People will be talking and writing about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for many years to come. Although people have tried to establish a sense of normality, the fact is that the world has changed forever – and there’s no turning back.
Moreover, the way we do business has changed. Firstly, we’ve become accustomed to webinars and online events. They’re now part of our business landscape. Before the pandemic, webinars were less common and harder to get audiences to attend; now, they’re highly valued for what they can offer.
Another huge effect is that we’ve gotten used to a much higher standard of webinars. At the start of 2020, many webinars were still a little ‘shaky’ when it came to the execution – but within a year, most companies were starting to get into their stride and produce sleeker, smoother online events.
Some companies stand out for producing consistently high-quality webinars. For many people, the quality of the online event has become a litmus test for the competency of the entire company.
After all, what else can’t they do properly if they can’t pull off a great webinar?
Real-world events and Customer Experience Centers still have an important place.
Of course, real-world events still have an important place – especially for briefing and customer experience centers.
It’s hard to replace the unique qualities that in-person physical events can provide. For example, the tactile experience of handling a product can give potential customers a stronger memory and a sense of connection. That’s hard to do otherwise.
There’s also a strong component that comes from chance social encounters at real-world events.
From in-depth one-on-one conversations to round table discussions – all these represent unique opportunities to network and exchange ideas. This is one reason customer experience centers still have a vital role in the customer journey (and their ‘repeat journey’). A satisfying customer experience is why they keep coming back to you instead of looking for a competitor.
But this doesn’t mean that they haven’t changed.
Real-world events now typically include a strong online or hybrid component. These have become valued by the ‘real world’ attendees as much as online-only audiences. The value is the depth of experience from digital media and digital storytelling, combined with the sleeker, well-organized format. Perhaps even more so, research shows that 57% of attendees would prefer to attend a hybrid event, even at an in-person venue.
Deploying a top-level webinar or hybrid event at your briefing center helps your company access a wider audience, allowing them to access you and your event.
This has seen the birth of a new ‘must-have’ business asset: the Virtual Studio.
Introducing the Virtual Studio: your tool for powerful online events and top-level digital content
Virtual Studios have become a popular tool for TV and movie production and are gaining a significant role in making big blockbuster films.
They use an immersive LED screen, which actors or presenters stand in front of. Using the magic of computer wizardry, the edges of the screen are extended digitally to render a seamless background that looks remarkably real. Replace the backdrop for a movie with a customized presentation or webinar environment, and you can create factories, digital stories, and interviewees. Participants in hybrid events can join in, too, merging instantly into the background to ask or answer questions.
The huge benefit of a Virtual Studio is that it eliminates almost all the time usually spent with post-production editing. Nearly all the ‘special effects’ are already on the digitally rendered background. This has substantial benefits for businesses beyond the obvious time and money saved.
For example, by using Extended Reality (XR) capabilities, businesses can give their customers a deeper experience of their offer. They can have a (nearly) tangible experience of products or services in action, turning a theoretical concept into something they could reach out and touch.
The Virtual Studio’s ability to merge reality with anything imaginable puts your company in a powerful position.
Creating top-quality digital media and digital storytelling has never been easier for businesses. Solutions like the Virtual Studio or the more compact StreamIX from Purple are proven ways companies can use virtual studio technology to deploy stunning webinars, hybrid events, and digital storytelling. The customer experience can be fully controlled and carefully constructed to walk them through a world of your making, where their situation is perfectly reflected and explained with digital storytelling and where your company’s solutions are indispensable.
The customer experience can be fully controlled and carefully constructed to walk them through a world of your making, where their situation is perfectly reflected and explained with digital storytelling and where your company’s solutions are indispensable.
Which digital storytelling software do you need for a Virtual Studio?
The studio solution you choose will depend on the physical constraints of available space and budgetary considerations. Whatever solution you choose must be capable of helping your company deliver the highest level of online experience and make it easier to rapidly produce the best digital content. For this, you need digital storytelling software designed for businesses to use.
There are several professional options out there, but companies should strongly consider a digital storytelling platform like Hyro, which combines the high-level functionality needed with ease of use, making it more accessible to users across the organization.
Achieving this balance isn’t easy, as many solutions lack the capabilities and versatility demanded by a fast-moving business environment. With the right digital storytelling software, your Studio should have a high level of usability that ensures this substantial investment can pay off in the medium term.
Contact Purple if you want to learn more about this subject!
