Augmented Reality: The Future of Digital Advertising
You may be fuzzy on the definition of Augmented Reality (AR), but chances are you’ve already used it.
Remember Pokemon Go, the smart phone game that swept the nation in 2016? That was AR technology. Have you ever tried glasses online, using a photo of yourself? Also AR. How about that IKEA app that lets you virtually put one of their home furnishing products in your living room? AR technology is sweeping the nation and going to become commonplace in the very near future.
Augmented Reality is a way to bring digital overlays to the physical world through a simple smartphone application. While the technology is still in its infancy, its popularity has exploded in areas such as retail, entertainment, and education. It will be the next big advancement in advertising, too, as it has fundamentally changed the way consumers interact with their phones.
The Good News
AR will have many useful applications. Far beyond social media, games, and special effects, it will benefit industries from education to healthcare to fashion.
Here are some anticipated benefits of AR:
• It will make advertising interactive. Consumers will feel like an ad is an engaging game.
• It will decrease sales returns because consumers can see how furniture or clothing will look before buying.
• It will create hyper-local targeting. Using their phone cameras, consumers will be able to scan their locations, and be directed to nearby eats, shops and activities. That’s even easier than voice text!
What to Watch Out For
While this is an exciting new technology, it’s not ready for mainstream advertisers just yet. There are many challenges associated with AR, including:
• It’s expensive to produce, as it requires a unique app for each advertiser.
It doesn’t reach all digital users. Hardware must improve on all smartphone brands for this to be the case.
• And then there’s “app fatigue.” Experts predict smartphone users will not be thrilled about downloading new apps in the future – our smartphones are overcrowded as it is!
So what now?
Facebook’s Got a Solution
Just last month, Facebook announced that AR ads will available on Instagram stories. They’re testing AR ads in newsfeeds on a limited basis for large national advertisers like Wayfair, Sephora and Pottery Barn. This technology is likely to be available to mainstream advertisers late next year.
Creating AR ads on Facebook will eliminate the need for expensive apps, since Facebook will have it built into its system. It will also offer advertisers the chance to experiment with AR on social media. You can imagine the possibility makes me excited!
So Now That You Know About AR…
Keep an eye out for it in your day-to-day life (and especially on Instagram stories)! Augmented reality is just one of the many developments in technology that will improve digital advertising, engage consumers, and improve results.
The Verdin team will continue to track this trend and keep you posted. Be sure you’re following us on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop!
