Marketing has come a long way in the past decade. Gone are the days when newspapers were the only way to get your brand noticed. Technological advances in both virtual reality and augmented reality have changed the marketing landscape for the better. They have led to products that inform, educate, entertain, and engage consumers of all ages.
Indeed, brands can now present products to potential clients in a variety of ways. Customers can view products as they see fit. For instance, if you are purchasing a new home, you can take a virtual tour of the house from a different location. This would give you a much better feel of the property than static images would.
One of the most game-changing technologies for marketing is certainly augmented reality (AR). AR enables customers to visualize products in 3D before purchasing them. This creates an unrivalled experience that leaves your competitors in the dust.
So, if you’re thinking about using AR for your brand, we have examples of augmented reality in marketing that will inspire you. Get your pen and paper, take notes, and learn how to create the shopping experience your customers desire!
Augmented Reality in Marketing
It’s 2020 and the future has arrived. Indeed, the latest technology is now accessible to everyone on their devices. As a result, customers expect brands to use this technology to deliver unforgettable experiences. Marketing is influenced by the wants and needs of the customer now more than ever before.
This means that your business needs to keep up with new advances to fulfill customer expectations. It’s time to consider how AR can be added to your marketing strategy! After all, augmented reality technology is already used by different businesses. If you fail to utilize it as well, you risk lagging behind your competition.
With augmented reality, you get to create a new customer experience that will result in higher sales, boosted engagement, and increased satisfaction. And soon you’ll see examples of augmented reality in marketing that will help you come up with your own ideas.
But first, let’s find out what consumers think about AR!
Customers and Augmented Reality: Yay or Nay?
You’ve guessed it — it’s a yay! Consumers dig immersive and interactive experiences that augmented reality creates. And we have research that proves that!
According to Threekit, augmented reality is a hit among consumers:
- 71% of shoppers would make a purchase more often if they had AR at their disposal
- 61% of shoppers prefer brands with AR experiences
- 55% of customers think shopping with AR is fun
- 40% would pay more for a product they experience through AR
This doesn’t come as a surprise. AR brings a better emotional attachment than traditional advertising, and we know that emotions influence what we buy. In addition to this, AR technology can engage customers, simplify their purchasing process, and save their time. This is what some of our examples of augmented reality in marketing achieved, as you’ll soon see for yourself.
So, make an AR app to improve user experience and increase brand awareness. Turn your brochure into a virtual shop that customers can access from anywhere. Our point is — utilize technological advances in your favor. By doing this, you’ll stand out from the crowd and offer a unique journey to your consumers.
Here are our examples of augmented reality in marketing to show how valuable this technology is in today’s world.
AMC Theaters
Movies, TV shows, documentaries, they are all an integral part of our everyday lives. People like to unwind by going to the theater and watching someone’s life unfold before them. That being said, there are many movie theater chains across the world, and technology can give you the edge over your competition.
Case in point: AMC Theaters.
AMC Theaters realized that the perfect moment to show new trailers is when the audience is at the movies. That’s why they incorporated AR technology into their AMC app.
The result is a user-friendly mobile app that allows customers to scan movie posters and receive more information about a specific film, including the release date and a trailer. If that movie interests them, they can purchase a ticket on the spot, within the app.
A successful marketing strategy is the one that delivers a message when and where customers want to consume it. AMC Theatres have done this with their app and created an augmented reality experience that both engages and educates their visitors.
But wait, you can learn from our other examples of augmented reality in marketing as well!
Let’s check them out.
IKEA
IKEA is at the top of its game when it comes to delivering unique brand experiences. It offers furniture with fun names that customers need to assemble themselves and those famous Swedish meatballs. But there’s another thing IKEA is known for in the tech world. Namely, it was one of the first companies to use augmented reality technology well.
IKEA launched its IKEA Place app that transformed the shopping experience.
The app places virtual furniture into the customer’s own home, enabling them to see how everything might look if purchased. IKEA Place has gotten great reviews as it is 98% accurate in scale, giving customers a much more realistic portrayal of furniture. So, it deserves to be listed with other examples of augmented reality in marketing in our article.
The home furniture store uses AR to create value for their customers. They don’t need to be in the store to check out new furniture, and there’s an added bonus of getting to see how a chair, a table, or a shelf would look in various places around their house.
Netflix
Netflix has become the number one streaming service provider in just a few years. In fact, the company has over 192 million paying subscribers today. It wouldn’t have reached this number if it hadn’t created immersive experiences for its users. One of those experiences was delivered thanks to augmented reality.
To promote season two of Stranger Things, a hit TV show, the company launched AR/VR lenses on Snapchat. This was a huge hit among the fans of Stranger Things because they could record videos of themselves walking through one of the houses seen in the show. Netflix also added a monster, called Demogorgon, that would pop out of the wall.
By launching this AR/VR lens, Netflix managed to build even bigger hype for the TV show, and enable viewers to get the feel of the Stranger Things environment.
Pepsi
As you can see, our examples of augmented reality in marketing prove that you shouldn’t miss out on using technology to promote products or services. Here’s another company that’s aware of this!
Back in 2014, Pepsi took the use of augmented reality to the next level. It launched a campaign that surprised, and in some cases, scared consumers while showing that a tight integration between technology and message leads to success.
The company installed augmented reality technology in a London bus shelter, encouraging customers to post videos on social media using the hashtag #LiveForNow. With the help of AR, it appeared as if flying saucers, UFOs, and other objects were invading London. The video clips were a huge success, with one of them generating more than four million views.
This campaign showed Pepsi’s playful side and provided customers with an unforgettable experience. It also highlighted the effectiveness of AR when a company does its research and understands its audience. What’s more, Pepsi didn’t use AR to promote its products. Quite the contrary, it believed their consumers would appreciate the experience and share it with their friends, which they did.
The State of Augmented Reality in Marketing
While many brands are yet to use AR, marketers can still learn from businesses that have creatively implemented this technology into their strategies. But, as technology further advances, we believe that AR will become an integral part of many marketing campaigns, transforming the industry for the better.
For now, go over these examples of augmented reality in marketing and think about innovative ways to promote your products and services!
