertising programmatically today.

Also, when publishing a 360 VR ad, there’s really little to no learning curve involved, because you follow the same protocols that are currently in place for the distribution of traditional rich media ads – from the ad network and exchanges to the targeting and actual the code snippet. It’s so much easier to leverage interactive 360 VR ads than you probably think (we did it this way intentionally!).

Leverage 360 VR Ads Today

Since immersive interactive 360 VR ads can be made with assets you have on hand right now, and can be placed within existing ad networks and platforms, it’s a valuable tool that doesn’t take a lot from brands who want to leverage it. With that being said, 360 VR ads are a great way for brands to engage with consumers.

What do you think? Have we debunked your 360 VR advertising misconceptions? Or are there still other concerns that we haven’t addressed? If so, let us know and we’d love to have a dialogue with you.

If you want to learn more about these misconceptions in great detail, download our ebook on everything you need to know about Immersive 360 VR Advertising.

(Or download the infographic here)