Augmented Reality is an Effective Marketing Tool

Augmented reality (AR) technology has long become a full-fledged tool for promoting goods and services. Appearing as an element of the entertainment industry, augmented reality has become an integral part of the advertising campaigns of leading market participants. And in the near future, the use of AR technology may become a marketing mainstream.

Content:
1. What is augmented reality
2. How AR technology helps to promote a product
3. Cases of using augmented reality in marketing
4. Augmented reality in marketing - a fleeting trend or is it for a long time?

Promotion of a product, service or brand is a complex task, the success of which depends not only on the efforts invested, but also on the reaction of the target audience. It is especially difficult to “reach out” to a potential client in popular niches against the backdrop of fierce competition. A positive result is often based on the “wow effect” and creativity, because the primary task is to attract and keep attention.

AR (augmented reality) is a technology that allows you to add virtual objects to the real world. For example, an image captured by a smartphone camera can be supplemented with various lines or 3D models. Often these elements are interactive - they can be transformed, repositioned and other manipulations can be carried out.

There are different mechanics for implementing augmented reality. Virtual objects can be "attached" to a specific marker, plane, geolocation. To implement AR technologies, special applications are used that allow you to compose virtual content and an image from the device’s camera. At the same time, the Web AR direction is gaining more and more popularity, which involves interacting with augmented reality through a browser without the need to download third-party software.

This technology is now increasingly used in various fields of human activity. But it has received a special distribution in the world of entertainment, education and, of course, marketing.

Augmented reality is successfully used to promote brands, products, services and various types of content.

The main advantages of using AR technology:

Augmented reality can be a defining factor at almost every stage of the sales funnel. AR content is a good tool for creating a “wow effect” and drawing attention to a brand/product/service. Interactive virtual elements invite the target audience to take action.

A kind of gamification of routine processes has a positive effect on sales growth. Augmented reality allows you to get acquainted with the future purchase in the game mode. Trying on shoes or assessing the suitability of a closet in your room using your smartphone is both fun and practical. That is why AR shopping is becoming more and more popular and everyday.

The principle of AR technology (adding virtual objects to a real environment) predetermined one of the main ways to use it in marketing. Namely, online study / testing of goods.

IKEA and Amazon are using augmented reality technology to make it easier for their customers to choose home goods. Furniture items in the form of AR content can be “placed” in the room, choosing a “new thing” for the interior. It is obvious that this option of searching for “the same” chest of drawers or wardrobe is not only more exciting than studying the photo gallery, but also helps the client to make the best choice.

What is the result:

The opportunity to view goods in the interior is provided by many other companies operating in completely different areas. Take tech giant Apple, for example.

Timberland has installed AR mirrors in its stores for quick “trying on” clothes. Needless to say, such virtual fitting rooms received a good response from visitors. The product selection process has been moved to the plane of entertainment. This favorably affected both the number of those wishing to virtually put on a new “bow”, and the level of sales.

AR applications are often used as an indirect marketing tool as well. A striking example was the game “ATB Arena”, launched by the ATB chain of stores. In addition to the sale of gaming paraphernalia, a stake was placed on increasing customer loyalty to the retail chain. The gameplay of the AR application depends to a certain extent on purchases in the store, so the success of the “ATB Arena” game ensured a positive sales dynamics and increased brand awareness.

Now AR-technology as a marketing tool is gaining popularity at an impressive pace. AR apps and content tend to provide good feedback and value for money. It is obvious that AR-opportunities will become an important element of promotion not only for large companies, but also for medium and small businesses. This is especially true for popular niches in the market, where competition forces you to constantly vary and update the way the product is presented.

There are enough skeptical opinions about augmented reality. It can be assumed that three-dimensional chests of drawers in the bedroom will soon cease to cause a “wow effect”, and virtual shoe fitting will never replace offline shopping.

However, there is much more reason to believe that AR technology has come to marketing in earnest and for a long time. Augmented reality works with the emotions of the target audience. A potential customer is involved in the process, interacts with the product, has fun and plays. AR content is an effective tool for attracting and retaining user attention, and this is one of the most important tasks of modern marketing.

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