LET’S BREAK
TRADITIONVIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

Contents
03
A history lesson
The evolution of virtual reality,
which dates back to the 1960s
04
An educated perspective
MSLGROUP convened leading
minds to underscore how VR
will boost brand marcomms
06
The A-ha moment
Our experts reveal when they
knew VR is the next big thing
08
A brand new tale to tell
An in-depth look at the ways VR
will revolutionize storytelling
09
The bottom line
What are the KPIs of VR? Our
speakers talk business impact
11
The toy box
You need equipment to start your VR
journey. We offer suggestions
15
Key takeaways
VR is here to stay.
Marketers and communicators are only scratching the surface
on discovering how it can deliver value to their efforts. Trust.
Engagement. Emotions. These are three of the most important
words in the marcomms space – and amplified exponentially by
the unprecedented types of stories brands can tell in VR.
Virtual reality can transcend space and time. It can transport
people to a different world with a level of realness never before
seen. Adding VR engagement to a campaign will help it be more
immersive, more integrated, and a more complete experience.
On these pages, you will be educated and inspired to start
taking advantage of emerging VR platforms and tools. Perhaps
it starts with VR’s cousin – 3600
technology, which is a simple
and inexpensive path to enter the world of VR? Maybe it starts
with one of the myriad products we introduce on p. 11? But it
definitely starts with your willingness to dive in – now.
Early buyers of the new Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
smartphones were able to receive a free Gear VR headset.
The New York Times last year sent out Google Cardboards
to 1 million-plus home-delivery subscribers. Facebook, which
bought Oculus VR for $2 billion in 2014, is all in, too, having
just unveiled an open source, 3600
video camera that it hopes
manufacturers and hobbyists will use as encouragement to
build cameras of their own. And esteemed tech evangelist
Robert Scoble – who joined our live discussion – is so bullish on
VR, he has joined UploadVR as its entrepreneur-in-residence.
VR is no longer an off-in-the-distance idea. It’s a quickly
emerging trend with which wise marketers and communicators
are already experimenting. We are virtually certain the content
on the following pages will facilitate your joining them.
“2016 will see a major breakthrough for VR”
Mashable
“Virtual reality is set to make a splash in 2016 ”
CNET
“Venture capital money is pouring into the
[technology] industry ”
The New York Times
11
02
Attendees at SXSW in Austin got a true 360-degree
perspective on the power and possibilities of VR

This statement certainly applies
to virtual reality, which is an idea
that has been around for more than
half a century.
In 1962, Morton Heilig (often
deemed to be the father of VR) built
the prototype of the Sensorama
(pictured above). It was a rather
large contraption in which one
faced a screen that displayed
stereoscopic, 3D images. The device
included sound, smell, vibration,
and wind. This pioneering effort
attempted something that is only
now becoming possible: the ability
of technology to transport us
experientially to a different place.
CLICK HERE for an interview with
Morton Heilig.
In 1984, William Gibson’s novel
Neuromancer hit the shelves. It is
widely credited with popularizing
the term “cyberspace” and giving
real shape to the concept of VR
by making the Web a habitable
place and turning computing into
an all-sensory experience.
Unsurprisingly, the motion
picture industry has brought
the world numerous movies
focused on VR. A classic one
is The Lawnmower Man, a
1992 film starring Pierce
Brosnan and based on a story
by Stephen King. Featuring
then-innovative special effects,
it positioned its hero as an
ordinary man who became a
genius through use of VR.
CLICK HERE for the trailer released
ahead of The Lawnmower Man’s
theater debut.
Then in 1999, the Wachowskis
and Warner Bros. Pictures debuted
The Matrix, which along with two
sequels grossed north of $1.63
billion worldwide. The movies
portrayed VR as a powerful tool
in the hands of villains, but truly
illustrated the all-immersive power
of virtual reality.
CLICK HERE for a scene from
The Matrix.
The video-game industry certainly
plays a key role in VR’s back story,
too. In the 1990s, those involved
in virtual reality believed critical
mass was soon to be at hand
when Sega and Nintendo each
created gaming headsets. Sega’s
did not move beyond the prototype
stage, while Nintendo’s was limited
by the graphics technology at the
time. Still, these offerings all
created a foundation upon which
VR as we know it today – and
as it will develop in the future –
was built.
In 2016, VR is much better
understood to be a powerful tool
that can be applied to a broad
range of stories, anything in which
a physically immersive experience
could be useful, enjoyable,
important, or interesting.
And most of all, as history will
show in the not-too-distant future,
VR is going to be a true game-
changer for brands and all the
marketing and communications
pros who work with them.
A history
lesson
To understand how we have arrived at where
virtual reality is today, it helps to look back at
where it all began and how it has evolved
“You don’t know where
you’re going until you
know where you’ve been”
03
LET’S BREAK TRADITION: VIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

