[This story from The Columbus Dispatch highlights the increasingly common use of presence to give consumers “the next best thing to [the] actual experience” of visiting travel destinations, in this case by bringing VR experience to them. For more details see the press release at PR Newswire. –Matthew]
TourismOhio uses virtual-reality video to attract visitors in Ohio
By Marla Matzer Rose, The Columbus Dispatch
Tuesday July 12, 2016
Summer typically is high season for state tourism marketing, matching the time when Americans are most likely to take driving vacations.
This year, however, is challenging because of a crowded and expensive media marketplace, prompting Ohio tourism officials to focus on bringing the state’s attractions to life via virtual-reality video rather than buying ad spots.
“With the presidential campaign and the Olympics this summer, it makes it difficult to buy television time,” said Mary Cusick, who was appointed director of TourismOhio in late 2013. “It’s expensive, and you can get bumped for news coverage.”
Instead of buying pricey spots during televised presidential-campaign events, Cusick is taking Ohio tourism attractions to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, and to other events happening around Ohio this summer.
TourismOhio has leased a bus dubbed the “Joy Ride” from Columbus Coach that will be wrapped with the new “Ohio. Find it Here.” logo and slogan and house a “360 (degree) virtual-reality experience” within. An estimated 60,000 people drawn to Cleveland for the convention will have access to the bus, which will be in a credentialed area just outside Quicken Loans Arena.
New, affordable technology has made it possible to give people an almost-real sense of what it’s like to stroll through Franklin Park Conservatory, ride a zipline in the Hocking Hills or experience a roller coaster at Cedar Point. Other featured central Ohio locations include the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and the Short North Arts District.
TourismOhio made an upfront investment in Samsung smartphones, goggles and recording equipment to capture and play back the immersive video.
Experts see virtual-reality video as a major new tool for marketers, especially those who are selling experiences such as travel. Carnival Cruises and the Best Western hotel chain are among the companies that have made forays recently into virtual-reality marketing.
“We’ve known as marketers that the best way to influence or persuade someone is to get them to experience it, to sample it,” said Deborah Mitchell, clinical professor of marketing at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. “Now, technology is allowing us to offer the next best thing to an actual experience.”
Mitchell said this could be a particularly powerful tool for destinations that “otherwise wouldn’t necessarily be at the top of someone’s list. Columbus and Ohio aren’t Paris or London. Virtual reality lowers the hurdle to getting someone to actually sample a place and discover it, allowing those places to get into consideration.”
Cusick says she isn’t overly concerned that an especially contentious convention that draw protesters could cause the state’s tourism pitch to get lost in the shuffle.
“We believe that Cleveland has worked really, really long and hard to provide a safe and secure event,” Cusick said. “We’ve had a chance to control everything that we can. We know that people are going to enjoy their experience in Cleveland and Ohio.”
The virtual-reality programming is getting a dry run at three “pop up” locations at Cleveland-area hotels this week, ahead of the official start of the convention on Monday. OhioTourism also will have a booth featuring the virtual-video tours at this weekend’s national NAACP conference in Cincinnati.
Anyone with a smartphone and a viewer — cardboard versions are available for as little as about $10 on Amazon — can see the videos that will be shown at the Republican convention and other events by going to Ohio.org/RNC.
The Ohio Hotel and Lodging Association has joined with TourismOhio to promote Ohio tourism on hotel-room keycards and in a 12-page insert in the TravelHost magazine placed in hotel rooms throughout the state.
Columbus-based marketing agency Involve has been hired by TourismOhio to staff and run the virtual-reality presentations at various locations. The total marketing budget for this calendar year is between $6 million and $8 million.