Introduction to Augmented Reality
The Pokémon Go craze of 2016 was certainly one of the primary widespread uses of augmented reality (AR). It saw kids around the globe use mobile phones to seek out cartoon characters of their real-world neighborhoods. If a baby successfully found a Pokémon, then a computerized animation of the creature would seem on their handset’s screen, superimposed on top of the particular view through the phone’s camera. This proved irresistible to tens of millions and tens of millions of young users. But are adults equally impressed by way of AR?
The Use of AR in Consumer Brands
Since Pokémon Go’s success, a growing variety of consumer brands are continuing to embrace AR, similar to Coca-Cola and US whiskey Jack Daniels. You use your phone camera to scan a QR code on the can or bottle label, and an animation or video pops up in your screen. But does this use of AR remain a novelty, a gimmick that almost all people ignore, or does it actually increase consumer engagement and sales?
Examples of AR in Action
In 2021, US soft drink firm Jones Soda introduced its first AR campaign, which it called Reel Labels. If you scan a picture on the bottle labels, then it transforms right into a short video. The firm partnered with an initial 15 so-called influencers, including a skateboarder, a breakdancer, and a BMX bike rider. Since then, the firm’s customers have been in a position to send in their very own videos to be featured. And last 12 months, Jones Soda worked with music labels Sub Pop and Hardly Art to advertise videos from greater than a dozen recent bands.
The Benefits of AR
"A brand’s packaging is so rather more than a container for a product," says Bohb Blair, Jones Soda’s chief marketing officer. "It’s now a possibility to make a consumer’s moment together with your product special. Content is an incredible method to try this, and AR is a fun and convenient distribution vehicle." Another drinks business that has used AR to attach with the music industry is Estonian milk brand Tere Piim. In 2019, it joined with the Eurovision Song Contest to enable customers to see mini digital animations of that 12 months’s entrants perform on their kitchen counters and tables. All that they had to do was scan a label on the milk cartons.
Expert Opinions
Stuart Duff, a number one business psychologist, says that AR might help products seem more "interesting, engaging and memorable". "Research has highlighted that using AR not only captures our attention more quickly but in addition increases the likelihood of committing information to memory. So while AR may seem to be a gimmick, it offers a real alternative approach to lodging brands in our psyche." Jenny Stanley, managing director of Appetite Creative, a Madrid-based tech and marketing firm, says that a product’s label is already an example of "extremely targeted marketing", whose effectiveness only increases further when AR content is added.
The Importance of Quality Content
Yet, as Ainars Klavins of Overly cautions, content is vital. And by that, he implies that what the AR offers needs to be interesting and interesting. "The key point here is that quality content for augmented reality is important. I all the time say that AR content should either encourage, educate or entertain. It has to do at the very least certainly one of those things to rework from a novelty tech right into a strategic tool that drives business value."
Conclusion
In conclusion, AR is becoming increasingly popular amongst consumer brands, and its use can increase consumer engagement and sales. With the precise content, AR could be a powerful tool for businesses to attach with their customers and make their products more memorable. As technology continues to advance, we will expect to see much more revolutionary uses of AR in the longer term. Whether it’s through interactive labels or immersive experiences, AR has the potential to revolutionize the best way we interact with brands and products.