Virtual reality will have a deep
and positive impact on PR. That
was the prevailing sentiment at
Let’s Break Tradition: Virtual Reality
in Public Relations, a live discussion
convened by MSLGROUP. Top
voices from the tech and marcomms
worlds gathered to both educate
communications and marketing
pros about why VR is a must-use
tool to add to their arsenals and
inspire them to start experimenting
with it immediately.
In a wide-ranging conversation
that touched on everything from
storytelling to business impact to
the treasure chest of amazing and
available equipment, it became
clear that VR is undoubtedly the
future of brand marketing and
communications. And for the
wise but bold marcomms pro,
you could easily argue it should
be the present, too.
In comments made following the
panel, Greg Gopman, head of
business development at UploadVR,
a virtual reality media company,
explained, “If you’re a marketer or
communicator, VR is basically your
job security for the next 10 years.
If you’re on top of it now, you’ll be
at the forefront. And it’s only going
to get bigger.”
An unprecedented
experience
With VR, marcomms pros can offer
consumers a range of experiences
without leaving the room – the thrill
of driving the latest car; creating
a meal in a high-end kitchen; ap-
Our experts
Moderator
preciating a new home or office;
participating in a historic battle;
visiting a refugee camp; undergoing
advanced training to finish a task
or fill a role; or taking any number
of interesting tourist voyages. The
possibilities are endless.
MSLGROUP spoke with numerous
marcomms professionals who
unanimously report that consumers
and other stakeholders are
fascinated by the prospect of being
able to have what would seem like a
An educated
perspective
Virtual reality is the future. As highlighted by leaders
who gathered for this MSLGROUP-hosted panel, there
are numerous reasons marketing and communications
professionals must embrace it in the present
Jon Hackett
Director of emerging
technology, Nurun
Tara Kriese
Senior director,
marketing, Samsung
Electronics America
Jim Marggraff
Founder and CEO,
Eyefluence
Robert Scoble
Entrepreneur-in-
residence, UploadVR
Jeff Melton
SVP of global
technology
and platforms,
MSLGROUP
“If you’re a marketer
or communicator,
VR is basically your
job security for the
next 10 years”
Greg Gopman, UploadVR
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LET’S BREAK TRADITION: VIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

vital, in-person experience without
having to go to a particular or
possibly distant location. Being
able to engage with consumers in
that manner is the definition
of game-changing.
In a recent interview, Facebook CEO
Mark Zuckerberg said, “This is just
the start. Imagine enjoying a court-
side seat at a game, studying in a
classroom of students and teachers
all over the world, or consulting
with a doctor face-to-face – just by
putting on goggles in your home.”
As our panelists’ conversation
ensued, augmented reality (AR) also
entered the discussion. As VR does
now, AR in the next few years will
change the nature of how brands
market to the masses.
In all, it is understandable why VR
has not taken off up to now. Tech
limitations were a huge obstacle,
but that’s changing. Vastly faster
processing speeds and huge
advancements in hardware and
software now yield workable
platforms. There is now an absolute
ability to create an experience so
real that it is able to trick the brain
into perceiving you actually are in
the projected environment.
Ready or not, VR is here – and it isn’t
going anywhere because it can take
brands and consumers everywhere.
Defining progress
Virtual reality
The creation of a virtual world users can interact with.
Well designed, it is very difficult for users to tell the
difference between what is real and what is not. VR is usually
achieved by the wearing of a helmet, headset, or goggles.
Augmented reality
This is the blending of VR and real life. Applications allow
for the creation of images that blend in with real-world contents.
In AR, users can interact with virtual contents in the real
world – and can tell the difference.
The panel – (l-r) Marggraff, Kriese, Melton, Hackett, and Scoble –
made it clear to the audience that VR is clearly the future of brand
marketing and communications
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LET’S BREAK TRADITION: VIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

