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3D video technologies: defining a new era in B2B marketing

The B2B marketing landscape is saturated with content revolving around complex concepts and products involving a significant degree of technical detail. But audiences today aren’t just looking for brilliant products and ideas, and they certainly don’t want to be bored, confused or even frustrated by a barrage of intricate technicalities. B2B audiences today seek enjoyable and rewarding brand experiences that let them explore products and services in novel and interesting ways. To stand out from the sea of cookie-cutter B2B content, it’s critical for brands to step up their game with marketing tactics that are as ground-breaking as the innovative products and solutions they offer. 

In an era of burgeoning marketing technologies, we have the opportunity to leverage a wide range of increasingly sophisticated tools and platforms to meet specific communications needs. Across the B2B marketing landscape, we’re exploring creative and innovative ways to elevate the customer experience and bring the overall brand experience to life. Innovative creative tools incorporating 3D technologies are gaining traction as effective ways to make complicated B2B subject matters accessible, tangible and even entertaining. 

Just as 3D technologies have redefined the cinematic experience and set a new standard for storytelling, they are fast becoming the new standard in the B2B world. No longer the exclusive realm of Hollywood studios or exorbitant marketing campaigns, 3D tools are easily scalable to your requirements. From introducing accessible and interesting 3D renderings of your products in explainer videos to creating complex, immersive and interactive 3D augmented reality (AR) experiences for audiences to explore your offerings in unexpected ways, there’s a 3D tool for every B2B business need.   
 
Capitalise on the full extent of your B2B value offering 

From relatively abstract brand values to specific types of customer experiences (e.g. a convenient end-to-end full-service solution), the B2B value offering often goes beyond the immediate product. 3D visuals – they can help you sell a lifestyle, a worldview or even values such as sustainability. For example, most of us probably wouldn’t immediately associate omega-3 supplements with safeguarding marine ecosystems. DSM’s innovative ‘Sea the Difference’ campaign (awarded the Best Environmental Cause Campaign by the Drum Awards 2022 and finalist in the ‘Environment’ category of the Shorty Awards) encourages customers to make the switch to sustainable algal-based omega-3 oils in a refreshingly different way.1 Using cinematic 3D visuals to juxtapose city life with the marine world, it confronts the viewer with a visual representation of the biodiversity and sheer volume of sea creatures affected by commercial fishing for fish-based omega-3s.  

Sea the difference 3D video campaign
Source: https://shortyawards.com/7th-impact/sea-the-difference  

Capitalising on these evocative 3D visuals, the campaign’s hero film is complemented by social comms assets and an engaging microsite that further drives awareness of the scale of the problem and how DSM’s algal omega-3s can help make a real difference. The campaign has exceeded its targets, receiving over half a million impressions and counting (+88% impressions above target), as well as 125% of the target number of leads.2 Apart from representing commercial value, these results are testament to the campaign’s efficacy in drumming up engagement with a global environmental issue to position the company’s sustainable solution. 

 
Catalyse the B2B sales cycle 

3D content is evidently more effective than 2D focused communication at driving engagement and ultimately sales, with companies noting an increase of up to 40% in conversion rates for products advertised via 3D.3 With many suggesting that the metaverse is set to transform the future of B2B marketing– which in turn could refine the buying experience with more interactive content, new avenues for customer research, and more – it’s time to get ahead with 3D tools before the rest of the industry fully embraces its potential.4 

The beauty of 3D is that a single model transcends platforms. 3D technologies are especially helpful in capturing consumer interest and engagement early in and throughout the sales funnel. Whether it’s a product explainer animation, web environment, printed sales or social collateral, 3D printed exhibition stand elements or immersive interactive environments, a single 3D product rendering has impressive mileage across various marketing applications. By uniting the customer experience through ideas, applications and assets – all grounded in a consistent 3D visual – your customers can benefit from a coherent and cohesive product narrative that makes a more meaningful impact.  

A particularly striking example of such high-mileage 3D assets is the electronic car rendered by Nexus, a smart open platform at the heart of Hexagon’s manufacturing solutions. At the discovery or awareness phase, this interactive 3D interface allows customers and prospects to explore the electronic car from multiple angles and in an impressive amount of detail. By making it easier for corporate buyers to ensure compatibility with existing assets and purchasing guidelines, this opportunity to examine product features and functions up close could be invaluable in facilitating approvals and purchasing decisions.5 

Nexus 3D video campaign
Source: https://nexus.hexagon.com/experiences/e-car 

Furthermore, 3D renderings are invaluable to your sales team, especially for complex and physically large products like electronic cars. With a portfolio of 3D models at their fingertips, salespeople can deliver compelling visual sales strategies and interactive buyer experiences that truly set your brand apart.6 Combined with an augmented reality platform, sales teams can also accelerate the sales cycle by offering immersive 3D product demos that help prospective buyers to better appreciate the product features and engage in more productive cross-sell and upsell efforts.  

Grow your business with 3D technologies 

3D technologies are so advantageous to B2B marketers because of their ability to represent complex products in depth, regardless of any real-world limitations. This helps brands build stronger customer relationships based on transparency and trust.  

Are you looking for effective marketing tools, platforms and experiences that reflect your passion and unique value offering and serve to effectively grow your business?

Get in touch with us to explore the possibilities.  

References

  1. https://seathedifference.dsm.com/?utm_source=article&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=sea-the-difference&utm_term=global&utm_content=hn-lifes-omega-microsite-cta-2 
  2. https://shortyawards.com/7th-impact/sea-the-difference 
  3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2019/01/16/5-ways-visual-configurators-are-revolutionizing-cpq/?sh=223988cf27df 
  4. https://blog.tomorrow-people.com/metaverse-b2b-marketing 
  5. https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2019/07/17/3d-and-augmented-reality-a-new-b2b-path-to-purchase/  
  6. https://www.showpad.com/product/augmented-reality-will-reshape-b2b/ 

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