Augmented Reality in Marketing and E-commerce

Table of contents:

Augmented Reality - What is It?
- What Device Do You Need for AR?
Uses of Augmented Reality in Marketing - A Recipe for Engaging Customers
Uses of Augmented Reality in Ecommerce
Augmented Reality in Marketing and E-commerce

Augmented Reality - What is It?

Augmented Reality is a combination of the real world and the computer-generated world. How is it possible? Well, the image of the real world captured by the camera lens combines with a computer-generated image. This way, we create the illusion that virtual objects appear in the real world. So, how is augmented reality applied? We encounter the simplest uses of augmented reality every day, mostly through television. For example, AR can be seen while watching news footage - it's the important information displayed at the bottom of the screen. Another example of augmented reality in everyday life is sports events broadcast on television or streamed online (live video). Interestingly, we have already become so accustomed to this solution that its absence would be considered something strange and unusual. Of course, we're talking about the scoreboard and additional statistics from the games, which are usually displayed in the upper corner of the screen during a match.

What Device Do You Need for AR?

We've already mentioned that TV and computer broadcasts are one of the simplest ways to experience AR. However, it turns out that this is not the only solution when it comes to this technology. Augmented reality is supposed to help experience new sensations, and, as you may guess, it's virtually impossible in the form discussed above. At this point, we can use special devices called augmented reality goggles. Gadgets such as Google Glass or HoloLens 2 enable greater interaction with the virtual environment. All you have to do is put professional equipment on your head and it will enhance the impression of the presence of virtual objects in your environment! Thanks to controllers you can interact with the environment. If we combine it with voice control, we get a device that allows us, at least for a moment, to immerse into virtual reality. Check out the video below to see the possibilities of HoloLens 2: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIHPPtPBgHk[/embed] This type of equipment is currently extremely expensive and not everyone can afford it. Fortunately, with the help of smartphones, most consumers are able to interact with augmented reality in a simplified, but still interactive form. It's worth mentioning that e-commerce stores using augmented reality in marketing and advertising are the biggest winners now.

Uses of Augmented Reality in Marketing - A Recipe for Engaging Customers

The real boom in augmented reality technology for marketing happened when the game Pokemon GO was released. It immediately became a global phenomenon, discussed by all news portals, TV shows, and newspapers. The game is based on geolocation technology and allows users to traverse the real world in search of virtual Pokémon. Thanks to augmented reality technology, users can use their smartphones to see the Pokémons they are looking for and try to catch them. The video below shows how the game combined the real world with virtual reality: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWtDeeXtMZM[/embed] A popular music producer, Marshmello used the emerging popularity of augmented reality in marketing by presenting a simple game on his Instagram that involved using the phone's front camera to visualize falling marshmallows with the artist's image. Users could “eat” the marshmallows, while accompanied by the artist's music. The Instagram filter proved to be extremely popular and was used over 3.2 million times in the first 48 hours! Below you can find a video that shows how the filter works: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YAoxWlbLJ0[/embed] The last example would be how Netflix used augmented reality in its marketing and advertising campaign to promote the new season of the Stranger Things series. The filter available on Facebook allowed users to immerse in the world known from the series and see the Stranger Things characters in the real world! You can probably guess that the video quickly went viral. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivIx-RBBzko[/embed]

Uses of Augmented Reality in E-commerce

The growing popularity of AR in e-commerce allowed customers to test the products offered in the store without having to buy them. This has helped to increase sales and reduce the return rate of products that appeared to fit the décor perfectly but turned out to be quite useless in reality.

IKEA Place - A Flagship Example of Augmented Reality in E-commerce

IKEA Place is an application that uses the smartphone camera to scan the room surface and then place furniture offered by the store in it. This allows the user to predict what the product will look like in their home and quickly see if the item matches the style of the decor. To see how the app allows users to plan furnishings, check out the video below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UudV1VdFtuQ[/embed]

Sephora Virtual Artist App

Sephora is an international store that sells cosmetics such as lipsticks, eye shadows, and powders. The company quickly recognized the potential of augmented reality in e-commerce, especially in the beauty sector. The application they created allows you to check whether a given shade will suit your complexion, thus helping customers make more informed decisions which translates into greater satisfaction with the purchase. The Virtual Artist service available in the Sephora application replaced popular cosmetic testers and can be used without leaving home. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFApcSocFDM[/embed]

Moscot Virtual Try-On

The last example in this article will be Moscot, an eyewear company. The Virtual Try-On service to their site allows customers to try on glasses with the use of a web browser and a camera. According to the data published by the company, the implementation of this functionality helped to increase conversion by 600% and reduce the number of returns. [caption id="attachment_49005" align="aligncenter" width="602"]

Source: eu.moscot.com[/caption]

Augmented Reality in Marketing and E-commerce

The world is changing and if you don't want to stay behind, you have to keep up with the trends. Despite the fact that AR technology is relatively young, it’s already an effective marketing tool. The combination of the real and virtual worlds has given advertisers new opportunities. Of course, it's worth remembering that although augmented reality in e-commerce can bring numerous benefits to your business, not everyone will be willing to use it. Therefore, before you decide to use augmented reality in marketing, determine your target group and decide if such recipients are likely to benefit from the app you're about to create.