There's a lot chatter about Augmented Reality at the moment. But what exactly is this enchanting new technology, that a recent a Juniper Research report suggested will yield annual revenues of $732million by 2014?
How does it work?
Does it have a real future and how can you begin to explore it for your brand?
Read on…
What is it?
Like all new communication tech platforms, early adopters tend to get carried away and too technical with their lofty descriptions. So for the purpose of clarity, let's define Augmented Reality simply as: 'the process of overlaying digital content onto a real life, physical environment, when viewed through camera enabled communication devices (CECD) : laptop, tablets and of course, smartphones.
How does it work?
There's 3 basic elements to an AR experience:
1. The Real Life Physical (RPE) environment: This is wherever you're standing in the world, and what ever you are looking at through your CECD. This could be a press or magazine ad, a building, a car, a sign, a person or even just a random 'space'. It doesn't matter, it can all be brought too life.
2. The Trigger: This is the 'agent' that talks to the application software and instructs it to pull the relevant content from the Cloud or Server, and place it over the RPE in whatever way it has been created. The Trigger traditionally took the form of a Marker; a unique black and white shape that can be easily identified by the camera. However more recently, and more frequently, GPS and GPRS coordinates are being used as The Triggers. This development is behind the AR's quantum leap, from adolescence, to alpha-adult.
3. The Digital Content: This is the content that gets overlaid onto to RPE, and so 'augmenting' it as an experience. This content ranges in complexity from animated text, still photography and video files, through to 3D animated graphics, and interactive 3D content.
Where is it being used?
The question should perhaps be, 'where isn't it being used?'. Such is its versatility. AR is predominantly a marketing and communications tool; used at POS, direct marketing, collateral, events, exhibitions, presentations and increasingly to add a new level of engagement in advertising.
Yet with exciting frequency, the technology is now being franchised to improve and solve much more diverse problems such as customer service, out of home sampling (see virtual shopping video), out of store trial, gaming, travel and tourism services (see Olympic navigator video) and perhaps most important of all, medicine and health care.
The more the businesses and brands start to understand how to use the AR formula, the more we are going to see its presence in all areas of our lives
Why is it being used?
The question should perhaps be, 'where isn't it being used?'. Such is its versatility. AR is predominantly a marketing and communications tool; used at POS, direct marketing, collateral, events, exhibitions, presentations and increasingly to add a new level of engagement in advertising.
Yet with exciting frequency, the technology is now being franchised to improve and solve much more diverse problems such as customer service, out of home sampling (see virtual shopping video), out of store trial, gaming, travel and tourism services (see Olympic navigator video) and perhaps most important of all, medicine and health care.
The more the businesses and brands start to understand how to use the AR formula, the more we are going to see its presence in all areas of our lives
Why is it being used?
The million dollar question. The why? In it's early days, AR solved the challenge of delivering a fresh and seemingly break thru experience to consumers. It didn't need to be clever or solve a real problem. The magic was in the newness. But as the tech curve starts to flatten out, that space has shrunk, requiring those committed to using AR to adopt a much more creative and strategic approach.
Having created several AR projects over the last 2 years, I've always worked very closely in the planning stage with my clients to ensure the solution achieves at least one of the following:
1. solves a problem of complexity for the brand or for the consumer: (see the lego video)
2. solves a problem of scale: (see the Alstom video below)
3. Make the impossible, possible: (the Nat Geo video)
4. Stimulates a point of sale motivation in a way that no other media can (see the the Tissot/Selfridges video)
5. Makes a 2D communication experience 'genuinely' more engaging and impactful (see the Audi example)
Not forgetting of course, that any AR solution should always be built around the central themes of your brand, in 'ALL' its aspects. There's nothing more frustrating than seeing a clever AR idea that has little relevance to the brand. We call that the jelly at the party syndrome: it might look nice, but no-one ever touches it.
Here's some examples to help illustrate the 5 drivers:
1) Lego: Genius POS application that answers 1, 4 and 5.
Here's some examples to help illustrate the 5 drivers:
1) Lego: Genius POS application that answers 1, 4 and 5.
2) Alstom: Remains one of the most epic examples of AR, especially it's example of smashing through the scale barrier!
3) The famous National Geo. Some might argue that this is not pure AR, but I disagree. It's magical, enchanting, and certainly makes the impossible, possible.
4) Tissot and the virtual sampling window. Add a whole new layer to out of hours shopping and competitor free trial.
5) Always ahead of the game, VW prove how much 'more' a press ad can become with AR.
6) Calling all retailers...the potential of this needs no explanation!
Part 2 coming soon to address:
1) price vs value
2) creative development and planning tips
3) The future of AR and why you need to be exploring it now
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C73 provides complimentary AR consultancy and planning sessions. If you'd like to talk to us and a get a more intimate low down of this technology and how it can be applied to your brand, then we're here to help. Contact us here.
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