When it comes to standing out from the crowd and making an impact in an environment that’s highly competitive and flooded with other companies trying to lure away your customers, it’s vital that your business is constantly innovating, adjusting, and evolving to stay ahead.
How you market your product or service can make the difference between success or failure, and digital marketing is one of the most popular ways of connecting, with 86% of marketers using digital marketing to increase brand awareness.
Modern technology has made huge differences to the way in which consumers interact with companies, and to effectively market in today’s world, you have to be making use of the tools, apps, and platforms available.
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are technologies that have been around for quite some time now, and they integrate with digital marketing strategies to provide customers with a unique (to the company) experience.
In earlier formats, AR and VR were seen as gimmicks, and didn’t really take off or provide value for money – but with the progress in cameras, recording devices, and access to the internet being what it is now, it may be time to re-evaluate how these functions can work for your marketing, and your business.
What Can AR and VR Do for a Marketing Campaign?
When it comes to having a key competitive differentiator, 77% of brands believe that Customer Experience (CX) is what makes the difference. People want to have experiences, and they want something that stands out: 85% of brands believe they offer personalised CX but only 60% of consumers agree with them.
AR and VR experiences can offer something that other formats don’t – the ability to be immersed and truly involved with the brand on a one-on-one basis.
When implemented correctly, these tools can:
- Increase brand recognition
- Improve buyer awareness
- Encourage word-of-mouth referrals and sharing
- Allow for more effective personalisation
- Deliver faster purchasing
Online shopping isn’t something new, but customers still like to visualise their potential purchases, and determine whether they’re a good fit for their needs.
AR and VR help to take some of the guess work out of this, for example – by using AR with a phone, customers can see what a product would look like in their home, and look through different styles and colours before sending their choice to an integrated shopping cart.
For marketers, there are a whole host of benefits they can use to encourage customers to get engaged with the brand, try the tools out for themselves, and convert into paying customers.