Introduction to Augmented Reality

In today’s world, artificial intelligence and virtual reality are two buzz terms which can be incessantly discussed. However, one other technology that is commonly ignored is augmented reality. As marketers, we’ve got reached a breaking point when it comes to information delivery, with more channels than ever to appeal to our target market. With the rise of social media, vlogs, email, and more, the competition for a brand to carry its audience’s attention is harder than ever.

The Problem of Information Overload

Statistics show that adults are consuming a whopping 10 hours and 39 minutes of media each day, leading to human beings’ attention spans becoming shorter than ever. With an countless media cycle and stiff competition, brands can not afford to appeal to their audience among the time – they must be all over the place the entire time. So, which tactic is best? To answer this, let’s define what artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality mean. Artificial intelligence refers to machine learning, while virtual reality is an immersive computer-generated experience in a simulated environment. Augmented reality, then again, is an interactive experience where the true world is "augmented" by digital technology.

AR vs VR: Which is More Effective?

At the moment, virtual reality is the belle of the technological ball, with a wide selection of applications, from gaming to robotics to marketing. However, augmented reality might just have it beat, especially relating to marketing. Consider the facts: VR excels at digitally recreating a retail showroom, but augmented reality can eliminate competition by placing a single product front and center within the audience’s visual field. Without the necessity for a bulky headset, AR can appeal to people in real time, whether or not they’re on their method to work, sitting on a bus, or walking down the road.

Merging Technology and Reality

The idea of mixing the true world with the digital one is successful with most people. We have concrete proof of this in the shape of the Pokémon GO app, which had people attempting to find monster eggs. Users spent a billion dollars on the app, and the technology to enhance the true world with the digital one hit most people on a visceral level. Now, marketers can present branded messaging to their audience in the very same way, using AR hotspots to direct potential customers where they need them to go.

Reinventing Physical Marketing

Marketers are actually realizing that they will use AR hotspots to direct potential customers to specific locations. For example, Sony Music teamed with mobile marketing firm Landmrk to design an AR-enhanced customer journey directing folks to specific locations. This "treasure hunt" aspect of mixed reality has fueled mass adoption, and so far as marketing is worried, the sky is the limit. You can direct your target market to any hotspot anywhere on the planet – provided they’re interested.

Supercharging Mobile Apps

There may thoroughly be a near future wherein mobile app development and augmented reality are practically synonymous. We’re already seeing loads of big-name brands utilizing augmented reality of their mobile development. One brand that executed this technique to near perfection is IKEA, which launched IKEA Place in 2017. The app acts as a virtual extension of their product catalog, allowing customers to scan a room with their Apple devices and virtually insert various IKEA products.

Going Beyond Hardware

You can bet that eventually, the necessity for AR glasses and goggles might be non-existent. Just like you possibly can overlay a "heads up display" on a vehicle windshield, you possibly can overlay digital 3D technology on a smartphone screen. Certain mobile apps, like Snapchat, are going all in on AR, offering web content overlaid on images of the physical world. Regarding commerce, Snapchat has introduced "Shoppable AR" into its platform, allowing users to advertise products, watch videos, and install apps.

Conclusion

It’s not hyperbolic to suggest that augmented reality will turn out to be a game changer in the identical way the web revolutionized information dissemination. With this tech, we’re taking a look at a tectonic shift, not only in ecommerce, but in the way in which people fundamentally make their purchase decisions. And marketers might be designing the AR strategies that, when implemented, turn out to be the primary digital points of contact between consumers and types. Those who do not get on board with this brave recent world now will likely be left behind later.