"Life is 3D, Media Needs to Follow Suit"
We recently attended SXSW 2021 and tuned in to a great session from the The New York Times showing how the newspaper and journalism space is in the same emerging technology race as we are in marketing. In many cases the technologies are the same, offering key learnings that are timely and relevant for everyone in marketing. Here are a few takeaways:
3D
Using "photogrammetry" to layer thousands of images to create 3D models. NYT used this method to provide mobile and online readers with an immersive view of Chinatown using historical images overlaid in accurate locations. The technology was also used by NYT to demonstrate the power of mask-wearing at a microscopic level.
Consider: What 3D worlds should your brand inhabit, and what layers—educational, emotional, historical, scientific—can be added? Additionally, what product demonstrations and efficacy stories could you tell in 3D?
Augmented Reality
A tool that helps NYT "explain the world." They partnered with Facebook's Spark AR Studio to help with visual storytelling. By augmenting Olympic images and footage, journalists could get under the surface of the complexities of the sport.
Consider: Do you have a complex product story that AR could help tell?
5G
Taking 6,000-plus photos at the Oscars red carpet, photojournalists used to have to carry a "brick backpack" to provide upload capabilities. With 5G and a mobile carrier partnership, NYT can beat the competition and allow its photographers unfettered access to the story.
Consider: What are the real-time stories your brands could be telling? Can 5G revolutionize your brand experiences, events, information in retail and more?
As we've seen, there are some amazing technologies transforming storytelling, and soon these will become a mainstay the world of marketing.
