How Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality Are Changing Marketing in 2021
A new strategy for immersive storytelling
Augmented reality and virtual reality offer a next-level look into the future of marketing and content. Storytelling has always been the foundation of any good marketing strategy and these immersive technologies are providing a new perspective on how content has evolved.
1.9 billion people per month will use AR in 2022, and 3 billion devices worldwide are currently AR-enabled.
With any new technology, many marketers will find themselves trying to figure out how to integrate AR and VR into their marketing mix. We are providing some points to help marketing professionals understand why AR and VR should be part of the strategy and how it’s changing the marketing landscape.
Expanding the Customer Experience
Virtual engagements now offer marketers the ability to add deeper context to the customer experience. VR gives marketers the opportunity to create branded virtual environments and experiences that expands a brand’s influence to more 360º digital customer experiences. The accessibility of these experiences can vary from web-based to app-based allowing for customers to engage without using typical VR headsets or devices.
10x marketers that employ AR see a 10x increase in engagement time, increasing retention, and effectiveness. No brainer!
AR has been the most adopted of the two immersive technologies allowing for more flexibility of use in the enhancement of the customer experience. AR experiences can change the environment around the person — imagine trying on different clothes virtually or try-on cosmetics to find the right look before they even purchase. Experiences like virtual try-on or product visualization are about the customer and give them a chance to build their own brand story.
A Whole Different Shopping Experience
Before ever physically setting foot into an establishment, retailers are working on enriching the shopping experience. Just hanging outside of a store customers might just notice the next level in window shopping with AR display engagements that show off products, information, and lets customers interact with a brand before they step inside.
If they do make it inside, retailers are now providing the most interactive experiences to further brand awareness and increase product engagement. One of the latest AR in-store interactions is the virtual fitting room that allows customers to see themselves in apparel options on a screen to help narrow down selections before actually trying them on. This has led to an increase in sales conversion rates and has drastically reduced returns.
71% of shoppers would prefer to go to stores with a “try-it-before-you-buy” AR experience. Retail is changing and going digital.
There are few other AR shopping experiences that can be found both at home and in-store allowing the customer to get better acquainted with a particular brand or product. Augmented product visualization now requires marketers to rethink shopping online with 3D like photo capability. Intelligent closets, systems that automatically detect colors and materials, and software predicted product details are all part of the future of e-commerce.
Embraced by Social Media
Between AR filters and lenses, and Facebook’s investment into both AR and VR, it should be no surprise that immersive experiences are now deeply connected to just about every social media channel. Not everyone knows the term AR but most likely you have seen it or used it. Also with the adoption of codeless AR, open-source AR tool kits (SDK), and WebAR, creating and using virtual interactions on social media are easier and more effective.
70–75% of people aged 16–44 are aware of AR. This is your target audience.
Effectively used AR brand promotion on social media can influence trends, increase impulse buys, and boost brand engagement.
Employee Engagement and Training
Marketing teams can make use of AR and VR in the same way. Virtual environments can connect everyone with immersive experiences using gamification, visualization, and more. Providing team members with interactive highly customizable content will put marketing teams into a virtual mindset needed to improve overall knowledge and implementation of immersive interactions for your clients.
Companies are turning to AR and VR to recruit, train, and retain their teams. In manufacturing, VR is being used to test potential employees on different parts of a virtual line and how they react to the environment and tools without physically putting them at risk.
The Takeaway
Marketers who embrace and utilize augmented reality as an innovative tool that allows brands to interact with consumers on another level are at an enormous advantage.
Since the beginning of 2020, AR engagement has accelerated by almost 20%, with conversion rates pushing up by 90% among users who engage with AR as opposed to those who do not.
As awareness and adoption continue to grow, it is important for marketers to understand their goals and the technical requirements in order to successfully add AR and VR to their marketing and media mix. Given the range of available options and new production methods required to create these immersive virtual experiences, it is important for marketers to take the time to plan and develop the execution of this emerging technology.
