Table of Contents for The Future of Visual Marketing: CGI / 3D (Current):

1. Latest topics & news about the future of visual marketing with CGI (3D)
2. Research from CGtrader about costs of a classic photography vs. CGI 3D visualizations
3. Why can a classic shoot for furniture or furnishings manufacturers be so expensive?
4. CGI - 3D is only one tool and it depends on more to create good visual marketing with CGI - 3D!
5. How important is the direct customer approach in CGI visualization?
6. How important is augmented reality?
7. The METAVERSE! How can companies profit from it?

Latest topics & news about the future of visual marketing with CGI - 3D for furniture, home & living manufacturers.

In this article we would like to report on what we at Danthree Studio have observed recently on the subject of CGI - 3D and visual marketing in particular for the furniture and furnishings industry and what opportunities the subject of CGI - 3D can have for the furniture and furnishings market.

If you want to watch the article as a video, check it out here: 

Research from CGtrader about costs of a classic photography vs. CGI 3D visualizations

What's happening with CGI for furniture brands right now? Right at the beginning we start with the topic and an interesting research from CGtrader. CGtrader is, among other things, a platform and online store for 3D models.
This platform has started a research on the topic of content creation with CGI vs. content creation with classic photography. CGtrader asked about 100 photo studios worldwide for a quote for a classic product shoot for 5x furniture products. The result? CGI - 3D can be about 6 times cheaper than a classic shooting.

Why can a classic shoot for furniture or furnishings manufacturers be so expensive?

Products need to be made
Transporting items to locations
Set Construction
Commissioning Photo Crew
Equipment
Etc.

As you can see, the cost of a classic shoot can skyrocket. Especially when it comes to elaborate furniture such as kitchen shootings. These can easily cost 15 - 20 000 euros.

3D visualizations are more flexible and dynamic when it comes to visual marketing for furniture, home & living manufacturers. If you want to hear about the advantages of CGI - 3D vs. classic product photography, we link you to the video CGI - 3D vs. classic product photography:

CGI - 3D is only one tool and it depends on more to create good visual marketing with CGI - 3D!

But what else is going on around the topic of CGI - 3D in visual marketing? We observe and notice again and again, when we see 3D visualizations / renderings, that CGI - 3D is only a tool and that it can be used more sensibly in some cases. What does that mean exactly?! CGI is to be seen like a pen with a white sheet. You can draw on it and the result can have a wide range. Either it is only a simple line drawing or a picture, which touches you emotionally. It is the same with CGI (3D). The important thing is that visual marketing is the mouthpiece of any company and the products must be properly staged and emotionalized. Especially in the furniture industry, people buy strongly emotional. If the products are staged in an emotionalized way, a strong customer loyalty with the company can be achieved and the product can be sold better. Factors such as CI or CD of each company play an important role for the 3D visualizations and must be taken into account - also with regard to the unique selling proposition of a company.  

How important is the direct customer approach in CGI visualization?

In the next topic, we will discuss how important it is to address customers directly. To address the customer even more pointedly and directly, the CGI (3D) tool is exactly the right thing to align its marketing more flexible, more efficient. Because with CGI (3D), the target group can be targeted much better and more precisely on a wide variety of platforms. Let's say we're playing out ads on the different channels: Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, etc. Then the reality is that there are different buyers and target audiences on each platform. For example, there is an older target group on Facebook than on Instagram or TikTok. Then why not play out target group-specific marketing with CGI? By this, we don't mean that you have to throw the CI or CD of the respective company overboard, but rather use colors, accents and styles to emotionalize and stage the products differently.

How important is augmented reality?

We continue with the topic of AR - augmented reality. Here we see a good lever for furniture brands as well as for online stores to let the customer interact even more with the product and thus create a stronger bond with the brand. What does this mean in detail? With AR, conversion can be increased because the customer can interact directly with the product and try out whether the item fits into the four walls in terms of color, size and style. This creates trust in the product as well as the brand and the purchase is accelerated as a result.

Another important point that should not be neglected is the issue of returns. Again, if the product can be tried out at home in real life using a smartphone or tablet, then the returns route can be reduced. As a result, companies can save money and customers can be happier because they no longer have to return the product or wait for their new furniture or item. The AR Model can be included with a link or QR code in your online store / or in your catalogs or flyers with the QR code. Just scan it and the customer can view the product on his smartphone or tablet without any extra app! Thanks to the built-in 3D LIDAR technology, the device measures the space using points and places the product in the right size in the room. According to a 2020 study by Vertebrae - which specializes in AR and 3D e-commerce - conversion rates increased by 90% for manufacturers and online stores that embraced AR compared to those that did not. On some Shopify product pages, 3D models as augmented reality increased conversion rates by up to 250%. Let's hold on, AR can be a good lever for brands and online stores.

The METAVERSE! How can companies profit from it?

While we're on the subject of virtual products in real spaces. What about the topic of metaverse and what opportunities can it open up for furniture brands? We at Danthree Studio are of the opinion that the topic of metaverse should not be ignored. Of course, you should not start with metaverse and you are not familiar with CGI (3D) yet. That would possibly be too many steps at once. Nevertheless, at Danthree Studio we are already working on what the future may look like for the furniture industry with CGI (3D).

Let's imagine a scenario: Due to the pandemic, online meetings have become more prevalent and established. What if, in a few years, meetings or meeting with friends will increasingly take place online? We meet friends or business partners virtually and see a piece of furniture or fixture in the room, which we like. In doing so, we like this furniture or accessory so much that we want to have that in our real world in our own homes. In this way, the bridge and product placement between the virtual and the real world can be created. One has to imagine that now already plots and virtual real estate in the metaverse are going away for hearing sums. Currently, the record for the most expensive Metaverse property is $4.3 million. In November 2021, digital real estate developersRepublic Realm bought a house in the sandbox metaverse. These homes will also be furnished. Then why not put a kitchen or sofa from a well-known furniture brand in one's Metaverse home? Again, this creates a touchpoint between the brand and the potential customer.

Walmart has released a video on YouTube showing what the shopping experience can look like in the Metaverse: Watch the video

In the video, the customer can select his products in the shopping store and is accompanied or assisted by a Walmart employee while shopping. So why can't something like this be transferred to the furniture industry? We look at a piece of furniture virtually and are virtually accompanied by a salesperson or have the product explained to us in detail. Of course, such augmented realities lack the connection to real seating comfort, as in the case of a chair, for example. Nevertheless, this augmented reality can help to enhance the buying experience and increase customer loyalty.

If you have any further questions on the subject, please feel free to contact us and arrange an initial meeting.