Augmented reality is a technology that digitalises physical products and facilities. It allows companies to engage with their customers in an interactive, immersive and fun way.
Unlike some gimmicky implementations, AR is an effective tool for businesses that want to add value and build brand awareness. Here are some examples: IKEA allows consumers to evaluate furniture in their homes with its mobile app. Gucci used AR to let online shoppers try on shoes virtually, increasing sales and customer satisfaction.
Product Visualisation
Using AR marketing, customers can see what your products will look like in any setting. This allows them to make informed buying decisions that eliminate doubts and concerns they might have after purchasing a product. It also reduces the number of returns and other problems that might arise after a purchase, and can boost customer satisfaction rates.
Unlike virtual reality, which requires bulky video headsets to use, AR is accessible on any smartphone with a camera. This makes it easier for brands to reach more people with their message, without the need to convince them to buy a headset they might not want or can’t afford.
Another advantage of using AR is its ability to create more immersive experiences for customers. This helps capture their attention, and introduces them to your brand to new customers who might not have seen it in other channels. It also allows you to gather data on how users engage with your content and products, which can help improve personalization and increase customer loyalty.
The immersive nature of AR also encourages interaction with your brand. This can be in the form of quizzes, interactive games or even virtual parties and celebrations. It’s an ideal way to build momentum during a new product launch or capture interest at a trade show.
The possibilities for AR are endless. As the technology matures, we will see more companies integrating it into their digital marketing strategies. In addition, the emergence of AR-ready hardware and software will make it easier for businesses to implement this exciting marketing tool.
Virtual Try-On
The digital world has reshaped life as we know it, including how we shop. Augmented reality allows consumers to virtually try on clothing, accessories, shoes, and cosmetics – even furniture and household items – before making a purchase, increasing customer satisfaction and reducing the likelihood of returns.
Virtual try-on is available through AR apps and smartphone cameras that use depth sensing technology, advanced scene capture, and display conveniences to superimpose 3D models on the user’s real-world surroundings. It is a powerful tool that offers significant business benefits to brands that deploy it. For example, IKEA’s “IKEA Place” app lets users digitally place a piece of furniture in their living room to see whether it will fit or not. It also reduces returns and enhances brand loyalty.
In the ecommerce sector, online retailers have jumped on this trend with AR filters and lenses that allow shoppers to digitally try on clothes, accessories, or jewellery while browsing through products on their websites. These types of AR experiences are democratizing and a growing number of consumers are adopting them to improve the shopping experience and make better purchasing decisions.
Luxury brands are also getting in on the action with immersive augmented reality campaigns that use digital tools to bring products to life. Louis Vuitton recently used augmented reality to decorate landmarks and monuments in Paris with colorful dots as part of a collaboration with artist Yayoi Kusama, further strengthening the brand’s image and creating an engaging campaign for fans. The possibilities for AR are endless and marketers who utilize this cutting-edge technology to enhance the customer journey will gain an edge in the competition. With this new and innovative tool, brands can build a loyal audience base while expanding profits in the process.
Wayfinding
The increasing complexity of urban and architectural environments necessitate the use of cues in order to navigate through them. Augmented reality enhances this process by overlaying digital information over the real world and allowing people to access it more easily.
For instance, an airport that uses AR to assist with the navigation of visitors can help them find their way from one gate to another by displaying directional prompts on their mobile device. This eliminates the need for them to search for maps or read complex signage that can be difficult to comprehend in busy environments. The same type of technology can also be used to improve the experience of visitors in a shopping center by providing them with proximity AR marketing and showcasing products that are closest to them.
Cities are utilizing AR to develop wayfinding that helps citizens navigate public spaces more effectively. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Coral Gables, Florida, encouraged children to stay indoors and play with a free, smartphone-based AR app that guides them around their city and highlights key landmarks such as art pieces. Frisco, Texas, is vetting tech vendors and working with department directors to determine what types of info they need in an AR app.
Event planners are also leveraging AR for wayfinding during large, crowded events. The ability to show attendees the location of bathrooms, first aid tents, charging stations and other critical resources is a valuable feature that allows them to make a beeline toward their destination instead of wandering aimlessly. Adding in gamification elements such as sponsored AR challenges and scavenger hunts to augment your event’s wayfinding makes it even more fun and immersive.
Enhanced Information
Augmented reality can help deliver information to customers in a meaningful way. It can be used to provide in-depth product descriptions, to demonstrate complex processes or mechanisms, and to highlight features of products. Hyundai and Mercedes have both been using AR to show off their new car models with augmented manuals and videos. And Sephora uses AR to allow people to test out lipstick or cosmetics before they purchase them.
AR can also add a fun element to marketing. This makes it a great tool for creating engagement and getting people talking about your brand. Pokemon Go is a perfect example. You can take AR to the next level by turning your products into a game or experience that engages users in a creative, interactive way.
Another powerful application of AR is the ability to show information that’s customized for a specific user. This enables you to present products in a contextually relevant way that helps people relate to and encode the information, which can improve their purchasing decisions and build positive associations with your brand.
Lastly, AR can be used to create an enhanced customer experience by linking your real-world brand to your online store or website. This can be done by allowing users to view products in their actual environment through an app or website and can even increase conversion rates by removing the need for a physical interaction.
AR technology is no longer at an experimental, complicated, or expensive stage, so it’s a viable tool for marketers that can be easily deployed to generate sales. With the wide range of marketing applications available, AR has the potential to boost your business and give you a competitive edge in the market.
Training
Augmented Reality has the potential to become a powerful training tool in marketing. It can be used to show customers how to use a product or service, saving them time and effort on learning through a traditional written manual. It can also help with customer retention by ensuring that users have an enjoyable experience from the start.
In addition, AR allows for the creation of digital affordances in a physical environment that assist in customer actions and improve their experiences and decision-making. As the workforce demographics continue to change with more technically skilled workers leaving the industrial world, the potential for AR to offer training could prove invaluable.
A number of brands are already using AR in this way, including telecommunications company Vodafone which uses it in some of its retail stores to provide information about products and services. The AR technology uses the camera in a mobile phone to superimpose text and graphics on top of the real-world environment.
Other examples include the augmented reality application for home furnishings giant IKEA, which allows customers to try out furniture in their homes before making purchases. This enables them to avoid having to return items that don’t fit or look as expected, which saves money and resources for the business.
However, it’s important to note that a lot of the early uses of AR have focused on novelty effects rather than delivering useful content. It’s essential that the technology is harnessed in a way that is both innovative and customer-centric, avoiding the temptation to create all-singing, all-dancing campaigns that are likely to confuse and distract the audience rather than engage them.