“As a marketer, my ultimate
goal is to connect with consumers
in more than just a functional
way,” says Samsung Electronics
America senior marketing director
Tara Kriese. “I want to work
on an emotional level with my
consumers.”
Her A-ha moment came courtesy
of Toms Shoes. She watched a
360-degree video of CEO Blake
Mycoskie and his team on a shoe-
giving trip to Peru. One of Toms’
employees was hanging out with a
9-year-old boy named Julio.
“She went to his house,” recalls
Kriese. “You could see how barren
and basic it was. And then they
captured how amazing it was for
him to get these new shoes.”
“This brand actually brought me,
in this case as a consumer, to that
place,” she adds. “I was there.
Immersed. I was part of the story.
I wanted to help measure his shoes.
It was a really profound moment
for me. It confirmed for me the
amazing opportunity VR presents
marketers.”
Feeling is believing
Jim Marggraff, founder and CEO
of Eyefluence, was sold on VR
thanks to an experience with The
Void, a VR product with which you
put your PC on your back, you have
a helmet, and you’ll walk around
with a partner.
“My partner was in front of me and
I saw her through my headset as a
The A-ha
momentOur experts share personal stories about when
they realized VR is going to change everything
Using its Gear VR, Samsung has teamed up with Six Flags to introduce North America’s first VR roller coasters. “We had
folks at our SXSW booth ride in our 4D chairs and we’ve seen all those smiles Robert spoke about,“ notes Kriese.
“It’s that ‘VR smile’
marketers and PR
people will tap
into. It returns
every single time
you’re in a new
VR experience.
I’ve seen it”
Robert Scoble, UploadVR
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LET’S BREAK TRADITION: VIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

shadow, an avatar,” he tells. “She
was handed a torch that she then
handed me. I took it in my hand
physically. I felt it. It was probably
a wood prop, but the top of it had
flames coming out. I could feel the
warmth. As I lifted it higher, the
light changed in the room.”
As Marggraff continues the story,
he describes feeling the cool stone
of the wall along which he was
walking, the breeze that came
over him as he stepped outside,
and the mist from water splashing
on his face.
“That memory for me is as real as
any real-world memory,” he notes.
“In fact, I call that experience the
Sully effect – as in Jake Sully from
the film Avatar. One of his famous
quotes is ‘Everything is backwards
now, like out there is the true world
and in here is the dream.’ He wasn’t
sure which was which. I know
exactly what he was talking about.
The moment is coming soon where
we will all be able to cross over and
lose track of what’s real and what’s
not. What a remarkable, immersive
communications tool.”
The magic of VR
“When done correctly, VR
experiences are able to trick a
person’s brain into believing they
are somewhere they are not,”
suggests Jon Hackett, director of
emerging technology at design
and tech consultancy Nurun.
That’s what happened to Hackett
during a 3D video of him in a dune
buggy in the desert.
“I was going down a steep hill and
my brain got tricked,” he recalls. “I
fully believed I was there. I started
moving to avoid getting hit by the
apparatus around me. Your body
just reacts instinctively. You don’t
even have control over it.”
For tech evangelist Robert Scoble,
who just joined UploadVR as
entrepreneur-in-residence, the
true magic came from seeing others
experiencing VR for the first time.
“It’s what I call the ‘VR smile,’” he
says. “You watch someone put on
a VR headset and they instantly
grin. They’re having fun. They’re
exploring a new world. They came
in thinking it was a dorky thing and
now their mind has been blown. It’s
that VR smile marketers and PR
people will tap into. And that smile
returns every single time you’re in a
new VR experience. I’ve seen it.”
“Who doesn’t want their brand to
be around people smiling, having
fun, and exploring new things?”
Reasons to smile
To best illustrate the “VR smile”
Scoble spoke about, Samsung’s
Tara Kriese presented the following
two videos during the panel:
The Galaxy S7: Elephant Baby
video features Wesley Snipes and
Lil Wayne adorning Samsung Gear
VR goggles. The former calls his
experience “amazing,” while the
latter has to ignore him because he’s
busy delivering a baby elephant.
“It’s a straightforward illustration
of the joyful, immersive experience
VR brings,” says Kriese of the video
for the Galaxy S7 smartphone.
The #WeAreStrongerThanMS:
Surfing video, created by Wieden
+ Kennedy, features San Diego
surfing legend Steve Bettis. He
hasn’t been able to get out into the
water since 2006, when he was
diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
The National MS Society teamed
up with Bettis’ friend Robert Weaver
to bring the ocean to Steve. With a
360-degree camera attached to his
head, Weaver surfed the ocean. The
video captures Bettis experiencing
that through a VR headset.
“Nothing about that experience
could have been captured in a
rectangle box,” notes Kriese.
The joy exhibited by these videos’
subjects in clear. However, smiles
should also adorn the faces of brand
marketers and communicators
because VR offers them the
opportunity to build emotional
connections with consumers that is
unmatched by any other platform.
Samsung Gear VR and Six Flags present VR roller coasters
By toggling the top left icon when you click on the YouTube
link, you’ll see the Toms Shoes video in 3600
as Kriese did
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LET’S BREAK TRADITION: VIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

