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Beginner's Guide to Augmented Reality Marketing

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Beginner's Guide to Augmented Reality MarketingIf you’ve watched a sci-fi movie that came out in the last 10 years and took place in our future, it’s just about guaranteed that there was at least one scene where the main character needed to gather some information.

They probably went to a glass wall. Instantly, the wall transformed into a translucent monitor and our hero got the data they needed by using their hands: they tapped various icons, slid unnecessary info out of the way, organized it as they like, etc.

This looks amazing in films, but there’s a good chance you’ll be seeing it in real life soon too.

Augmented Reality Marketing

This example doesn’t really do augmented reality justice. In fact, comparing it to a sci-fi films sound like more of a gimmick than an actual, functioning gadget.

Fortunately, most of you are already acquainted with augmented reality. If you watch football on TV, you see it every Sunday. Your television shows you a superimposed 10-yard line that helps you understand each play better. People who are live at the game don’t see this line, despite the fact that it’s bright yellow on your screen.

Get A Free Inbound Marketing Plan There are many other examples. Companies all over the world understand that augmented reality is the future of entertainment, education and, of course, marketing.

During the 2014 World Cup, McDonald’s got in on the act by outfitting their fry boxes with graphics that would create an interactive overlay, almost like a hologram, when seen through the camera lens of a customer’s smartphone. Being the World Cup, McDonald’s made the graphic produce a goal that customers could then shoot soccer balls into with their finger on the display.

The Benefits of Augmented Reality Marketing 

There are countless reasons companies are swarming to start leveraging this new technology. Obviously, it doesn’t hurt that augmented reality is just plain cool. Even something as simple as flicking your finger can be a lot of fun when it means augmented reality makes it look like you’re scoring a goal.

However, by its very nature, this type of marketing is highly interactive. It demands the attention of those it targets. People can’t get up and do something in the other room during this type of commercial or they’ll be missing out.

Beginner's Guide to Augmented Reality MarketingIn the future, too, think about what businesses will be able to do with analytics and reporting. Right now, they need to spend a lot of time and money on weighing the impact their commercials had. Someday very soon, though, they’ll be able to see how many people interacted with their ad.

Of course, augmented reality is also great because it leverages smartphone technology so well. Virtually everyone has a smartphone these days and the thought of going even an hour without checking it is hard to endure. Augmented reality marketing is the perfect marriage of advertising and smartphone technology.

 

Augmented Reality Creates a Happier Customer

On top of all this, it’s hard to ignore the fact that augmented reality marketing has the potential to be truly helpful to the consumer. Unsure of buying a certain outfit? Find out how it will look on you. Want to know exactly what you can find inside a store before visiting it? Hold your smartphone over it and search the store like you would with Google.

The future of marketing belongs to those who can harness augmented reality. What was once considered a tenet of science fiction is quickly becoming common sense for companies that want to engage their market better.

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