360 degree marketing

Taking Lessons from NASA on 360-Degree Marketing

Breaking From Tradition – How to Simplify Your Marketing Message with 360 Degree Marketing Videos

Today in order to be seen brands must be disruptive. They must adapt to new technology and do it quickly. NASA, the organization that put the first men on the moon in 1969, is shaping up to a digital pioneer in the year 2017 and that’s no small feat. When new discoveries arise, when new planets are found, NASA doesn’t just calculate trajectories or light-years, they also deliver an incredible marketing strategy. Let’s take a closer look.

With NASA’s recent discovering of an exoplanet system of planets located some 40 light-years away from our solar system named TRAPPIST-1, their formal announcement came as a traditional press release and conference. Immediately afterward, they released an onslaught of powerful digital content across their website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to explain what they had found. The piece we’ll dig into here is their 360 degree marketing video which gives you the ability to move around the horizon of one of the planets within TRAPPIST-1. With a simple drag of your mouse, you can explore the 6 nearby planets that dot along the planet’s horizon and truly feel like you’ve stepped into a new world.

What’s the lesson here for those of us who aren’t exploring the galaxies?

Lesson 1:

NASA, an organization that could easily hide behind the complex nature of its work, doesn’t. There’s our first lesson.

Find a way to simplify and get to the heart of what you’re selling. What is it that draws people to your product or service? For companies like REI, it’s the thrill of the unknown, the sense of adventure you feel as you set off into the great outdoors. For home cleaning services, it’s the freedom to enjoy being home without the chaos of a the day’s mess around you. Whatever your industry is, work through what connects to people about your work and then let’s create a visual behind that connection as you build a marketing strategy.

Lesson 2:

NASA is showing us that 360 video marketing can deliver a visually compelling and simplified product message, no matter what industry you’re in. Taking a 360 video is pretty simple. With most iOS or Android devices, you’re able to snap a panorama or a photo sphere photo and quickly upload it your favorite platforms. I strongly suggest you get some practice in! Try your office or step outside to ensure your sphere feels fluid and doesn’t have jarring overlapping photos. When you’re ready to create something to share, consider starting with your brick-and-mortar (inside or outside), a product overview or take our product out in the real-world to create a larger story. Get creative and have fun with it, you’ll audiences will naturally gravitate towards content that feels fresh and unique to your brand.

Is there a new technology or platform that you’d like to learn more about? Comment below!

(Feature Image Courtesy of: Bartmann/spaceengine.org)