To best explain how VR will
change storytelling, and marketing
overall, Scoble turns to the New
York theater scene.
“There is a play called Sleep No
More,” he says. “You don’t watch it
on a stage. You walk into the play
and it happens all around you.”
He goes on to describe how actors
argue and get killed feet in front of
the audience.
“You’re part of the play,” adds
Scoble. “Marketers will use these
memes to tell new kinds of stories.”
Game changers
The gaming world also offers
inspiration, notes Hackett.
“The big adjustment is you don’t
need to have a linear storyline,”
he explains. “You can go totally
nonlinear in VR. Marketers will be
able to borrow from what works so
well in the gaming industry.”
In fact, Hackett predicts, the rise
of VR will make it inevitable that
marketers, strategists, and creatives
in the brand world will work with
game developers to share tactics.
“Marketers will want to borrow
from that fidelity and complexity,”
he says. “You will want to employ
people from that world for their
design and technical prowess, and,
most of all, for their ability to craft
effective narrative in this space.”
A matter of trust
“VR will force marketers to focus
on interactive storytelling,” says
Marggraff. “It’s not just branching
stories that follow a path, but stories
where you are a participant and
your actions have consequences.”
Marggraff is on the board of Rival
Theory, a company that creates
artificial intelligence (AI) characters
that respond to you. They have
emotions and memories. They
recall where you have been. These
characters become real to the user.
As you tie all that together from a
marketing perspective, he adds, it
boils down to one huge word – trust.
“As marketers embrace this new
medium, trust becomes more vital
than ever,” Marggraff emphasizes.
“If that trust is violated, it’s over
because brands know more than
ever about consumers. Especially
with VR, brands interact with you
on a continuous emotional level.
Trust is key to make that work.”
All in the experience
“We are moving from ‘seeing
is believing’ to ‘experiencing is
believing,“ notes Kriese, “That’s
why VR is so powerful.”
A brand new
tale to tell
Storytelling is an essential tool as brands reach out to the
consuming public. VR will revolutionize the way it’s done
She went on to describe Gone,
an original scripted VR thriller
series Samsung presented at
SXSW. It was created by Skybound,
the company behind The Walking
Dead. As Kriese describes, it
is completely interactive. Users
can explore different paths and
investigate different characters
and objects.
“The consumer trust we need
to establish,” she concludes, “is
beyond anything we’ve ever had
before because their experiences
are so personal now.”
“The big adjustment
is you don’t need
to have a linear
storyline”
Jon Hackett, Nurun
This original scripted VR thriller series epitomizes interactive storytelling
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LET’S BREAK TRADITION: VIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

