The meaning of Audi and its Virtual Reality program

Audi is the first car company which is experimenting with virtual reality. To promote a new prototype it is way cheaper to walk around a car that isn’t actually there, than to physically import the car in to the dealer. Even though Virtual Reality is not “new and exciting” anymore at the moment (it actually is but the big crowd is easily bored), Audi takes the technology one step further.

To check a new model you don’t even have to go to the dealer anymore, you can just do it at home by making use of the Virtual Reality cardboard glasses. Unlike the VR headsets we know (Oculus Rift for instance), the Audi VR set only costs € 7,50 and is compatible with your smartphone. You just download the Audi Virtual Reality Experience App from the appstore, shove your iPhone in the Audi VR glass and you are able to see al the ins and outs of the car.

Now I know what you are thinking, a VR glass which costs € 7,50 is most likely a piece of garbage. Correct, but does that matter if you are practically using it for just one or two times? Important for me is that Audi shows they are innovating in different fields. Audi looks beyond the current market needs when it comes to car features and also tries to innovate on the sales process. This incentive can also be derived from different objects. Audi is for instance participating in the Google Lunar XPRIZE space travel competition which aims to land a rover on the moon. Besides, Audi also has its own innovation award.

These times it is not enough anymore to reply to customer demand with your core product. It becomes more important to provide the consumer with (technological) side products which do not have a sustainable profit margin, but they do contribute to the overall experience of the customer.