A few months ago we reported about an emerging new virtual reality application known as Zeality.
The young startup, founded by Silicon Valley mainstay Dipak Patel, is joining others in racing toward the pot of gold sitting at the end of a 360 video rainbow. This is a competitive race, with heavy hitters like YouTube and Facebook crowding the field. However, Zeality is revealing today that it will be running with a few power punchers of its own.
Top brands such as Reebok, Visa, RYOT, and the San Francisco 49ers will be creating their own channels on Zeality and producing the content to fill them.
These are all brands with demonstrated proficiency in marketing and advertising and each of them will be “contributing to a pipeline of immersive content that will drive more end-users to discover, create and share VR and 360 video.”
In its own words, Zeality is a company which aims to create an ecosystem that, “partners with brands and creators to build interactive content with customizable levels of engagement to link with their most important audiences and drive business profitability.”
The app distinguishes itself from other 360 aggregators, like YouTube and Facebook, through a heavy focus on artist empowerment and monetization. Content creators on Zeality are able to grow a committed fanbase of in-app followers in a way that is reminiscent of other social artistry sites such as Spotify. The creators then have the option of charging users for their content.
Zeality’s unique platform has already proved sufficient to entice the more traditional organizations, such as sports teams, into its waters. The San Francisco 49ers already used the platform to introduce its new head coach, Chip Kelly, earlier this year.
The team will now have Zeality channel providing “unique behind the scenes experiences and unprecedented access, delivering new and previously unattainable perspectives,” according to Robert Alberino, the 49ers VP and Executive Producer.
RYOT, Reebok and Visa, will similarly use their channels to promote their respective brands, and provide their audiences with creatively immersive experiences.
As the 360 video becomes more mainstream, the chances increase that a “YouTube of VR” will rise. Zeality is one of the few companies actively pursuing this vaunted crown, and one of even fewer that is taking measures of this scale to secure it.