To illustrate how bullish the
business world is on VR and AR,
which Scoble feels is about three
or four years behind VR in terms of
hitting the mass market, one need
look no further than Magic Leap,
a startup company working on a
head-mounted virtual retinal display
that superimposes 3D images over
real-world objects by projecting a
digital light field into a user’s eye.
“Magic Leap just got a $3.1 billion
investment from Google and others
without having a single customer
or product,” reports Scoble. “Think
about that for a second.”
Eyefluence is also developing a
product (see sidebar right) where
an entire environment can be
controlled through a user’s eyes.
According to Scoble, Steven
Wolfram, CEO of Wolfram Research
and an esteemed computer scientist,
was floored when he saw it.
“When someone such as Wolfram
reacts in that manner,” adds Scoble,
“you pay attention. Marketers and
communicators might not be intro-
ducing a product in VR or AR, but
they will need to build experiences
that use those platforms.”
Moreover, VR and AR will directly
impact the way people purchase
things, which is as direct a business
result as you can find.
Time is money
This year, Snapchat will be
launching a connected camera
developed by Epiphany Eyewear,
a company it bought in 2014.
The
bottom lineBrands need to see quantifiable results to be thoroughly
convinced of any platform’s value. Though a bit early in its
evolution to gauge full financial impact, our leaders were
more than ready to make a business case for VR
The eyes have it
What you see is what you get.
Eyefluence’s eye-interaction techno-
logy, created to further enhance VR
and AR experiences, will bring new
meaning to that oft-used phrase.
Marggraff put on a pair of glasses
fitted with this technology to show
how users can check flight times,
the weather, and photo albums.
He then displayed how – with just
the eyes – you could have a chat
session. Doctors will be able to view
a patient’s entire medical history
securely, as the iris is better than a
fingerprint for security purposes.
The demo kept reinforcing the
technology’s ability to understand
intention. It reacts to the eyes’ be-
havior, not just a blink. This came to
the forefront during the final demo.
Marggraff snapped a picture of a
box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
He gazed at the label, sent that to
an outside service over the Internet,
which then sent it over to Amazon.
From there, on Amazon.com, he
not only bought it, but shipped it to
Robert Scoble – all with his eyes.
As Scoble noted, “VR and AR will
allow you to buy products in ways
you never could. It’s mind blowing.”
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LET’S BREAK TRADITION: VIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
Magic Leap just received a $3.1
billion investment from Google

At a recent marketing conference,
when Snapchat pitched this to the
ad world, its main focus was how
it would deliver billions of minutes,
as in average time spent. That’s
a KPI that should be music to
brands’ ears, says Scoble, who also
recalled a conversation he had with
a marketer from Absolut Vodka,
which recently had consumers
watching a live music event in VR.
“He told me the average time
consumers spent was 19 minutes,”
reports Scoble. “They deemed that
to be extraordinary for the amount
of money paid for the activation.
He said they never had that kind of
interaction with consumers – and
this is an alcohol brand. Only VR
can deliver that kind of KPI.”
“Time spent is a huge metric for
marketers,” adds MSLGROUP’s Jeff
Melton. “Getting a target audience’s
attention for longer than six seconds
is so hard in an age of fragmenting
channels and platforms. Anything
over two minutes, let alone the 10 or
15 VR can attain, is amazing.”
Emotional currency
While Kriese agrees time spent is a
critical KPI VR can uniquely deliver,
she looks even beyond that.
“Technology is not far away that
will help us understand what the
consumer is feeling, the emotion
behind the activity they undertake
in VR,” she explains. “There is so
much that can be done with that
from a metrics, analytics, and data
perspective. VR and AR technolo-
gies are getting us closer to that.”
Marggraff underscores that point
when discussing Eyefluence’s
products. “Our technology can
measure emotions because pupil
dilation, for example, is a reflection
of emotional alteration,” he explains.
“When you’re challenged by a hard
math problem, for instance, your
pupils dilate as you figure it out in
your head. That can be measured.”
Another benefit brands will get from
VR and AR is true empathy. The
more you understand consumers’
emotions, notes Marggraff, the
better you communicate with them.
“As VR technology gets more so-
phisticated,” adds Hackett, “it will
be able to read and even mirror your
facial expressions. As a marketer,
you’ll get a richer understanding
of how people are experiencing the
world they’re in. That’s so valuable.”
The path to transaction
In addition to the new metrics
they bring to the table, VR and AR
will also amplify measurements
marketers gauge on other platforms.
For example, as Scoble points out,
brands basically have three goals
on Facebook. The first is to slow
people down so they don’t just
rip through the feed. Second, you
want people to click a link, which
fewer people do than slow down.
Finally, you want to get a consumer
to convert into an action – whether
it’s leaving a comment, liking
something, or, the ultimate goal,
buying a product. Those are all
measureable activities on Facebook
that certainly translate into VR.
Scoble was equally excited about
B8ta, a new retail store that opened
in Palo Alto, California, last year.
“It’s a brick-and-mortar shop with
cutting-edge gadgets for people to
try,” he explains. “A camera sits
over each display to watch dwell
times. Do consumers touch? Do
they transact?” The data gleaned
is sold back to the manufacturers
so they can measure the relative
popularity of all these products.
“Another example of new ways
to measure the likelihood of a
transaction,” notes Scoble. “That is
a KPI any marketer will find useful.”
“Getting a target audience’s attention
for longer than six seconds is so hard.
Anything over two minutes, let alone
the 10 or 15 VR can attain, is amazing”
Jeff Melton, MSLGROUP
12.2 million
The amount of VR
headsets forecast to be
sold by the end of 2016
Source: Piper Jaffray
$30 billion
The amount of money
the virtual reality
market will generate
by 2020
Source: Digi-Capital
$62 billion
The VR market headset will
grow to this level by 2025
Source: Piper Jaffray
$88.4 billion
This is how much the video-
game industry generated as
of last year. VR hardware,
games, and apps are poised
to become a major part of
this growing market
Source: Digi-Capital
VR by the numbers
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LET’S BREAK TRADITION: VIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

