New Social Connect: Engaging With The Virtual And Augmented World
Saikat Das · Management Practice Insights. · 2024
Till 2021 most of us would have associated the term ‘metaverse’ with the world of superheroes or just another name for Facebook. Not anymore. The new normal of remote and hybrid workplaces is here to stay and so are immersive technologies, such as Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) that drive these workplaces forward. Such technologies, when used in tandem, are called Hybrid Virtual and Augmented Reality or HVAR, and are finding widespread usage – not just in remote workspaces. So, for all Chief Information Officers (CIO) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) who want to engage with digital-first users in immersive and interactive ways, the need of the hour is to make smart HVAR investments. Research by Yue Li, Eugene Ch’ng, and Sue Cobb identifies two vital elements in deploying effective Hybrid Virtual and Augmented Reality (HVAR) environments.1 First, the study identifies new design strategies that enhance user engagement and encourage interaction within HVAR environments. Second, the research uncovers a new way to track user engagement – through wearable technology. This last insight enables CIOs and CMOs to make more precise investments for continuous improvement to user engagement.