Observations and inspirations from the Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide (OCHWW) team that attended the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive 2016 festival. From virtual and augmented reality to geofencing and gaming in healthcare, our team saw it all. Here are the most impactful topics on display at this year's event.

1. Ann Marie Carrier | Jonathan Ziegel | Janine Salerno
March 2016

4. SAP VIRTUAL
BOARDROOM
Put on a Gear VR headset and
become immersed in a virtual
boardroom, replete with in-depth
and interactive business reports
that appear across the room.
The data recall on these
interactive reports is phenomenal
compared with traditional slide-
based reports. These new data-
visualization features can make it
easier for healthcare marketers to
communicate quantitative data.

5. GILLETTE
Gillette had the longest lines, as
people waited for a chance to ride the
VR rollercoaster at the Pressure
Chamber.
Heart monitors were placed on fingers,
and large-screen dashboards showed
the spikes of participants’ heart rates.
Few exhibits showed the impact of a
great VR experience and engagement
better than Gillette.
The ability to virtually experience
hospital visits, surgeries, and
rehabilitation programs can help
physicians empower and engage
patients prior to procedures.

6. THE CITY OF
QUEBEC
The city of Quebec featured a design
agency that built a VR game called
Time Machine, where the user can
swim alongside prehistoric animals.
A thrilling way to build awareness
about the research being done with
dinosaur DNA.
VR has potential to blur the lines
between education and entertainment;
giving healthcare marketers new
opportunities to create awareness and
educate patients in exciting and
previously unexplored ways.
#Edutainment
http://store.steampowered.com/app/356180/

7. IBM
IBM created a VR experience that
allowed people to ride stationary bikes
throughout the city of Austin, while
dodging trains and adjusting speeds to
accommodate hills.
Most people finished their ride a little
winded from the exercise. This was a
nice example of a fun, activity-based,
interactive engagement.
This technology has huge potential to
help people adhere to their rehabilitation
programs and track performance metrics
by creating entertaining, challenging
exercise regimens.