The Advice
LUDCI.eu editors
In a world where traditional meets the extraordinary, augmented reality (AR) marketing stands as the bridge between imagination and reality. It’s not just about captivating visuals; it’s about revolutionizing the way your brand engages with its audience. As we delve into the realms of animated posters, scannable products, and interactive product registers, the journey unfolds, promising a future where brands are not just seen but experienced.
Animate Posters
Adding animation to posters can bring them to life and create an interactive experience for viewers. By incorporating movement, audio, and other elements, posters become more engaging and entertaining.
These days, it is not uncommon to find printed posters, flyers, and other advertisements, as well as smartphones. By combining these two mediums, it is possible to create remarkable augmented reality marketing initiatives that make your messages come to life.
AMC Cinemas has launched a campaign that brings movie posters to life when viewers point their smartphones at them. An example can be seen here.
Activating the AR feature produces a plethora of information, such as trailers, cast and crew details, and ticket purchasing options. Being that inbound marketing is designed to further educate prospects, this particular AR Technology trend can be applied to a vast range of businesses for a variety of purposes.
Products that are Scannable
Consumers can use their phones to scan items on shelves and access more information directly on their devices. This includes customer ratings and additional details such as dietary facts or recipes, especially for food products.
As Chris Marr shows in the video linked here, Heinz Tomato Ketchup has had the potential for this for quite a while.
The sauce company has made a clever inbound marketing move by providing additional value to their products in an exciting fashion. This form of augmented reality marketing is easily replicable for various items. For example, it can be used to offer fashion advice for clothing or fishing tips for angling supplies.
Test Out Before Deciding your Purchase
The makeup trade has made extensive use of this, such as the advanced version Sephora released last year (shown here).
Clearly, the benefit of utilizing this tool is allowing customers to try out various beauty products and experience augmented reality effects, all without needing to physically apply them.
Customers can potentially save a great deal of time by trying out a vast selection of products through Sephora before they make a purchase. It is an entertaining way to interact with the brand, which gives it a competitive advantage.
If your business doesn’t involve selling makeup, there’s still a chance to leverage the potential of augmented reality marketing through the concept of “try before you buy.” This approach is particularly beneficial for clothing items, but it can also be applied to any products intended for home display.
By utilizing AR technology, you can showcase how ornaments or decorations would appear in different locations, like the living room or bathroom. The possibilities are only constrained by your creativity.
Interactive Product Registers
Interactive product registers have become more and more popular over the years as an effective way to showcase and promote products. They enable companies to offer a wide range of products to customers while allowing customers to easily find what they need. Customers can browse through the catalogue, look at product details, and make a purchase quickly and conveniently. Interactive product catalogues are an excellent way to increase sales and customer satisfaction.
Augmented reality marketing technology has been used by the supermarket chain Tesco in an innovative way through their Home Book catalogue. As demonstrated in the video, the catalogue has been completely revamped and now features items such as cups and cushions that pop out of its pages.
The Tesco Home Book is an excellent tool that is both practical and enjoyable. It features a “Cushion Visualizer” where customers can try things out before buying, as well as lots of product information and buying options. It is highly evident that this book serves an inbound marketing goal – to engage and educate customers about its offerings.
Augmented Reality Marketing: Going Beyond “Fun”
Augmented reality marketing must serve a purpose beyond mere entertainment. Without a meaningful objective, it risks being dismissed as a mere gimmick. Consequently, investing heavily in augmented reality marketing may yield no return once the initial excitement wears off.
Enhance Customer Engagement and Education
Augmented reality marketing has the potential to revolutionize the way customers engage with products and learn about their features. By incorporating AR technology into marketing campaigns, companies can create interactive experiences that allow customers to virtually interact with products, explore their functionalities, and gain a deeper understanding of their benefits. This not only increases customer engagement but also enhances their education about the product, leading to more informed purchasing decisions.
Drive Online and Offline Integration
Augmented reality marketing can bridge the gap between online and offline experiences, creating a seamless integration that maximizes the impact of marketing efforts. By incorporating AR elements into physical stores or packaging, companies can provide customers with interactive experiences that blend the convenience of online shopping with the sensory appeal of in-person browsing. This integration not only enhances the overall customer experience but also drives traffic to online platforms, leading to increased sales and brand loyalty.
Personalize the Shopping Experience
With augmented reality marketing, companies can personalize the shopping experience by allowing customers to visualize products in their own environment. By leveraging AR technology, customers can virtually place furniture, decor, or clothing items in their homes or try on virtual makeup before making a purchase. This level of personalization not only increases customer satisfaction but also reduces the likelihood of returns or exchanges, as customers have a better understanding of how the product will fit into their lives.
Form a Distinctive Brand Interaction
Certainly, augmented reality can create incredible experiences. For example, Pepsi’s AR-powered bus shelters in London offered passengers a futuristic experience, as shown in the video.
Pepsi Max’s ‘Unbelievable’ campaign perfectly aligned with the company’s vibrant and youthful brand identity. With a focus on maximum taste and zero sugar, the campaign showcased captivating visuals of robots, monsters, and flying saucers creating chaos in the streets. This extraordinary marketing approach complemented Pepsi’s fun-loving image, capturing the attention of consumers.
Although Pepsi is a large company, it can still serve as a model for those with smaller budgets. Even if you cannot replicate Pepsi’s AR campaign, there are still valuable insights to be gained from it.
Finding ways to bridge the divide between the digital and physical realms is crucial. Regardless of the product, uncovering something truly captivating and relevant that can seamlessly blend into the everyday environment in 3D form can create a memorable brand experience, setting you apart from your competitors.
Creativity will be your beacon of hope, and you may just be able to come up with a memorable augmented reality marketing effort.
By incorporating augmented reality into your marketing strategy, you can provide customers with a unique and interactive way to engage with your brand. Whether it’s through virtual try-ons, immersive product demonstrations, or captivating AR campaigns, the possibilities are endless. Embracing this technology will not only set you apart from your competitors but also leave a lasting impression on your target audience.
Featured photo Nina Uhlikova: https://www.pexels.com/el-gr/photo/725255/
