Introduction to Augmented and Virtual Reality
Augmented and virtual realities are able to make their mark in South Africa and may very well be a game changer in visual marketing for the retail and tourism sectors particularly. While much has been written about augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and the more futuristic artificial intelligence (AI), for the mass market in South Africa, these technologies are still the stuff of stories. This isn’t any surprise, as a few of the recent advances in visual search and visual marketing using AR and VR have taken even the worldwide markets by surprise.
Recent Advances in AR and VR
Blippar, best known for its AR marketing prowess, has launched an upgrade to its app which allows users access to a visible search engine through the camera on their mobile device. If you aren’t entirely sure what you’re , it might be difficult to search out the suitable words to explain, and ultimately seek for, that object using traditional engines like google. Blippar’s visual search tool can recognise a whole bunch of tens of millions of things. While some may remain general and only at a category level to start with, items like flora and animals may be deeply specific. For instance, in the event you focus your phone on an orange, the Blippar app is not going to only inform you what fruit you’re looking at, it provides you with locations of nearby stores which sell them, dietary information and even suggest some top-rated recipes.
Commercial Use of Mixed Realities
Another significant breakthrough within the industrial use of mixed realities has come from online auction site, e-Bay. In May, the Australian division released its first VR department store. It allows users to virtually explore products using free iOS and Android apps together with head-mounted device (HMD) hardware. By holding your gaze on a product, it is going to supply you with a 3D rendering of the product, allowing you to explore the item and move ahead to buy.
South Africa’s Place within the AR and VR Market
A number of well thought out campaigns have made it to the local market, but considered one of the most important challenges is to make sure that agencies are usually not simply using the tech for the sake of it. We imagine the retail and travel sectors may very well be the early adopters in South Africa and will have probably the most to realize within the short-term. Experiential marketing using AR and VR is the proper solution to allow potential tourists to experience destinations ahead of time and convert customers who could also be hesitant to make the leap.
Retail and AR
Retail can be a no brainer. While the e-Bay VR store could also be a way off locally, smart use of AR may very well be the actual game changer. Using AR, online-only retailers can create virtual stores in the standard bricks and mortar environment, as done by Net-A-Porter.com. By renting a vacant storefront in a high traffic area and using wallpaper or posters with AR tech, they’ll bring their offering to life within the environment where potential customers are already within the shopping mode. Not only does this allow the e-tailers to breach the digital divide, but it might even be utilized by traditional stores trying to extend their reach into other regions, without the initial outlay of finding physical stores.
Integrating AR and VR into Campaigns
Technology ought to be a method to an end. Spending money for the sake of technology coolness, relatively than specializing in delivering real experiential marketing value helps no-one. The three Cs – Call to motion, Context and Content – of a campaign making use of VR and AR can’t be ignored. Brands need to make sure they deliver the suitable message, at the suitable time, over the suitable medium – exactly because it was in traditional marketing. Awareness should still be done through your normal tactics and media platforms. AR and VR generally form a part of the engagement and consideration phase – resulting in soft conversions. However, they need to all the time be linked to e-commerce platform if there’s one available.
Affordable AR and VR Solutions
Possibly due to futuristic nature of AR and VR technology, many organisations feel that their budgets may not stretch to incorporate this of their campaigns. This misconception ought to be put to rest immediately. AR doesn’t have to be expensive, the tech is now nearby and platform costs have dropped considerably over the past two years. To deliver a fantastic retail pop up shop doesn’t require wearables or perhaps a VR enabled phone. The 360 picture and video technology currently available is greater than adequate to permit customers to experience your product and to proceed to checkout.
Creating Engaging Content
However, where the budget mustn’t be sacrificed, is relating to creating content. Creating a incredible visual experience on your customer ends in a much better probability of them taking the following step within the conversion process and types would do well to position emphasis and forethought into this step in production. But even this won’t break the bank, because the content can easily be re-purposed for other marketing campaigns and mediums. Great video content will all the time pay for itself and may be aggregated across the marketing budget.
Conclusion
The fundamentals mustn’t be sacrificed for the sake of tech. Rather, concentrate on creating engaging, high-value content that delivers something meaningful to the client in a context which is priceless, and with a call to motion which ends up in opportunities to further engage. The rapid advances in technology may be daunting, but with a solid strategy, experiential marketing is a priceless addition to the standard mix. More particularly, AR and VR allow for high-impact additions to your brand narrative. By incorporating these technologies into their marketing strategies, South African businesses can stay ahead of the curve and supply their customers with unique and immersive experiences that set them aside from the competition.
