Introduction to Augmented Reality in Marketing
Incorporating augmented reality (AR) into brand strategy is not for the faint-hearted. Augmented reality is scientifically proven to be more visually engaging and memorable, and to elicit an emotional response in users – outcomes that each marketer cares about. But for a lot of, it still seems like a nascent technology that is hard to wield and compare against more traditional channels. For marketers trying to integrate AR into their marketing, listed here are a number of tips that could show you how to deliver more impactful campaigns, and showcase its value back to your corporation and clients.
Starting with a Clearly Defined Brief
Before using AR in your marketing, start with a clearly defined temporary. If you don’t have a well-defined reason for using AR to attain your strategic objectives, then don’t use it – use email, paid social, video or one other channel you’re more aware of as an alternative. Make sure you possibly can clearly communicate your temporary and associated objectives to the broader business, so you possibly can bring them on the journey with you.
Considering Your Audience
As a part of your temporary, be certain that that your target market shall be receptive to the technology, that they know the best way to use it, and that they’ve access to WiFi or 4G/5G. Create surveys, perform user testing, and be certain that AR will add value to your audience beyond what you are already doing in your marketing. Think about where most of your audience is; this may help to tell where you’ll deliver your AR solution. For instance, social AR (delivered through Instagram, Snap, TikTok, etc) is smart when you’ve already got an enormous following there; WebAR (web-based augmented reality) might work when you want more freedom and adaptability to deliver AR across multiple channels. Let your audience inform your delivery method.
Choosing Your Channel(s) Wisely
If you’ve a clearly defined objective and audience match, AR could be deployed across your full marketing mix from PPC to brand storytelling, product launches, and more. Think about AR because the glue that strengthens and binds your disparate campaign channels together, uniting their differences and serving a more holistic and immersive customer experience. AR should enhance and complement your existing marketing to drive the strategic objectives that you simply’ve set out. However, if that is your first time implementing AR, it’s possible you’ll want to choose a test channel before scaling it up.
Example Marketing Channels and Objectives
Here are some example channels and objectives to take into consideration:
- OOH: drive brand awareness and PR by integrating AR into your existing OOH creative.
- Email: drive customer retention and renewal rates through an easy, personalized message out of your CEO, co-founder or brand mascot.
- Packaging: repeat purchase and social shares via an easy game mechanic
- Social & live streams: drive brand awareness for a brand new product launch by integrating AR into the live stream of your product over Twitch so as to add exclusive offers.
- Website: drive increased product conversions by adding AR to your website through an easy web embed
Using a Test-and-Learn Approach
Integrating AR with a test-and-learn approach will mean constructing out a minimum viable product or campaign to get early indicators and feedback out of your audience – work in a ‘test, learn, iterate and improve’ cycle. This might be an easy holographic video in AR sent out over email to create a more personalized way of introducing your corporation, services or products. Make sure you’ve a framework for internal experimentation. We use the ‘five Ds’: define, design, develop, deploy and data evaluation. Pick the one you are feeling most comfortable with and stick with it. This will ensure your team, internal stakeholders and the broader business will find a way to know how far along you might be with the method, and the best way to input.
Measuring the Impact of an AR Campaign
Integrating AR inside your marketing strategy requires accurate and easy-to-understand ways of reporting and measuring the impact of your AR campaigns. Set out the success metrics in your temporary; these can range from more granular metrics like QR code scans to broader, business-focused metrics like a rise in sales, an uplift in brand awareness or a decrease in customer churn etc. Track each quantitative and qualitative metrics, too – not forgetting the way it made customers feel, feedback across social channels, and PR coverage.
Conclusion
In conclusion, incorporating AR into your marketing strategy could be a powerful technique to drive engagement, conversions, and retention. By starting with a clearly defined temporary, considering your audience, selecting your channels properly, using a test-and-learn approach, and measuring the impact of your AR campaign, you possibly can unlock the total potential of AR and deliver more impactful campaigns. Remember to take into consideration AR as a tool that could be used across the total customer lifecycle, and to trace each quantitative and qualitative metrics to know its true impact. With the best approach, AR could be a game-changer on your marketing strategy.
