Aaron is the co-founder of Kilowott and has experience of over 15+ years as a Full Stack Designer, marketeer & Growth Hacker. Currently, he’s working as a Chief Executive Officer of Kilowott. Prior to Kilowott, Aaron worked as one of the members of the Board of Directors in Nordic Intent. At Fronktom, he was working as a Senior Digital Consultant. He is also the co-founder of ‘Fat Hamster Studio’ and ‘Nine Stack’.
Augmented reality (AR) is a phenomenal concept that allows us to experience events, products, places and people as though, well, it was real.
For the longest time, AR was the stuff of science fiction. Now, more organisations are using reality and AR. Companies have leveraged the tech to create AR car showrooms and cosmetic trials to help consumers select their desired spectacle frames and even give people a taste of an exotic holiday.
Not too long ago, there was an explosion that took the world by storm – a simple, easy-to-play game called Pokemon GO. The gaming developers at Pokemon used augmented reality (AR) to create an immersive and fascinating experience that stays faithful to the series roots and provides an improved gaming experience.
The virtual cosmetic tool by Sephora lets you try on hundreds of different makeup items in real-time. The IKEA app allows users to examine products in real-time with realistically rendered features and true-to-scale 3D objects based on room dimensions.
Another trendy piece of AR tech was Layar, an augmented reality browser that would let users see labelled points of interest in the physical world. While there are innumerable advantages, making sure the AR campaign is a success does involve some thought. Let’s go through 5 factors that one must consider before you kick-start your next AR campaign.
Where will it be used?
There are different kinds of AR tech available. It is essential to know the type of environment where the AR tech will be used. Understand whether your end-users will be using your AR outdoors, indoors, in noisy surroundings, and so on.
What do you want to get out of using AR?
Augmented Reality (AR) is an emerging technology worth paying attention to and acts as a touchstone to the arrival of a completely new technological paradigm. It is vital to have your objective clearly defined and understand what you want your customers to get out of interacting with your AR campaign.
Technology has some limitations, and AR is no exception. Several issues should be addressed before the technology becomes fully commercialised and goes mainstream. Many users may encounter “try before you buy” apps and AR triggering markers in stores and outdoor ads. But if your device does not have ARCore, you cannot enjoy and interact with these experiences. It is imperative to check about the device agnostics before launching an AR campaign. One of the initial steps in building an AR campaign is to have a clear objective of what it should be and what the end-user gets out of it is.
Let’s talk money
Investing in AR is easier than ever before and may not be as cost-intensive as it once was. Nonetheless, it is vital to have a realistic grip on the return on investment.
AR is emerging as one of the key drivers of the tech economy and adds value to virtually every industry – from marketing, retail, education to industrial manufacturing. However, it is prudent to take note of the goals, strategies and return of investment (ROI) you expect by investing in AR. AR technology will connect the real and digital worlds and give businesses a chance to attract new customers and even upsell services to the existing ones.
As you would with any form of digital marketing, consistently forecasting, budgeting and measuring returns is crucial to ensuring the success of your AR campaign.
Security concerns
Your customers need to trust you as trust forms an integral part of any organisation’s success. If your company plans to use on-site servers, a security breach may be less of a concern. If you are using Cloud-based systems, then you cannot ignore security. Ensure that proper steps are taken to avoid any potential system crashes, data leaks, and breaches of customer information.
You don’t want the faces of your customers trying on lipstick plastered all over social media inappropriately. Even worse, malicious hackers could attempt to use customer data to meet their sinister agendas. Make sure you are partnered with the right vendors to keep your business and your customers safe.
Choosing the right partner
Choosing the right partner might be the most critical consideration for any business looking to launch an AR campaign. Ensure the vendor or the SDK you select has the infrastructure and capability to deliver on time and the bandwidth to support maintenance.
You can’t get away with shoddy campaigns anymore; you need to partner with vendors and developers with a proven track record. They need to integrate the features you desire and go one step further, have the insights to suggest how your AR campaign could be even better.
The AR you require for your digital marketing campaign will likely need some complex features. Make sure that your developers can design these complex solutions to ensure the end product is what you want and what your customers deserve.
Digital marketing has become a part of every organisation’s marketing efforts. Building an effective AR campaign could change the way your business grows. Digital marketing agencies and marketing experts are increasingly leveraging new technology like AR to service their clients and boost brand image.
AR helps organisations connect users to an experience they have never had before without committing to action until they know it will benefit them. This experience creates a sense of ownership for the consumers before they even make a purchase – ultimately guiding them into making the purchase.
With more sections of the demographic becoming tech-savvy, using AR is a smart move.