The price of 3-D cameras is falling fast. One of the implications of this is that soon advertisers and retailers will be able to produce new and more interactive methods of communication. I have written about this idea before, but I’d really encourage businesses that rely on advertising and marketing to rethink how this new technology could allow them to reach new customers in innovative ways, as well as reach out to existing customers in richer and more meaningful methods.
For example, if you own a popular destination in a touristy city why settle for offering a customer a brochure in a hotel lobby when you can engage them in a more emotional way by having them "experience" your destination. Restaurants could offer patrons a view of the entire restaurant and even allow them to select their exact table, and clothing retailers might offer an interactive mirror and allow potential customers to "virtually" try on a new pair of jeans. The list of possibilities is almost endless.
The technology, of course, is not limited to advertising. It can also give teachers a new way to engage students. However, before the technology and its full possibilities can be truly embraced, a number of people will need to unlearn the idea that billboards and brochures are the only way to advertise or that students can only be instructed from a textbook.
