Expanding Immersive Media in El Salvador with BuzzFeed
Bursts of laughter and humor fill a classroom of 70 students in a Sociology of Communications class at the Universidad Tecnologica in San Salvador.
Students laugh as their classmates shriek as they experience a rollercoaster app on The Oculus Gear VR. The class is being taught by Carolina Fuentes, former Primer Impacto Reporter on Univision. This is the first time a virtual reality technology training is delivered in an academic setting in the country.
I was invited to give a VR class titled “The Future of Media and Virtual Reality.” The students are currently learning how media and technology have an effect on health and society. With this in mind, I pulled case studies from BuzzFeed on the effects of fictitious news during the 2016 US Presidential election, how algorithms play a role in our lives, leading up to the future of media by way of virtual reality.
Expanding Immersive Media and Brands in LATAM
Millennials and Generation Z growing up in Latin America are connecting with new brands in ways their parents could never have imagined. This will be the first generation that builds a relationship with the media brands such as BuzzFeed, RedBull, and Facebook. While there are many cultural differences and of course, economic realities, the fact is that for any brand looking to establish a relationship with audiences across LATAM region, the correct approach is to show up both on the newsfeed as well as in person.
How BuzzFeed and Perolike are Making an Impact
For those that have been living under a rock, Pero Like is a BuzzFeed initiative dedicated to making content that resonates with English-speaking Latinx. And while these Salvadoreños speak English as a second language, the fact that they see people who look like them on viral media under a major platform such as BuzzFeed creates a sense of pride and admiration, similar to their relatives in the United States. With only a few exceptions, media has no borders and content strategists should keep this in mind.