Today, the world is technology driven. Everything around us is tech bounded. People around us get more influenced when they see any new technology rather than seeing traditional ones. Two such influencers in today’s world are Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality is where content is ‘placed into’ the real world using a device, such as the camera on your smartphone. ‘Augment’ simply means to enhance. Thus, Augmented Reality is an experience of a real-world environment where the objects such as graphics, sounds, touch feedback etc. are added to our natural world to create the perfect user experience. An example of AR is the very famous game- Pokémon GO.

An augmented reality has only one objective, that is, to bring computer generated objects to this real world which can be seen by the user only. In augmented reality applications, user generally sees synthetic as well as natural light. This is done by overlaying images on top of a pair of see-through glasses. Augmented Reality devices do not need any cable or desktop to function.

Being a digital marketer, making that impactful user experience becomes very much essential.  AR can enhance the marketing campaign in the following ways:

1. AR provides the potential customers with a more realistic & lifelike impression of your product or service.
2. It creates a huge & most remembered marketing campaign, as there are very few brands who have started using AR technologies in their marketing campaigns.
3. AR-focused campaigns makes the users to stay engaged & engrossed in the activity.

How can a marketer use AR?

Let us have a look on few examples where the companies have successfully used AR technologies:

1. Last year, Cosmetics Giant L’Oréal acquired AR start-up, and developed a variety of virtual try-on-aps, where the potential consumers can actually see how will they look like with various lip shades or other cosmetic products.
2. Another such example is Lenskart.com. They allow the potential customers to try on various glasses virtually and see how they will look like with different types of glasses on.
3. One more example is the very famous Pokémon Go App. It is a mobile game developed by Niantic for iOS & Android. It uses mobile device GPS to locate, capture and train virtual creatures called Pokémon, which happen to appear as if they are in the player’s real world location only.

Thus, such campaigns can be more engaging & they keep the user engrossed and can eventually make the user buy your product.

Virtual Reality

Lot of people confuses augmented reality with virtual reality, but both of them are completely different. Augmented reality is where the content is placed into the real world, whereas virtual reality is the term for placing the user in the experience, whether it’s the dimension or completely another world.

VR & AR both are gaining popularity, and it is predicted that their economic impact may reach up to $29.5 billion by 2020.

Let us have a look on the benefits of using VR in your marketing strategy:

1. Connection with customers: With the help of VR as a way to reach customers, it sets a very unique user experience; forming a deeper connection between the brand & the customers. It’s new and exciting for audiences, so there is high possibility of them remaining engaged as compared to print ads, TV ads etc.
2. Increased number of recall: As customers have a very unique experience with the brand using VR technology, there is a high possibility that in future, more number of people will be able to recall the brand.

There are few industries who have already started using VR technology. Some of them include:

1. VR in Tourism: Within the tourism industry, VR can be used to take users to flights as in how will their experience be or letting them tour their hotel rooms and there are lot fun ways to give the target audience the experience of their life time which they will never forget.
2. VR in Real Estate: When it comes to real estate, consumers have to run from one site to another for a property just to get disappointed at the end. That’s where VR can come to your rescue. Using VR technology, a realtor can take their potential customers on a tour to view the property just by sitting at one place.
3. VR in Retail: VR can be used to boost sales for a retail company. They can showcase their products & take the potential customers on a virtual tour, making them feel the presence of product & connect to the product virtually.

To sum it up, it is indeed important to keep your fingers on trend, which in turn keeps your brand alive. When AR & VR may take off, it will not only benefit brands but also advertisers to reach fully immersed customers on a platform unlike any other.