Immersive innovations for the communication of heritage, handcraft and sustainability

Textile and fashion brands convey core values through marketing, and in slow-fashion heritage brands this often includes skilled craftsmanship, authenticity, sustainability, and provenance. As industry digitalisation continues, brands are employing immersive technologies–virtual (VR) or augmented (AR) reality–however there is scarce evidence of these being used to communicate craftsmanship or provenance. To explore this potential, survey participants were shown immersive and traditional marketing content and perceptions of brand image were sought. The immersive content elicited new brand associations compared with the traditional content, which may be desirable if targeting a younger or more fashion-forward demographic. However, the immersive content was less effective at inspiring participants to make a purchase, with many participants overwhelmed by the virtual environment. The research concludes that effective immersive content should incorporate a streamlined representation of brand identity and core values, utilising an accessible platform while the adoption of VR headsets remains limited