Kodak PIXPRO SP360
The lens on this 4K action camera
has a 2350
field of view, but you
can install two of these back to
back for the full 3600
. Photo editing
and stitching software is included
in the purchase.
Bubl
The 360° spherical camera can
capture spherical photos and
videos with no blind spots. Also
has options for recording in HDR
and time-lapse photos.
Nikon KeyMission 360
Waterproof, shockproof 360° camera
with dual lenses and image sensors,
which produce a single immersive,
ultra-hi-def video and still images.
Easy to use and can withstand the
elements during travel or sports.
GoPro Omni VR rig
Announced in April 2016, GoPro’s
first all-official 360° rig offering
will hold six cameras that capture
footage simultaneously to create a
single, high-resolution 360° video.
Since 2014 the virtual reality market has nearly doubled and
companies are racing into the head-mounted display market.
In addition, 360° video can already be viewed on YouTube,
Facebook, or with a VR headset, and now many manufacturers
offer 360° cameras to shoot high quality, immersive video and
headsets to view these videos.
On these pages we share some of the equipment you can
use to begin experimenting with this new technology:
The
toy boxReady to start your VR journey? Here
are a plethora of equipment options
CAMERAS
Photo/video editing
Along with these cameras, you can
take your 360° images and videos to
the next level with editing software.
For example, MSLGROUP used
Mettle’s inexpensive SkyBox Studio
to create a 360° invitation to its
SXSW panel discussion.
Ready. Set. Action.
1 Experiment. Send a client or
brand manager an unexpected,
short enjoyable VR file that
relates to their work. A good
impression is guaranteed.
2 Look around. Go online. Start
with YouTube. Check out some
of the best VR content out there
and use it as inspiration.
3 Ask around. Talk to non-PR
pros who have developed VR
content. You’ll get a broader un-
derstanding of what is possible.
4 Brainstorm. Now tap the most
creative minds at your company.
Share what you’ve learned and
start pondering the potential role
VR can play in client campaigns.
5 Engage your client. You need
not bring them a fully formed
idea. Speak to clients immedi-
ately to gauge their interest and
excitement in VR. Convince them
this is a growing category they
must get involved in – and show
them how VR can boost current
and future campaigns. VR excites
you. Get them excited, too.
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LET’S BREAK TRADITION: VIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
You have the equipment. Now we
tell you what your first steps are.

