As the market grows increasingly saturated with traditional digital content, brands are exploring new ways to stand out by engaging more than just sight and sound. Advances in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), spatial audio and other immersive technologies are opening the door to richer, more memorable brand experiences that feel interactive rather than interruptive.
The challenge is knowing how to experiment thoughtfully and how to use these tools to deepen connection without novelty overshadowing their purpose. To help, Forbes Communications Council members recommend some key strategies for delivering sensory and multimodal marketing experiences that feel fresh, immersive and genuinely valuable to their audiences.
Using AR graphics and overlays adds an engaging element to live productions like employee town halls. Rather than switching between screens, companies can now display a 3D, AR screen, like a mobile phone featuring a guest speaker, to appear next to the presenter. Feeds like live stock market data can be overlaid on investor presentations. Engagement is currency, and AR can deepen message resonance. – Karen Quinn, Vizrt
Replace one traditional touchpoint with one immersive layer. Swap brochures for VR demos. Replace flat videos with AR product walkthroughs. When customers experience value instead of reading about it, engagement rises instantly. Immersion works best when it makes real-world interactions more vivid, not when it feels like a tech gimmick. – Anand Sankara Narayanan, Finance House Group
One effective way is to pair AR, VR or spatial audio directly with the product’s core value. For example, Blumhouse has adapted its horror films into VR experiences, deepening emotional engagement beyond the screen. In a different category, furniture and home brands can use AR/VR to let customers visualize how products fit into their own physical spaces, increasing purchase confidence. – Wendi Lu, Martinsen Global
When “marketing” is understood as every moment that forms an impression of a brand, a company liberates its definition of multimodal experimentation. In hospitality design, my company uses visual form, materiality and spatial storytelling to shape how guests move through a space and how it feels. We treat physical design itself as a powerful, multimodal marketing channel. – Stephanie Bunnell, Local Language
Create a pop-up sensory studio where people can try your product in AR or VR with spatial audio, then capture their reactions in real time. Invite them to choose a small branded gift that matches what they enjoyed most. They leave with a memory, not just a sample. – Marie O’Riordan, The Croí Initiative
One way is to use AR or spatial audio to let audiences experience a brand story in context rather than just seeing it. For example, scanning a product or location could unlock layered sound, visuals or narratives that respond to movement, making the experience feel personal, immersive and memorable rather than promotional. – Maria Alonso, Fortune 206
Companies can prototype small, multimodal moments (like augmented reality overlays, spatial audio cues or lightweight virtual reality scenes) that adapt to a user’s context rather than overwhelm them. The key is personalization with clear identity boundaries—experiences that feel immersive because they respond intelligently, yet remain transparent about what’s sensed and why. – Hope Frank, Gathid
It’s effective to treat multimodal experiences as “brand infrastructure.” Multimodal marketing designs how a brand is seen, heard and felt by people with and without disabilities. Experience and accessibility build trust. AR, VR, spatial audio and next-generation technology can express what a brand stands for and means, deepening memory, trust and differentiation far beyond traditional marketing. – Toby Wong, Toby Wong Consulting
One example experiment is AR-enhanced “Financial Health Check” visualizations. This lets users point their phone at an object (like a home or car) and overlay an AR visualization that projects the asset’s future value based on different financial scenarios (e.g., mortgage changes or investment rates). This works because it transforms abstract data into a tangible and highly personalized experience. – Patrick Ward, Vanguard
The B2B conference booth experience needs an overhaul. Rather than boring attendees with yet another product video playing in an endless loop, innovative companies should experiment with VR product demos that allow prospects to engage with products in an immersive way that’s educational and memorable. – Rekha Thomas, Path Forward Marketing
Follow the MAYA principle: most advanced yet acceptable. The immersive experiments that work push novelty just far enough. Spatial audio in podcasts feels fresh but requires nothing new from listeners. AR furniture previews feel futuristic but fit existing shopping behavior. Surprise people without asking them to change. – Christina Mendel, ChristinaMendel.com
Instead of big, flashy VR plays, layer AR or spatial audio at moments of real intent within an ad, a link or a QR code—not to impress, but to help someone feel confident in taking the next step. When the experience connects channels and carries intent forward instead of interrupting it, it feels thoughtful, not gimmicky. – Paula Mantle, Branch
I’m less interested in spectacle and more focused on real value. I’ve experimented with these tools in limited ways, primarily at trade shows, but today they often feel more gimmicky than impactful. If companies do test them, it should be in small pilots where the experience genuinely helps someone understand a complex workflow or decision. If it doesn’t clearly clarify value, it shouldn’t scale. – Kristin Russel, symplr