Augmented Reality Is Becoming The New Reality

Last year in May 4Elements Digital wrote a blog titled “Digital Advertising Trends 2020 And Beyond“. Working in digital marketing it’s fascinating to learn about the latest developments and how you can engage an audience in new ways. I am writing this blog from Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar. It’s not the best time to travel but sometimes we are thrown into circumstances when travel is necessary. If you are travelling now, be safe and use common sense. In this blog I want to explore the marketing possibilities of augmented reality (AR). 

First, what is AR? Many of us actually use it constantly. It’s when technology is used to overlay images, texts or sounds into the physical world around us, i.e. augmenting our reality. We often use filters when we chat with friends and family on Facebook Messenger or Line for example. AR is not very recent technology. Believe it or not, it was invented back in 1968 by Ivan Sutherland. He was an American computer scientist and Internet pioneer and invented the first head-mounted display system. 

The term “augmented reality” was not coined until 1990 though. Below is a visual history of AR:

Source: Learning Hub, www.learn.g2.com  

AR can be a powerful weapon in your digital marketing strategy. One big benefit is that it lets consumers “trying it before buying it”. Snapchat is becoming a larger player in augmented reality marketing. In 2018, Adidas and Snapchat partnered up to implement an AR campaign. Snapchat created the AR lens for the Adidas campaign. Snapchat is a hot player in this field and that’s one reason Snapchat’s stock has done well. Here are some AR case studies you can look at further: https://scanar.co/en/case-studies/

AR can also be great way to create a buzz around a brand. It engages people and in the era of social media, a well executed campaign can be memorable and create a solid brand lift. Uber’s campaign in Zurich, Switzerland is a great example of how this technology can be applied to create buzz. Check out the video:

AR users worldwide are growing rapidly. In 2015 users amounted up to 0.2 billion. By 2023, that number is expected to climb up to 2.4 billion (statista.com). You can jump to the link here to learn more about the benefits of augmented reality. 

What are some of the latest trends in augmented reality? This is an interesting development to monitor since the technology will become more prevalent in advertising. 

• Virtual fitting rooms – I think this will take off more and I predict that virtual fitting rooms will become big AR hit
• Sports and events – audience can be engaged on a whole other level and the possibilities for upsells are vast
• AR smartglasses will probably arrive soon – the technology will become more of an integral part of our lives
• AR will become more prevalent in the travel industry – the tourist industry will become more interactive and this is also a great example of “trying it before buying it” especially because vacations usually involve more personal spending. You will be able to visit popular tourist sites before actually booking your trip
• 5G will open new possibilities for AR

There are more trends of course but the above ones are some of the most trending ones currently. The future of AR is golden. The market of AR will continue to be worth more and it has a bright future. I hope you enjoyed reading this brief blog. I will continue to write blogs about various topics in advertising. If there’s a topic you would like me to write about please email me at pierre@4elementsdigitalglobal.com. If you need any help with your digital marketing efforts or you’d like your current paid search audited, contact us here. If you live in Texas like me, I hope that you are out of the winter storms crisis. It was awful and hopefully it will never happen again. Be safe out there!