Augmented Reality: The Future of Brand Engagement
Augmented Reality (AR) is changing the foundations of brand name engagement. With the variety of mobile AR users estimated to hit 900 million users globally by the tip of the 12 months, and three.5 billion by 2022, it’s no wonder that AR promoting is predicted to generate over $13 billion in global revenue by 2022. This growth is predicted to account for over 12% of all mobile ad revenue by that 12 months.
Debunking Common Myths About AR
There are several misconceptions about AR and its advantages to marketers. Let’s take a have a look at a number of the most typical myths and why they’re incorrect.
Myth #1: AR is the Future of Marketing
It’s commonly thought that AR is the longer term of promoting, but this considering ignores the incontrovertible fact that AR is already being created and consumed at scale. For example, retail chain Big W partnered with Snap Inc. Australia to create an AR experience featuring the brand’s toy catalogue. This campaign provided Big W’s audience with a possibility to creatively connect with a standard sales tool, adding a component of fun and play to the general promoting experience.
Myth #2: AR Audiences Lack Buying Power
Gen Z, digital natives aged 13-22, are leading the adoption of AR at scale. AR is of course a part of their on a regular basis media life, and a source of countless creative possibilities. While many see Gen Z as tech-obsessed teenagers, their influence mustn’t be neglected. In the U.S., the National Retail Federation places Gen Z’s buying power at USD$44 billion, with Australian figures being comparable on a per capita basis.
Myth #3: AR Users Don’t Engage with Advertising
The fleeting attention of Gen Z is one other myth that needs dispelling. Attention has simply diversified, and other people, including Gen Z, are selecting to spend time listening to content and types in latest and interesting ways. AR gives brands the chance to create hyper-relevant, hyper-personalized content that features the audience itself and is distributed by them inside their very own networks, making it incredibly authentic.
The Power of AR
The power of AR lies in its ability to permit the audience to have interaction with and personalize a brand narrative. Where previously brand advocacy has been driven by social metrics reminiscent of likes and retweets, AR gives us the chance to create hyper-relevant, hyper-personalized content. For example, Activision and OMD recently ran an out-of-home campaign that gave fans of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare an AR experience via over 450 out-of-home placements across the country. This campaign showed how AR technology can add an additional dimension to the creative toolkit and supply off-the-scale engagement levels.
Conclusion
As AR is adopted by more people, the camera, and the eye it’s given, will develop into an increasingly vital tool within the marketing mixture of advertisers. Indeed, in some respects, the camera itself ought to be considered a brand new channel. While people have adopted AR at scale, we’re only in the beginning of what is feasible. As brands proceed to harness the facility of AR, we are able to expect to see much more progressive and fascinating campaigns that blur the road between the physical and digital worlds.
