Virtual and augmented reality are not going away anytime soon, in fact in 2022 the AR and VR market is projected to grow to 8x more than it was valued in 2018, and 71% of consumers said they would shop more often if brands used AR. With the rise of online shopping due to the pandemic customers and retailers have been adopting new innovative ways to shop online and give customers a more tangible product experience. With these stats in mind, it is clear that in the coming years more companies will be adopting AR and VR technology. But which is right for you?
Augmented Reality allows you to see a computer-generated, digital asset on top of the real world around you. This gives the illusion that the digital asset is actually in the room with you. Unlike VR, which has its own digital environment, AR uses your physical environment around you.
Across all industries AR and VR has shown to be enticing. From education to healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, retail and more AR and VR can be used to give students a hands on learning experience, aid in complicated surgeries, assist in building machinery and give customers a confidence in online purchases.
One of the pros of augmented reality is that it is extremely accessible to your customers. Anyone with a smartphone can access the experience, anywhere and anytime. Depending on what you are trying to achieve and the experience you want to deliver to your customers you can use either marker-based or markerless AR. Augmented reality is the perfect technology for marketing materials and mobile experiences.
Burger King did a genius marketing campaign, “Burn That Ad” featuring marker based AR. Users could point their camera at the marker: a McDonald’s print, coupon or billboard and the app would make it appear as if it were catching on fire, leaving a coupon for a free whopper.
The Hot Spring Virtual View™ AR app developed by Reality Interactive helps customers choose any spa, customize it, and view it in the most ideal location in their own home. This experience helps customers understand what they’re buying, connects customers with their local Hot Spring retailer and allows them to share their favorites with a spa specialist.
Virtual reality is a great way to allow your customers to step into another world and let them be immersed by an experience about your brand. Nike has a great in-store VR experience about their supply chain, allowing customers to understand how and where items are being made.
While VR is very enticing it is not as easily accessible as many consumers do not have VR headsets in their home. They do however
\make great in-store experiences and give your consumers a way to engage and learn more about your brand all while encouraging them to share this adventure with their friends and family.
When deciding on which experience is best for your brand first consider whether this is an in-store or at home experience. Then look at your goals, what are you trying to achieve? Brand awareness, increased interest or purchases? And lastly have a trusted implementation partner because anyone can have a great idea but not everyone can implement an AR/VR experience.
For more information contact one of our experts to walk you through how we can help you make your dreams a reality.
