TOMS Virtual Giving Trip
In-store, TOMS VR Experience offered tremendous potential for engaging customers and communicating in unique ways. By combining the potential of VR with their mission-driven strategy, TOMS created an immersive visual experience that engaged with shoppers on a deeper level.
TOMS creator Blake Mycoskie pioneered the 'One-for-One' model in 2006, where "every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need" (TOMS, 2023). This VR experience exposes customers to the heart of TOMS’ philanthropic adventure. Shoppers see the children receiving a pair of TOMS shoes in a disadvantaged community and observe the transforming impact of their purchasing (USA Today, 2013).
This emotional connection transcends typical advertising, resulting in a deeper connection between the brand and its audience. It's a chance to communicate not simply with words and images, but also with the emotional power of experience. Emotional experiences can also influence how people perceive, experience, and recall emotional events (Darnell, 2018). This transparency also allows customers to make more informed decisions, which is consistent with TOMS' commitment to ethical shopping.
Observing people utilise VR reveals that the experience has a tremendous emotional influence on users. The audience not only saw first-hand how grateful children were to get the shoes, but they also felt better about themselves because they could see how their purchase helped people in need (Open24.It, 2015).
Finally, the TOMS VR experience in-store completely changed the way the company interacted with its customers. TOMS can effectively convey its goal and values to customers in a deeper and more meaningful way by establishing an engaging, emotionally stirring, and interactive experience. This will ultimately improve TOMS' relationship with customers and have a positive social impact.
The New York Times Virtual Storytelling App
The potential of the New York Times VR (NYTVR) app in collaboration with Google VR glasses holds exciting possibilities for engaging audiences and revolutionising the way news and content are communicated.
The experience can immerse readers in news articles in an unprecedented way. Users can virtually enter a remote place or a complex subject rather than just reading about it. Through the glasses, users can experience the atmosphere first-hand, gaining a better understanding of the casualties (New York Times, 2023). Readers can also dive deeper into a certain component of a story, having access to supplemental data or expert interviews, allowing them to tailor their news intake.
Reviewing the experience reveals that because the story is based on actual events, customers may relate to it on an emotional level. Users describe this experience as "a powerful empathy machine" because it fosters deeper, more meaningful connections with the core narratives of our society (T Brand Studio, 2016).
The potential for interactive journalism is significant, as viewers can actively participate in scenarios that replicate real-life challenges or decision-making processes, assisting them in comprehending complex issues from multiple perspectives (Liam, 2019), fostering empathy, and understanding while also intensifying and prolonging audience engagement. It recognises that as more individuals discuss entertainment material through social networks, they want more difficult challenges to work through together (Scott, 2012).
Lastly, the NYT VR app in collaboration with Google has the potential to usher in a new era of immersive and engaging news consumption. This partnership may deepen knowledge, excite curiosity, and enable a more interactive and personalised manner of engaging with news and information by providing readers with experiences that go beyond traditional text and visuals.
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References
Darnell, L.A. (2018) Emotional Reaction of Experiencing Crisis in Virtual Reality (VR)/360. PhD Thesis. Fielding Graduate University ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. Available at: https://www.proquest.com/openview/4a825cd2452cb428b069da68d8ba3322/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750 (Accessed: 20 October 2023).
New York Times Magazine (2015) NYT VR: How to Experience a New Form of Storytelling From The Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/08/magazine/nyt-vr-how-to-experience-a-new-form-of-storytelling-from-the-times.html (Accessed: 23 October 2023).
Open24.It (2015) TOMS VR Experience v4. 22 July. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6GkzasZUDM (Accessed: 24 October 2023).
Scott, L. (2013) The immersive worlds handbook: designing theme parks and consumer spaces. (Accessed: 21 October 2023).
T Brand Studio (2016) NYT VR: Transforming the Storytelling Experience. 22 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkCOoTEIFIE (Accessed: 21 October 2023).
TOMS (2023) Our Story. Available at: https://www.toms.com/uk/about-toms-emea.html (Accessed: 20 October 2023).
USA Today (2015) In store virtual reality with Toms. 13 August. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmYKrwEX9Mk (Accessed: 24 October 2023).
Images and Videos
AmyEverAfter (2015) New York Times and Google Cardboard Virtual Reality Viewer. 8 November. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm7ePvJjsxc (Accessed: 21 October 2023).
PDA Football Coaching (2015) TOMS Brings Virtual Reality trips to Retail. Available at: https://xsuperet.xyz/product_details/29619445.html (Accessed: 19 October 2023).
Sullivan, J. (2015) An attendee inspects Google Cardboard during the 2015 Google I/O conference. 28 May. Available at: https://fortune.com/2015/11/09/new-york-times-virtual-reality/ (Accessed 19 October 2023).
The New York Times (2015) The Displaced | 360 VR Video | The New York Times. 6 November. Available at: hhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecavbpCuvkI (Accessed: 21 October 2023).
TOMS (2015) Experience the TOMS Virtual Giving Trip. 5 November. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz5vQs9iXCs (Accessed: 20 October 2023).
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