Launching your Product with Augmented Reality
The Covid-19 Pandemic has presented a myriad of challenges to every business in every corner of the globe. The unprecedented disruption to physical marketing and POS has resulted in many companies struggling to imagine how they will present their brand and product to the world.
Where once events provided an opportunity to create a human connection, we are now left with warehoused products and siloed audiences; and where retail spaces once offered a chance to buy, try and explore, we are now left with a two-dimensional surface that doesn’t afford the same level of connection that physical retail once did.
The unique affordances of Augmented Reality (AR) in all its forms presents a solution to some of the problems that we’re all currently facing. As experts in AR technology INDE’s team has been developing and enhancing ways to help brands and agencies navigate our new reality.
Help! How can I launch my product without a live event?
We’ve already seen how product launches have been badly affected by social distancing regulations around the world. We know that brands thrive by making their new products available in immersive live spaces to generate interest from consumers, customers and the press. How do we achieve these benefits in today’s “at home” environment? VR Streamed Live Events represent a unique crossover between live broadcasting and virtual reality content.
How does it work?
The mainstream proliferation of VR headsets means that Virtual Reality may finally have a moment to shine in these “WFH” times after years of promise. While VR is not a catch-all technology, for those looking to add a layer of "in the room" immersion it's a great tool for the job.
Virtual Reality is not just limited to just 360 videos, where users can look around themselves with some sense of depth: it's possible to stream the full gamut of current videos in 2D, 3D, 180, 360 monoscopic, stereoscopic, either live or on-demand within a virtual environment such that a viewer can consume all of them seamlessly without needing to take the headset off.
Needless to say, brands and agencies have to ensure their audience have the hardware at home. Some have recently elected to ship hardware to customers such as Oculus Go as part of their promotion.
Why does it work?
High brand engagement and positive brand association
Participants can experience all the joys of an event from the comfort of their living rooms
Viewers don’t just watch the event; they experience it up close and personal
Organisers can provide exclusive content such as a visit in the backstage
Costs likely still lower than a people-attended live event
Shoot equipment can often be rented, reused for ROI
Help! How can I demonstrate my product without a physical space to do so?
After a brand has launched a product using an event comes the hardest task of all - getting people to come into stores to “try and buy”. With bricks and mortar stores closed, many brands are left with no space to demo their products and nobody who can travel to view them either. WebAR represents a unique, three-dimensional way to allow customers to try, explore and customise your product in the comfort of their own home.
After a brand has launched a product using an event comes the hardest task of all - getting people to come into stores to “try and buy”. With bricks and mortar stores closed, many brands are left with no space to demo their products and nobody who can travel to view them either.
How it works
Unlike traditional augmented reality on mobile, WebAR doesn’t need an app download! Users simply navigate their device to a website via their browser, which then loads a page that creates an augmented reality experience. It removes a massive barrier to entry for brands and gives brands a chance to target people quickly and easily.
Augmented reality on mobile gives a huge opportunity for brands, and WebAR is no different. The system is capable of delivering 2D and 3D models right to users physical space. It offers the chance for brands to place their product in people’s homes, allowing to visualise ownership and lead to higher sales as a result.
Hardware-wise, WebAR will work on all latest generation Apple and Android devices and even some earlier systems!
Why it works:
It puts the product directly in people’s hands
Its safe, cost-effective demonstration tool without the need for costly shipping/returns
Its simple to implement cross-platform: you can link a WebAR content just like any other kind of content over multiple marketing channels, such as out of home advertising, social media posts, email, messaging, etc.
It removes the barrier of app download
It has a rapid deployment time
It can be run on any browser: unlike some native applications it works on some older devices as well
Help! How can I engage people at home other than by buying advertising space?
With customers out of stores, malls, and streets brands are finding it hard to get close to people. With “ad fatigue” increasingly prevalent even before the pandemic, many brands are having to find new ways to achieve the engagement required to keep prospective customers interested. MobileAR and AR gaming provides brands the opportunity to engage, entertain and promote their brand using cutting-edge augmented reality tech that's available from people’s mobile devices.
How it works
MobileAR apps provide higher levels of user experience through high-quality 3D and gaming techniques, keeping users engaged - and returning for more. Once users download an app they can experience rich layers of 3D gaming that take immersive gaming to a whole new level. Games and experiences can range from simple quiz-style to elaborate multi-layer games, each embedded into their own physical environment (or even product packaging).
AR gaming and experience-creation techniques take a brand outside of the conventional advertising media mix, increasing the opportunity for long-term engagement, loyalty and brand affinity.
Why it works
It ties brand, product and engagement together in one system
It extends brand beyond conventional advertising spaces such as TV or online
Its immersive gameplay possibilities and more realistic simulation games comparing to a non-AR mobile game
The ability to play an AR game requires physical activity and sometimes a face-to-face social interaction too
It offers a realistic first-person experience: users can actually present in the game with their own physical body
Augmented Reality Facebook Ads
You can now use AR camera effects in Facebook ads, enabling consumers to interact with brands and products on the Facebook’s Mobile News Feed, then make a purchase based on their experience.
How it works
When someone taps on an ad on the mobile News Feed, a visual overlay tells them how to interact with the product, brand or effect. It's possible to include a call-to-action to encourage users to make a purchase or visit a website to learn more. People who interact with the ad can take photos or videos to share their experience as a Facebook Story or as a News Feed Post.
Why it works
It offers a rich, visual inspiration for potential clients or customers
By incorporating call-to-actions within the camera experience, people can seamlessly go from engaging with a product to making a purchase, visiting a website or installing an app