_Augmented Reality in marketing activities of companies

Attracting user attention in a world that constantly provides new stimuli is becoming more difficult, but not impossible. Modern technologies which marketers are trying to efficiently use and with their help to achieve previously defined goals  are coming to the rescue. One of the solutions that constantly shock both users and the people themselves who decide to use such technology in marketing activities is Augmented Reality (AR).

The technology itself is already known but its use still raises many emotions – of course the positive ones! Why? Because the digital world pulls us like a magnet, constantly offers new experiences that we are simply thirsty for. Augmented Reality is also a very universal technology that can be used not only in strictly technical areas – i.e. service or production – but also in marketing.

According to the report created by The Drum , it can be seen that the AR technology used in marketing can attract consumers’ attention for over 85 seconds! That’s really a lot! Tell me honestly – wouldn’t a TV commercial that lasted longer than 85 seconds met with your impatience? I can honestly say that in my case – definitely! Now imagine that really in the 21st century – overloaded with all possible messages – you can attract someone’s attention. And thanks to Augmented Reality. Plus, realize that this modern technology can increase user / customer interactions by 20% and improve shopping CTRs by up to 33%.

Consumers are looking for new experiences as much as we are, and just as we are interested in solutions that at the same time not only provide positive emotions, but also help them make a choice (read purchase). Will you think it’s impossible? However, we know from experience that in the context of Augmented Reality we are limited only by imagination, and the technology itself enters the world of marketing with great strides. Where and how is it used? We have prepared a short summary showing the various uses of Augmented Reality in marketing.

Augmented Reality makes the product stand out

There are many products on the markets that are similar to each other. How to distinguish your own in the maze of items offered to consumers? How to show that our product is the best choice?

It turns out that in today’s world new functionalities or distinctive colors are not enough. First of all, what counts is the first impression and that the product stays in the user’s memory. You may think that this is nothing new and EVERYONE knows about it but this is reason why marketers must do their best to achieve their goals. There are a lot of brands on the market that literally bombard consumers with messages. Excessive stimuli mean that people have quickly learned to extract information that is really relevant to them. Originality is often the key to success – and if it leads to friendly connotations on the line ‘product – its use’, then we talk about considerable success.

That is why the first contact with a given product becomes so important. The more surprising, filled with positive stimuli – the better! Why? Because ultimately, there is a great chance that reason will be governed by some positive emotions that we experienced. Just think: it is much easier to decide to buy a service or product if we associate it with something pleasant and if we have experienced this “pleasure” ourselves – it is much harder to restrain from buying. Positive emotions affect the purchase – everyone knows this too but, nevertheless, marketing experts try to deliver them in an increasingly new form. And this is where Augmented Reality comes to the rescue!

The Hot Wheels company specializing in creating cast toy cars decided to use AR technology to increase the player’s experience. A lot of brands appeared on the market, which, following the example of a giant, began to offer the same products and type of fun for relatively less money. That’s why Hot Wheels had to take a step forward while showing that their toys were new experiences filled with positive emotions. Experiences that they have no chance to experience while playing competition toys. This is how a solution using Augmented Reality was created while playing with their product.

Considering that today a smartphone or tablet is no longer an advanced tool (comparing e.g. to HoloLens glasses), the brand decided to use the tablet as a tool that will provide players with new experiences. Using the Augmented Reality technology, the player gains the ability to control what is happening on the track and add obstacles that are not visible to him in real time.

And this is where the previously mentioned sensations – that are provided to the player by Augmented Reality – appears. The user receives a completely new form of fun and experience with the same product. Ultimately, Hot Wheels gained a unique product with an unusual and original presentation, thanks to which the marketing message itself became much more attractive and encouraged even old users to get to know the product again.

Augmented Reality achieves marketing goals

The marketing department must have a clear goal to be able to adapt its activities to the requirements it presents. Must understand the specifics of the industry, customers and the products / services themselves. In addition, more and more often it happens that marketing departments focus not only on the promotion of solutions or the company itself but primarily on increasing the paths or branch of sales, so that – ultimately – the brand can record better profits. If your business doesn’t work that way yet – maybe it’s time to start? 😊

Different activities may be a marketing goal – depending on what the company is most interested in. They can also change or evolve. Adapting to your needs is really a valuable marketing skill – both in the context of cooperation with other people and the achievement of the company’s business goals.

In the case of Anwis (producer of blinds and shutters), the brand set two goals, each of which was to be supported by the use of Augmented Reality. You can read more about the AR application created by our specialists  here or watch here.

The first goal focused on highlighting the brand’s products, which were just one of many. Although the brand itself is quite well-known on the market, its products were lost in the jungle of others and the consumer himself was not aware that he was looking at the Anwis brand offer. Therefore, customer awareness turned out to be crucial.

