Top 1 replica watches at replicawatches.to.

https://www.upscalerolex.to/

Reality Bites: AR That’s Not Just Novel But Useful Too

Man's hands holding a digital tablet with the augmented reality app which shows the table and the chair in the new empty office.
B&T Magazine
By B&T Magazine
SHARE
THIS



Much has been made of augmented reality (AR) of late. In this opinion piece, Orchard’s senior brand and digital consultant Mikaela Crimmins (feature image) and practice lead, consumer and head of strategy Adam Washington, explain how you can take AR from a fun toy to an effective tool.

2018 was the year ‘voice’ hit the speaker circuit and failed to deliver in both reach and scale.

Meanwhile augmented reality, with its ability to bridge the physical and digital worlds, started to show us that it’s not just here for a good time but a long time too.

While voice is still in its early stages of adoption, platforms like Snapchat and Pokemon Go have accelerated usage and consumer familiarity with AR, broadening its reach and ultimately, its adoption.

Not to mention that it is a technology that fits relatively easily with our natural behaviours (i.e. I don’t need to walk around with a phone strapped to my head – I’m looking at you, Google Cardboard!)

Now, while AR shouldn’t be your marketing campaign, it offers a compelling proposition in its ability to solve real-world consumer problems. And while I’m not advocating for something as immersive as Keichi Matsuda’s world, AR should at least be considered for the following reasons as part of your marketing artillery:

  1. AR is now available in browser

We know that the more barriers we can remove, the higher the likelihood of adoption.

One of the biggest barriers for brands using AR was the requirement to use dedicated apps such as Apple’s ARKit or Google’s ARcore.

But we’re a lazy bunch and for many of us (myself included), this just felt like one too many steps.

The solution for many brands was the development of a highly immersive experience for a select few viewers.

Thankfully, this is no longer the case as browser-based AR is now available, keeping pace with the various apps’ high fidelity and frame rates.

For brands, this means that customers can now launch an AR experience directly from their website, keeping customers in the brand’s ecosystem and lowering barriers to adoption considerably.

  1. Google has added AR to search

At Google’s recent I/O conference, the tech giant announced that 3D Augmented Reality models will now be added to search results.

While this won’t be a feature adopted by all brands and shouldn’t be, it is a great feature for brands where customers may want to give products a sense of scale and place.

For example, if I am shopping for a fridge, I may want to see if that fridge can potentially fit into my pint-sized Sydney kitchen.

Google used the example of searching for a “great white shark”, or shopping for a pair of New Balance trainers where a customer can select ‘view in 3D’ and transform the product into a three-dimensional interpretation.

Offering this service requires no additional technical development for brands beyond the provision of a 3D visual rendering. Farewell, AR apps!

  1. Consumer familiarity

While Pokemon Go was considered a flash in the pan, it did accelerate usage of AR with 800 million downloads.

In 2018, an average of 70 per cent of Snapchat users were playing with an AR lens each month.

This means that usage of AR by consumers for brand engagement isn’t a massive leap, but rather an extension of existing consumer behaviours that bridge the physical and digital.

So, what questions should we be asking ourselves as marketers before we start applying AR to all of our brand briefs?

  • What role is AR playing for my brand e.g. brand immersion, product-trial or education?
  • Could AR be used to increase purchase confidence?
  • Is there a real problem for consumers that AR could solve which would remove barriers to purchase?
  • Am I using AR as a proxy for earned attention? If yes, perhaps reconsider.
  • Is AR my marketing campaign? If yes, perhaps return to the drawing board.

If you’ve answered the above questions and AR still feels like a useful branding and consumer tool, then by all means, adopt away.

Augmented reality technologies now have the scale and ease of use for customers who increasingly find it helpful in search enquiries.

Far from a novel idea, AR is just the newest iteration of the evolving brand experience.

Please login with linkedin to comment

Augmented reality Digital Google Orchard

Latest News

Brisbane Agency Colony Celebrates A String Of Client Wins & Growth
  • Marketing

Brisbane Agency Colony Celebrates A String Of Client Wins & Growth

A new player has arrived on the Brisbane scene – and it’s growing fast. Colony is a strategic communications advisory that started in Port Moresby in 2015, working with major Asia-Pacific clients like the Brian Bell Group, Digicel and Puma Energy. To build a greater capacity to support the Port Moresby office and serve these […]

Mitch Churi Moves Into ARN’s Evening Prime Time Spot
  • Media

Mitch Churi Moves Into ARN’s Evening Prime Time Spot

Mitch Churi has finally nabbed a prime time radio slot on KIIS after slogging it out on nights. Churi will now be taking over the airwaves on KIIS from 7-10 pm on weekdays. So you’ll be able to hear him discuss all things celebrity and pop culture while making dinner – what a vibe. Churi […]

AnalogFolk Group Launches A Behavioural Transformation Consultancy
  • Campaigns

AnalogFolk Group Launches A Behavioural Transformation Consultancy

AnalogFolk Group Launches Behavioural Transformation Consultancy, MindWorks Consulting. Focused on delivering improved business outcomes, the consultancy applies behavioural economics to both marketing strategy and organisational design. In a rapidly changing world, companies need to be nimbler than ever before, reading and reacting at pace to changing market conditions, competitor landscapes and customer needs. New technologies […]

Byron Cooke Announces Radio Return At Melbourne’s KIIS 101.1
  • Media

Byron Cooke Announces Radio Return At Melbourne’s KIIS 101.1

Beloved radio personality, Byron Cooke is back on Melbourne breakfast radio, announcing he will host KIIS 101.1 breakfast this morning and will back behind the mic until February when the Jase & Lauren in the Morning show returns. The announcement follows news regular breakfast co-host, Jase Hawkins, is expecting his third baby any day now. “I’ve been mates […]

Facebook Not High On Hemp Advertising
  • Advertising
  • Technology

Facebook Not High On Hemp Advertising

In what could prove bad news for the entire NSW far north coast region, Facebook's reportedly refusing hemp advertising.