Scope of Interactive 3D Modelling Technology for Greater Consumer Engagement in India, through Experiential Marketing

Indian markets are getting more complex and demanding with mass media working less. Currently, India stands 4th among the countries with the highest internet users and as internet penetration increases, it is poised to play an increasingly important role in affecting the purchase decisions and giving consumers enough information to motivate them to go to the store to make the purchase. Before the actual purchase the consumer follows, in most cases, a specific evaluation process to narrow down to his preferred choices, based on his individual context- usually his prior experiences with the same/similar product, which experiential marketing can help create. Interactive 3D modelling uses photos or plans from clients, to create realistic 3D models of products, adding "hotspots" which allows the viewer to zoom, rotate and customise the product model over the internet, to highlight various aspects of the product (example carazoo.com). These hotspots simulate the product in operation to the clients. The paper makes use of empirical methodology and is divided into mainly four sections. In the first section we study the existing areas where interactive 3D modelling is being used (in India) and its effectiveness in the purchase process. The second section seeks to identify the demographic groups which are most responsive to this form of experiential marketing. The next section deals with the cost effectiveness and feasibility of using this technology extensively and the last section aims to discover product types in the Indian market for which similar marketing can be done in the future.