In the fast-evolving landscape of digital marketing services, businesses are increasingly turning to augmented reality (AR) to captivate their audience. We’ve gathered insights from Marketing and Creative Directors on how AR can transform customer engagement. From transforming engagement with AR to exploring audio AR as the next marketing frontier, here are four compelling examples of AR in action.
Transforming Engagement with AR
In our experience, augmented reality (AR) has transformed how we deliver information and engage with our customers. AR allows us to provide information instantly, regardless of location. With just a headset or similar device, users can virtually experience past events as if they were there, making learning and traveling exceptionally immersive and interactive. This technology profoundly changes our perception, enabling virtual elements to appear or disappear in our view, and altering sounds and other sensory details.
One specific example of how we’ve used AR in our marketing efforts is through a virtual shopping experience. With AR, the adage ‘what you see is what you get’ truly comes to life. Customers can see and interact with products in a highly realistic way, making purchasing decisions easier and more informed.
They can visualize products in their own space, understand features up close, or see how different options would look—all before making a purchase. This capability not only enhances customer satisfaction but also revolutionizes the shopping process, allowing people to buy anything they want, anytime, anywhere.
Precious Abacan, Marketing Director, Softlist
AR Try-Ons Boost Customer Confidence
If a business wants to leverage augmented reality (AR) in digital marketing to engage customers, one effective strategy could be implementing an AR-enabled product try-on feature. This could be particularly useful for fashion, beauty, or home decor businesses. Here’s how it could work:
- Interactive Product Demos: Customers can use their smartphones or tablets to see how a product would look in their own space or on themselves. For example, a furniture store might let customers visualize how different pieces would fit in their living room.
- Enhanced Engagement: This interactive experience entertains customers and helps them make more informed purchasing decisions, increasing their confidence in buying the product.
- Integration with E-commerce: Link the AR experience directly to the product pages on the website, allowing customers to go from visualization to purchase seamlessly.
- Data Collection and Analytics: Analyze how customers interact with the AR features to gather insights on preferences and behaviors, which can be used to tailor the marketing strategy further.
This approach increases engagement by making the shopping experience more interactive and personalized. It also enhances the effectiveness of marketing campaigns by providing a novel way for customers to interact with products before purchasing.
Daniel Bunn, Managing Director, Innovate
Innovative AR Marketing Enhances Interactivity
We collaborated with a tech partner to create an AR experience integrated into a widely used search platform. Users searching for specific fashion items could access an AR feature directly through their smartphones.
By selecting the “View in 3D” option in search results, users could visualize virtual models of fashion products within their real-world surroundings. This interactive feature allowed potential customers to see how items looked and fit before making a purchase.
The AR campaign transformed the digital shopping experience by offering a more immersive and realistic way for customers to engage with products online. This innovative use of AR not only enhanced user engagement but also bridged the gap between online browsing and in-store try-ons, ultimately driving higher customer satisfaction and conversion rates. This example showcases how design agencies can leverage AR technology to create compelling digital marketing campaigns that improve customer interaction and shopping experiences.
James Sanderson, Creative Director, EverydaySomething
Audio AR Is the Next Marketing Frontier
Audio Augmented Reality (AAR) is about to become the next big thing. Without the need for any hardware other than your phone (and ideally, a set of earphones), AAR is super accessible and just as powerful as its visual AR counterpart. On its simplest level, it could be as basic as an audio tour of a city or your facility.
But we’re working on AI-enabled AAR applications now that transport users to another universe through audio. Imagine an escape-room-like game that you can play in the real, physical world, guided by audio cues; or a continuation of your favorite show, movie, or video game powered by rich, immersive sound design. It’s an incredibly powerful way for brands to connect with consumers in the same way that real-world experiential events do, but at a fraction of the cost.
Eric Singer, Executive Creative Director, Coupe Studios Music + Sound Design