Ricoh Theta S
From still images to long movies, this camera allows you to explore
all of the possibilities of 360° video production. It’s equipped with
advanced functions such as HD live streaming (share in real time)
and live view (check the exposure and white balance while shooting).
It also has 8GB of memory.
Orah 4i
This is a prosumer-level 3600
camera that can also support live
video. And at 3.1 x 2.7 x 2.5 inches
and 17 ounces, it’s light enough to
put in your backpack.
Time to exercise
By yourself
Get a 360° camera and spend a
week taking photos and videos. It’s
the best way to learn the nuances of
capturing content. You’ll probably
even get folks stopping you on the
street to ask what you’re doing.
Upload the videos to Facebook and
YouTube. Your Facebook friends
will not be able to avoid being
impressed. And on YouTube, you
can keep the videos unlisted so
you can share them privately.
And if you haven’t already, order
a VR headset and view your own
content. And if you need further
inspiration, check out these sites/
apps to see more:
1. New York Times VR
2. Jaunt
3. Vrse
With colleagues
Conduct a meeting as you normally
would, but put a 360° camera in
the middle of a conference room
table. Make sure everyone knows
it’s recording.
Pass around a headset and watch
the content you just recorded.
Gauge how everyone feels, what
they think, how they were impacted.
Brainstorm about clients you
foresee as strong and immediate
fits for VR.
At this point, take the camera off
the table and start walking around
the office with your colleagues
capturing content. This is the best
way to learn the nuances of staging.
Once done, gather for another
meeting and put up a storyboard
showcasing the recently created
content on one wall. Next, on the
other three walls – and without
changing the story – illustrate what
is happening in the other directions.
12
LET’S BREAK TRADITION: VIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
With equipment and the right
attitude in tow, here are some
exercises you can do right away:
Samsung Gear 360
Dust and splash resistant, the
front and rear lenses capture 180
degrees horizontally and vertically,
creating a seamless, complete
360-degree field of view. Every
experience is recorded in 3840 x
1920 hi-res video and 30MP photos.
You can shoot, stitch and edit,
view, and share easily. With bright
F2.0 lens, Gear 360 is compatible
with the latest Galaxy smartphones
or your PC.
CAMERAS

01
Google Cardboard
With this headset, you can play
immersive games, visit new places,
fly through space, and more. This
VR experience is simple, fun, and
affordable – it starts with a simple
viewer anyone can build or buy,
coupled with a variety of apps.
IonVR
Its MotionSync technology creates
a smooth, high-quality mobile VR
experience that works for screens
4.5” to 6” across platforms including
Android and iOS. Its hardware-
based solution reduces motion
blur and makes longer-form
content possible.
The toy box
iPhone Android
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LET’S BREAK TRADITION: VIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
Merge VR
Sculpted from soft foam, these
are designed to fit comfortably
on any face. Compatible with
Android and iOS devices.
Your phone
already does
3600
and VR!
Compatible with every smartphone (though larger screens work better)
Watch 3600 videos –
Facebook
Watch 3600 videos –
YouTube
Third-party apps
HEADSETS

Sony PlayStation VR
Set to launch this October, it offers
a full HD 1920 x 1080 display at 5.7
inches, which offers a 100-degree
field of vision. It will work with 46
million PlayStation 4 consoles. Sony
has signed on 230-plus development
houses to create VR content.
Lasting thoughts
14
LET’S BREAK TRADITION: VIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
The panel concluded with each leader being asked the one major point they wanted
marcomms pros to take with them about VR. This is what they shared:
You can’t be told what
the experience is like. As
marketers, you must try it.
Then try and craft story
for it. It’s trial and error,
but don’t get discouraged.
Dive in. It’s OK to fail a
few times. You’ll see what
works. Then go from there.
I’m very bullish. The
smartphone is a VR
machine, so this can be
scaled quickly. Everyone
wants to get in on this
medium. It’s still small,
so now is the time for
marketers to test things.
Soon, it won’t be small.
After initial fears that VR
was isolating, I realized
it will likely connect us
more than any technology
ever. It not only increases
our connection with
others, but it actually
makes the quality of those
connections stronger.
VR will be a key player
as the next 10 years will
see more mind-blowing
products than the last
40. And it makes people
smile. If marketers and
communicators can’t take
advantage of that, what are
you doing in the industry?
Oculus Rift
Uses state-of-the-art displays and
optics designed specifically for
VR. Its high refresh rate and low-
persistence display work together
with its custom optics system to
provide incredible visual fidelity and
an immersive, wide field of view.
Jon Hackett
Nurun
Tara Kriese
Samsung
Jim Marggraff
Eyefluence
Robert Scoble
UploadVR
HTC Vive
The Vive offers a 110° field of view
for captivating immersion while
experiencing VR. This headset has
32 sensors for motion tracking and
features an adjustable strap plus
interchangeable foam inserts and
nose pads for customized comfort.
Compatible with Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 edge, Note5, S6, and S6 edge
Requires additional source
Note: The HTC Vive and Oculus Rift need a separate computer, with hardware specifications.
Sony PlayStation VR will work with the PS4
Samsung Gear VR
Powered by Oculus and utilizing each phone’s
Super AMOLED display, wide field of view,
precise head tracking and low latency, the Gear
VR brings reality to the virtual. Note that while this
headset is only compatible with the above phones,
the Gear VR has its own content store and library
with customized experiences.
HEADSETS

