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Augmented Reality (AR) is 2018\u2019s major marketing buzzword.<\/p>\n
If you’re not familiar with augmented reality, AR\u00a0is<\/a>, according to Wikipedia:<\/p>\n a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are “augmented” by computer-generated perceptual information, ideally across multiple sensory modalities, including\u00a0visual<\/a>,\u00a0auditory<\/a>,\u00a0haptic<\/a>,\u00a0somatosensory<\/a>, and\u00a0olfactory<\/a>.[1]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The overlaid sensory information can be constructive (i.e. additive to the natural environment) or destructive (i.e. masking of the natural environment) and is spatial registered with the physical world such that it is perceived as an\u00a0immersive<\/a>\u00a0aspect of the real environment.[2]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0In this way, Augmented reality alters one\u2019s current perception of a real world environment, whereas\u00a0virtual reality<\/a>\u00a0replaces the real world environment with a simulated one.[3]<\/a><\/sup>[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n AR is more than a buzzword.<\/p>\n AR is an exciting and engaging way for marketers to get in touch with customers.<\/p>\n According to a report<\/a> from\u00a0Digi-Capital,\u00a0 AR technology is poised to become part of the mainstream significantly faster than previously anticipated.\u00a0It is projected, for example, that the market for mobile AR will be worth an incredible $108 billion by 2021.<\/p>\n Global Market Insights predicts that the AR market\u00a0is expected to nearly double in size\u00a0by 2024. GMI notes<\/a>:<\/p>\n As our mobile devices become more powerful and social apps better integrate with AR, brands will use AR to better engage with consumers. For example, using your location, brands could trigger sponsored AR content, which can only be accessed at that spot, at that time. Pok\u00e9mon Go was the pioneer with this idea, and I feel Instagram and Facebook will soon be integrating this tech into\u00a0its platforms. –\u00a0Chris Carter<\/a>,\u00a0Rep Interactive<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Brands want to engage more meaningfully with their customers, and AR technology offers an ideal platform to achieve that heightened level of engagement on social media<\/a> and elsewhere.<\/p>\n According to a Deloitte survey<\/a>, nearly 90 percent of companies with revenues between $100 million and $1 billion are already using some form of AR (or virtual reality) as part of their business.<\/p>\n The ubiquity of smartphones in combination with now widely available AR developer kits makes it easier than ever for companies to close the distance between digital and physical consumer interactions.<\/p>\n Even small businesses and startups should consider this chance to connect their product to the lives of their customers. Companies can combine packaging design<\/a>, printed materials<\/a>, artificial intelligence<\/a>, and augmented reality to create a genuinely engaging digital experience.<\/p>\n Over the years, we’ve seen more and more companies offering AR services to others. For example, we helped Holition<\/a>, a creative innovation studio that among other things, leverages AR, with a logo design<\/a> and business card design<\/a> project<\/a>. Today, Holition works with some of the world’s most exclusive brands (De Beers, TAGHeuer, Louis Vuitton, Lacoste, and many more).<\/p>\n Keep in mind that AR isn’t just about adding something to the real world that’s not already there. It can also mean subtracting something from a person’s view to declutter.<\/p>\n For example, if your company make gluten-free products, an AR app can let the customer look at retail shelves and see just gluten-free products available for purchase (removing the noise of all other products on the shelves).<\/p>\n We looked at the creative ways companies are using AR in their marketing to give you some ideas on how you can incorporate AR in your own marketing strategy.<\/p>\n What has over 200 million published copies worldwide and is almost as popular as the Bible and the Harry Potter series?<\/p>\n If you said \u201cthe catalog from that Swedish furniture company with the meatballs,\u201d you\u2019d be right!<\/p>\n IKEA<\/a> was one of the first to adopt augmented reality when the company added it into the app version of its ubiquitous catalog way back in 2014.<\/p>\n As innovative as it was, that version was still quite limited. It required a copy of the paper catalog present, and the interface was tiny and hard to use.<\/p>\n In 2017 Apple released iOS 11, which included ARKit<\/a>. ARKit is the tech giant\u2019s framework that created the possibility for any developer to add augmented reality to their apps quickly. Ikea quickly took advantage of this and released their newest kick at the AR can: IKEA Place<\/a>.<\/p>\nWill it fit?<\/h2>\n