Augmented Reality Marketing is the Competitive Advantage for Tomorrow

As said in the previous articles, the user experience is central to any successful marketing campaign. If the user is unable to fetch sufficient information about any product or service, your client is likely not to convert. Having said that, it is vital that the businesses maintain a hold on the present day working of the search engines, while at the same time preparing for the future which belongs to video contents and augmented reality.

What Exactly Is Augmented Reality?

In technical terms, augmented reality is a technology that superimposes computer generated information or image on the user’s view of the real world, thus giving a blended visual view. In simple terms, it implies that the users can gain detailed information about a product, place, or service with the help of the virtual reality apparatus that they carry along. It is an integration of digital information with the real world, so as to enhance the user experience and enable them to make quick decisions.

How does the augmented reality work?

The integration of augmented reality in the daily lives of people comes with a special scanning device with the help of which the detailed information, which is relevant to the user can be extracted. Just as the scanning device is held in position before the product, place or service (like we see in science fiction movies), the essential information will crop up on the screen. And as the device is moved from one position to another, whatever comes in the frame of the scanner shall be analyzed for the augmented information.

Where are we now?

As of now, augmented reality appears only in Science fiction movies or with high-cost apparatus that need to be worn before the eyes to feel like a character in a science fiction movie who is on an expedition. Presently, the augmented reality is being used in applications such as global positioning system (GPS) to pinpoint the user’s location and in military devices for target recognition.   However, the day is not far when this thing will become easily affordable and local masses will be using it more often. Let us see how it will be made accessible and affordable.

What is the future?

Technology lovers such as Facebook and Apple are working hard on making augmented reality accessible and affordable. They have dedicated their development towards making the camera of the smart phones as a scanner, which can incorporate augmented reality in daily lives. As the phone camera will be slid over the various things, the relevant information will be displayed on the phone screen, catering to which the users will be able to make a choice about the product, place or service. In the future, augmented reality will be the agent of change.

What is the opportunity for businesses?

After search engine optimization for desktop based searches and mobile friendly websites, the businesses have an opportunity to speak about their businesses on augmented reality platforms. In simple words, users log on to Google to find the quickest results for opening and closing times, reviews and directions. If these can be provided to them just be sliding the camera, wouldn’t that save their time? Not just that, they can move in more quickly, thereby uplifting your marketing strategy.

Why is augmented reality marketing gaining popularity?

Augmented reality is becoming more than just a novelty for marketers, as it greatly supports their local marketing initiatives. Augmented reality marketing, which is an asset to a brand, fetches information from the digital world and displays advertisements too. If you have are to prepare yourself for a local marketing campaign, augmented reality marketing is the key.

Although the augmented reality marketing is in its early days, the advantages can be summed up as follows:

1. Customization: The customers can upload their own content to create a personalized form of media, which may be customized as per their requirements. They can add their preferences and reviews as well.
2. Novelty: The concept of augmented reality is yet to be explored by many. Being the ‘latest thing’ on the technology front, it has a large scope for incorporating large changes.
3. Sharing: It comes with the opportunity for customers to share their personalized content with others, i.e. making others aware of something great that they recently came across.
4. Accessibility: Often it happens that many places or products go unnoticed because of lack of information or advertisements. With this, a lot more things can be brought to notice.

How does it actually work?

Consider the example of a cold drink that is kept on the table in the street. With the augmented reality application installed on your phone, you just have to place the camera in front of the bottle (at a certain distance, so that it gets scanned) and you will get suggestions about the cold drink brand, the quantities it is served in and the places from where you can buy them. Isn’t it great?

Similarly, if the camera is placed before the building that you are standing out of, you will get to know the name(s) of the stores and/or food joints that it has, with their open or close status and user reviews on the screen. You have alternatives for similar vendors also on the screen, so that you can make a good decision.

How augmented reality marketing is a competitive advantage?

The marketing agencies can make the best use of it by placing their advertisements on the augmented reality platforms and make the most conversion out of the local promotions. Once the augmented reality becomes available to each and every one, the marketing campaigns for businesses in local settings will be eased out.

No foreign tourists would be lost in an unknown setting with the best alternatives to eat, rest, shop and travel. The future of augmented reality is filled with enormous potential and they day is not far when it would win people’s trust and ad to the appeal of the product or services that the businesses are giving.

So, start preparing yourself for the future of digital marketing – augmented reality marketing. The big change is here!