Welcome to my first blog! I hope you find it to be an interesting read, because I'll be talking about why I chose to study digital marketing, and how virtual reality technology can affect the digital marketing space.
Why Did I Choose to Study Digital Marketing?
During my high school year, I was very indecisive about what I wanted to study after I matriculated, but I knew I wanted it to be based around the digital world, whether it be graphic designing, information technology, animation, or even game design. The marketers at Prestige Academy visited my high school one day, and spoke about the different business courses they offered, and to be quite honest, I wasn't all that interested at the time. While looking through the different courses that each university and college in Cape Town offered, I eventually stumbled upon Prestige Academy's website. While browsing through the courses they offered, I noticed a unfamiliar course that I've never heard of, and that was digital marketing. I didn't know much about marketing at the time, but being the curious cat I am, I did some research on what digital marketing was about, and if it had any relevance in South Africa. The more research I did, the more fascinated I became. It took some time to convince my parents that this was the course for me, but after they did some research themselves, I eventually applied to study digital marketing at Prestige Academy, I am now a 2nd year student studying digital marketing at Prestige Academy, and I have never regretted my decision.
The Impact of Virtual Reality
Virtual reality has been one of my favorite digital trends for as long as I can remember, and the technology behind it continues to fascinate me. Virtual Reality is computer generated simulation of 3D models, 3D Environments, 3D Images, 3D Spaces, 360° video or immersive environments which users can view and interact with. For the user it can seem as realistic as the real world, but without being physically at the space or environment the viewer experience it as if they are there. There is many different degrees of virtual reality as we know it. Some solutions will feel more real than others but ultimately users will in the future find it hard to distinct the real world from the virtual world (Ferreira, 2019). How does this impact marketing? Virtual reality marketing enables brand owners to place their brand image closer to the eyes of consumers. VR provides values through new business models and offers users an immersive experience allows them to connect with a product in a new way (Walker, 2018). As content becomes more tangible, engagement increases. Innovative brands are already leveraging this technology (Walker, 2018). Virtual reality marketing has turned into one of the most powerful marketing tools available - 75% of top world brands have already integrated VR into their content strategies (Walker, 2018).