Augmented Reality: The Next Big Thing in Marketing

In today's competitive business environment marketers are being constantly challenged to find new and interesting ways to engage customers with their brand and products.

As a marketer in 2010 how are you planning to engage your customers differently and distinguish your brand from your competitors? If you're not quite sure of the answer to that question, you may want to consider the next big thing; augmented reality.

What is augmented reality?

Augmented reality is a newly developed technology that combines live video footage and computer graphics to create a whole new user experience through the viewing window, typically either using a web cam or certain smart phones. It enriches our reality by bringing virtual objects come to life around us.

On the spectrum between virtual reality, which creates immersive, computer-generated environments, and the real world, augmented reality is closer to the real world. Augmented reality adds graphics and sounds to the natural world as it exists.

Many augmented reality applications enable individuals to interact directly with the virtual image on the screen - picking it up, moving it around - as if it were another physical object.

Implications for Marketers

The marketing possibilities opened up by this technology are limited only by the imagination. Augmented reality allows marketers to engage customers with their brand and products through fascinating experiences that merge both the digital and the real world.

A few forward thinking brands have realised the potential of this technology and are already incorporating it into their marketing campaigns. BBC Radio 1, for example, sent all their listeners who missed out on a 'Big Weekend' ticket an augmented reality link. They were instructed to print out a QR code on a large piece of paper and hold it up to a webcam, at which point the paper is transformed into a virtual screen showing a performance by The Fratellis.

Topps , the American collectable sports-card brand has developed baseball cards which have the augmented reality technology applied to them. When held up to a webcam the player on the card comes to life in miniature form and can actually be controlled by the user. Users can control players as they pitch, catch and hit the baseball.

The automobile industry has certainly jumped on the augmented reality bandwagon. Mini, Nissan, Ford and Citroen have all seized the opportunity to engage customers with their newest car models through augmented reality.

Mini imbedded their magazine print ads visual codes which when held up to a web cam trigger the appearance of their latest car model as a revolving 3D reproduction. The result for a consumer is quite impressive as they have the ability to view the cars' features in a totally engaging and interesting way. As they rotate the ad in their hand, the car model also rotates on screen. Augmented reality gives marketers the power to put their products into the hands of the consumer making them an active part of the advertisement themselves. By using augmented reality technologies they facilitate consumer engagement with their product through fascinating and out of the ordinary ways. This is something that every marketers strives to do continuously and is made possible through this technology.

Visuals are an important part of advertising and marketing, so it's not surprising that these companies are offering their customers tools that visualize their products in a magical and memorable way. The use for this type of technology is not limited to any one industry but any type of product and service can be presented to consumers in an engaging way.

Ray Ban has taken this technology to a new interactive level providing their customers with a virtual mirror on their website. Customers can virtually 'try on' the latest styles of Ray Ban sunglasses using only their web cam in the comfort of their own home. The sunglasses are superimposed onto the users' face which is shown by their web cam and can be seen on their screen.

Making Augmented Reality part of your Marketing Strategy

There is no doubt that augmented reality will make a bigger appearance in marketing campaigns within the next few years. This technology is not something that is a thing of the future but rather a thing of now. Marketers should start thinking about how to best use this technology to their advantage in order to better engage with their customers to strengthen relationships.

However, like social media and countless "next big things' of the past it's not something you should do just because it's a cool thing. This technology should be helping you to achieve an end goal which stems from your overall business and marketing strategies.

By first considering the goal you want to achieve and then build a highly engaging campaign around it using augmented reality technologies your campaign results can be significantly increased. So too your customers will be involved and engaged with your brand and your products. Couple this will a strong call to action and the potential to grow your online and offline sales is looking very promising.