15
Key
takeaways
VR has the potential to uniquely boost marketing communications
initiatives. Sure there are challenges. Most will discover a learning
curve. Some of the best equipment is pricey – and not all of it is
easily accessible right now. There is even the potential for motion
sickness. However, every great platform comes with growing pains,
but there are myriad powerful reasons for PR professionals to dive into
PR right now. Below we offer a half dozen:
Strategic benefits
1 Longer engagement time
Time spent with a brand is a huge metric for marketers. Seconds’ worth of attention are usually what
consumers will give. VR has already proved that it can hold people’s attention for multiple minutes. This
keeps brands top of mind, increases recall, and greatly enhances potential action.
2 Deeper emotional engagement
As underscored by the numerous videos shared on earlier pages, VR makes consumers part of the brand
experience. Whether by building empathy for others or eliciting feelings that can only come from personal
involvement, VR uniquely offers an immersive experience that will stay with users forever.
3 Increased trust
VR helps replicate the communication and transmission of sophisticated human cues that build trust:
direct eye contact, a strong presence, and warmth. You build real relationships with brands on VR.
Inasmuch as trust is the foundation of any relationship, this could have enormous implications in brand
marketing, corporate counsel, even public affairs.
4 Simplifying the complex
No level of language, images, or explanation compares to placing someone within an experience. In VR,
users interact in a way that allows for a much more sophisticated and holistic understanding. They get
information much more quickly and can comprehend it much more thoroughly in VR. For brands, this
enables consumers to appreciate their products, points of view, and mission in ways they couldn’t before.
5 Greater devotion
When HBO did a touring exhibition for Game of Thrones, it included a VR experience called “Ascend the
Wall.” Presented as a gift to fans, the VR program sparked fervent enthusiasm, yielding abundant social
media engagement. Fans who couldn’t attend expressed palpable envy. It also stoked greater anticipation
for both the upcoming season, as well as past episodes. Fans became even more fanatical about the show.
6 Condensed sales cycle
From real estate to travel to lofty purchases, VR can be used to jump-start a consumer experience when
it’s difficult or impossible to introduce the product itself. For example, MSLGROUP client Student Castle
provided a way for its customers to view and experience university housing. Due to that connection to the
brand, VR can help people make decisions faster and with greater confidence.
LET’S BREAK TRADITION: VIRTUAL REALITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

About MSLGROUP
MSLGROUP is committed to being a
market leader in using emerging technology
in the public relations space, and we’re
enthusiastic about the enormous potential
for VR and 360. We’re fortunate to be able
to move early in this space, turning to the
experience and knowledge of our colleagues
across Publicis Groupe that have already
created impressive VR work for clients.
With this guide, we aim to help educate
brands and companies to understand
what the possibilities are for using VR
to support and enhance campaigns.
VR is part of our RADAR program,
devoted to new technologies that we
are sharing with clients.
Special thanks to Nathan Beers, Sarah
Frueh, Jon Hackett, Clare Hutchings, Jeff
Melton, Mike Standish, and Archie Smart for
their time and thoughtful contributions.
For more information about VR
and PR, contact:
Jeff Melton
SVP, Global Technology Platforms
e: jeff.melton@mslgroup.com
p: 1 (646) 500-7740
MSLGROUP
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
USA
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