Technology communications provider Advanced Micro Devices, releases its Virtual IT Experience today with eight IT industry partners, including Microsoft, Oracle and HP. The Virtual IT Experience is a media rich, three dimensional online trade show experience targeted at business leaders and purchasing agents.
The Web site at http://virtualexperience.amd.com includes an interactive interface that uses the trade show model to present visitors with company product information, live chat support, video keynote speeches, whitepapers, voiceovers, spec sheets and branded swag.
“Everyone in the marketing world has the same problems: how do we get information to our customers?” said Paul Dodd, worldwide commercial marketing manager at Advanced Micro Devices, Sunnyvale, CA. “We created one vehicle that reaches across four generations.”
The interactive game aspect of the experience will present material from older business leaders to a younger, tech savvy generation, he said. By centralizing information typically found at trade shows in an online, accessible platform, it becomes a cost-affordable option for small business owners who normally don’t have the budget or time resources to attend trade shows in person.
“When you look at online development, we’ve gone from a no-information age to an information age to an information overload age,” Mr. Dodd said.
Each technology partner is represented at the show by a virtual booth that users click on to learn more. Users must submit virtual badge information for access to corporate information, trinkets or to enroll in a “Power of Cool” sweepstakes. All general information on the site is available to the public.
“Our primary goal is to get information out to individuals,” Mr. Dodd said.
Advanced Micro Devices did not set specific goals around badge registration. It will monitor engagement metrics including site visits, time spent and downloads.
“It’s going to blow away views for most 2-D Web sites,” Mr. Dodd said.
He said the Experience aims to align Advanced Micro Devices as a leader in the industry.
“The complexity [in the IT industry] isn’t going down its going up,” Mr. Dodd said. “It’s hard for any one person to keep up with all of the changes. I believe the future of marketing in general is how can we be more responsible? If you make it easier for your customer [to access industry wide information] everybody wins.”
