In the past, we’ve talked about the advantages of immersive storyliving, and how VR technology is making it possible. We’ve delved into the opportunities storyliving provides for journalism. The reality is, the opportunities for tapping into immersive storyliving are endless. It can be used in all kinds of spheres to really give us a new kind of storytelling experience. Today, I’d like to tie in the concept of storyliving with the traveling millennial.

My plea in a previous article, speaking from the perspective of a traveling millennial, was made towards the travel industry, asking that they cater to me and people like me more. Basically, I made it clear that changes should be made, but in this article, I’d like to talk about how incorporating storyliving, can be a very practical step that the industry can make towards attracting the millennial audience. In the near future, simply reading or watching materials might become overrated. People will begin to crave a more immersive experience. Let me break down some of the elements.

Authenticity

In the past, we have established that millennials truly crave authenticity in their travels, as well as other aspects of their lives. When traveling they do not want to feel like tourists, rather, prefer experiencing their destination like a local. Visual content is a very important aspect of marketing to millennials, however, we are of the opinion that photoshopped and filtered imagery is no longer cutting it. We feel that the most authentic and genuine visual content available are 360-degree photos and videos.

The second aspect to take into consideration is the story content. People are no longer simply satisfied by looking at images or videos. They want to know the stories, history and culture behind the images. Here is where storyliving comes to play. Storyliving is essentially the idea of experiencing stories through VR. Because of how immersive it is, it leaves a far more powerful impression on the audience. It’s an impression that lasts longer than other forms of storytelling because it allows the person to live and experience the stories first hand. We feel that this is the future of marketing to millennials.

Experience and Personalization

Millennials really do value the experience above all else. They want to touch, feel, smell and get a full understanding of their destination. They appreciate new environments and are looking for something unique, an adventure to call their own. The product is not the accommodations anymore, it’s the connection to the culture, the people, and the overall immaterial aspects of traveling. Statistics show that 6 in 10 of Millennial travelers would rather spend their money on experiences than material things.

What’s more, you want to inspire them, fulfill them on a spiritual level, but more than anything, personalize their experience according to their tastes. Millennial travelers are beginning to travel alone (particularly women), and prefer having customized experiences that align more with their own personalities, interests and identities. They want maximum involvement when it comes to fine-tuning their travels accordingly, so you can forget about the old school travel packages. Storyliving gives these potential travelers the opportunity to really test, pick and customize their travel experience in a personalized way to make it a perfect fit.

Online Engagement

It’s no secret that Millennials share and document everything on social media, and this is especially true when it comes to sharing every moment from their trips! This is a huge opportunity for marketers to tap into! Did you know that travel stories now make up 42% of posts on the average user’s timeline? They want to share their stories and giving them a platform to do so will only boost the tourism industry. This is why 360Stories can also become a useful tool for marketers because it gives the opportunity for travelers to share their stories in a new and more immersive environment.

The way Millennials engage with brands is similar to how they engage with friends. Your goal as an industry professional is to make your product/service worth talking about, worth sharing about. You want them to tell stories about you! You aren’t trying to sell something to them, rather, you’re trying to inspire them, spark their curiosity, tempt them with stories about people and cultures, entice them with the potential for making amazing memories, stories of their own that they can share with their friends. Their friends, in turn, will be influenced, as posts made by peers are trusted more than those created by companies.

Marketing Travel to Millennials

360Stories was quick to recognize the value of storytelling long ago. It has since evolved and adapted to the needs of the new tech-savvy generation, who crave something new and more immersive. Hence, adopting the mode of storyliving, and breaking away from older formats of storytelling. This platform has huge untapped potential both for travelers and for marketers. The immersive environment really takes storytelling to the next level. The possibilities are endless.