The second goal was to facilitate consumer decision making and thus to accelerate the shopping path. The AR application created for the needs of the Anwis brand allowed customers not only to get acquainted with the offer of products but, above all, to quickly decide to buy one of them. How was Augmented Reality used in this case?

Anwis has commissioned an application that allows their product to be located in a customer’s window niche. This is a huge convenience because consumers always wonder how the product they will buy will look in a specific space. By giving them an insight, the brand goes significantly ahead because it gives the customer a positive value that he won’t receive from competitors.

In addition, the application using the AR technology has the function of anchoring the product which allows you to see it from all sides. In this way, the customer can easily assess whether a particular type of blinds meets his requirements. In addition, the application itself allows you to measure the length and width of the product which already at the stage of checking the product and its function allows you to determine potential costs. Do not fool yourself, during many purchases, apart from aesthetic issues or certain functionalities, the price is also decisive. Until now, customers who decided to buy blinds had to wait for the representative to arrive. With his help they selected the right product and received a price offer. Today they don’t have to wait anymore! They can do it themselves with the smartphone application. In addition, after adjusting the product in real space, they can receive a quote almost instantly – unbelievable? But true!

With this information packet, the customer makes the final purchasing decision much more efficiently and thus the shopping path is significantly shortened. And all this thanks to the marketing department which decided to use Augmented Reality technology.

Efective cooperation with the client

So far, we’ve focused on products but what about services? It turns out that in this case Augmented Reality can effectively support marketing activities that will not only distinguish us and our services but also improve cooperation with the customer. And this is an example of, for example, ABC Decorator which allows interior architects to sail out into the wide waters.

Traditional architects’ designs are often misunderstood by the client who is not able to fully imagine the room designed by the architect. Augmented Reality allows you to visualize arrangements and work with the client in real space, thanks to which both the architect and the client themselves are sure that they are pursuing a jointly defined goal. Interior architects admit that a piece of paper with the design of the apartment or computer imaging of the space of the apartment are difficult to read. Ultimately, this leads to a situation where the customer doesn’t quite know what to ultimately expect. Furthermore! He has a real impact on changes in the project and the ability to see if his idea will definitely look good.

Thanks to HoloLens glasses, the architect has the opportunity to present the client with the effect of his work. The arrangement of furniture, their colors, spacing between objects, adding new walls, applying textures or colors on them – all this can be seen even before starting work in the apartment itself. If you want to read more about the features of the ABC Decorator solution then be sure to look  here.

In this case, Augmented Reality significantly impacts the positive architect-client relationship and overall satisfaction with the cooperation. The most important, however, is trust, which in this case is built using modern technology. Nobody wants to buy a pig in a poke. In some situations or types of services, the client wants to say loudly “Check!” and in this case HoloLens glasses and AR technology allow him to be sure that the project implemented by the architect at the planning stage meets his requirements.

Augmented Reality in gastronomy marketing

Today we know that AR is not only HoloLens or RealWear glasses but also mobile devices that are used not only by us but primarily by potential customers. The use of everyday tools is more than a brilliant move! What do we do while waiting alone for the ordered dish in a restaurant? Most people take out their phone. What if, while waiting, to provide the customer with additional entertainment? What’s more, using modern technology that will be at his fingertips?

It was this idea that the Hard Rock restaurant came up with, which decided to prepare an application for their customers, thanks to which they could see dishes served by the chef emerging from the menu card. Positive experiences served at the stage of waiting for a meal significantly affected the perception of the brand. In addition, customers could see before the ordering stage how their meal would actually look like. How many times have we encountered a situation where fancy dish names did not necessarily reflect what we had imagined. As mentioned before: no one likes to buy a pig in a poke, especially if he’s hungry 😊

The ability to check how the ordered meal will look will make it easier for the customer to make the final decision. It significantly affects the perception of the brand itself, which meets customers’ problems by providing them with an effective solution – in addition in a very attractive form.

The areas in which Augmented Reality can be used are limited only by our lack of imagination. Modern technology allows not only to experience, but above all stand out, influence sales, build the image of the brand, and even shorten shopping paths. Customers become more and more demanding and this involves creating not only engaged content but, above all, with providing answers and needs here and now.

Marketing departments deciding on campaigns related to materials using Augmented Reality can achieve three times higher clickthrough score than during traditionally conducted promotional and sales activities. And although AR in the marketing strategies of companies is still in its infancy, it can be predicted that, like smartphones in our everyday lives, this technology will become our daily bread. Not only from the customer’s perspective but also in everyday marketing activities.

In the modern world – a world that rushes and evolves from year to year – we focus on keeping up with the challenges. What if instead of focusing on keeping up one step further than the competition? Augmented Reality certainly makes it possible, so why haven’t you tried it yet?

Want to try out Augmented Reality in your industry? Feel free to contact us!