Imagine being able to show your customers what one of your products would look like sitting on their living room table, or carpet – without actually having to deliver that item to their door. That’s what the concept of AR (or augmented reality) is all about for marketers.
AR is emerging as an incredible breakthrough for the advertising, gaming, and educational industry – changing the conventional spaces that we have to play with on a day-to-day basis – and part of the reason for this is the impact that Pokémon Go has had on the virtual gaming space.
The Birth of AR
If you’re not familiar with the app “Pokémon Go” on a personal level – which seems unlikely given its vast popularity and huge download figures, the game works by presenting “Pokémon” – small graphical sprites – to users through their phones, so that they can see the character imposed into their natural surroundings.
This makes the game far more interactive for a lot of players and has created plenty of viral experiences through people sharing their “captures” with others across the internet.
Pokémon Go has emerged as a fantastic example of what can be done when AR and experiential marketing are combined. However, it’s worth noting that gaming isn’t the only option for this new technological development.
Before gaming in the AR sector even began, various marketers from across the globe were already playing with similar features. For instance – the Lenskart trial room feature allowed people to see a pair of glasses imposed onto their face to determine whether they like the style.
What Opportunities Come with AR?
As augmented reality and virtual reality concepts in experiential marketing become more innovative and engaging, the possibilities are practically limitless. Clothes companies can use AR to show people what they will look like in certain items before they buy them – removing the need to visit physical stores and go into actual changing rooms.
In the same way, furniture selling businesses could use AR to let their customers play with the movement of furniture and styles around their home so that they can see what they would look like fully set up.
In essence, the AR revolution is introducing the concept of the “try before you buy” method of spending – something that’s bound to be popular among the modern consumer, who wants to spend as little time worrying about how they spend their money, or the possibility of returns.
Hotcow is a non-traditional creative agency that specialises in experiential marketing that goes viral. Our campaigns generate buzz through crowd participation, PR, and content sharing. Contact us on 0207 5030442, or email us on info@hotcow.co.uk.
