“Imagine your child scanning a cereal box and launching a mini-game on their device, or being able to research competitive products straight off the shelf? Imagine walking through the airport and seeing a wall advertisement for an amusement park, scanning it, being immediately immersed in the park's experience, and being redirected to buy a ticket? And what if you could scan your medication packaging at home and place an online order straight off the package, without having to go to the pharmacy or online portal?” (Sokolovsky, 2020)
Did these questions leave you daydreaming about the impact this would have on our society?! Same!
Over the last couple of years, we’ve all had a little extra time on our hands to scroll through our phones and ask ourselves questions like, should I try that new make-up trend from Euphoria? Could I make use of a coffee table in my living room? Or, could I fit a bigger TV in here?
Now, all of those experiences can be completed from the comfort of your own home, or wherever you are, due to Augmented Reality, or AR, “an enhanced version of the real physical world that is achieved through the use of digital elements, sound or other sensory stimuli delivered via technology,” (Hayes, 2020).
Many brands are offering AR-powered experiences across multiple social media platforms. Trying a new look or makeup product is now easy on Instagram via their AR-powered filters that make it look as if you are wearing makeup; say goodbye to the days of painstakingly swatching every shade of foundation at your local Sephora!
Loreal has also expanded with Modiface, in which you can virtually analyze your skin tone, see your face from different angles, or personally customize your online beauty routine. Younger generations are also easily reached by brands they may not have interacted with previously via activities or games. Ikea has a new escape room game that can be played on a mobile device which is not only fun but also builds brand loyalty by reaching newer demographics. (Mccluskey, 2022).
The consulting firm Accenture has predicted that AR has not even reached its peak of popularity. “The social commerce industry will grow three times faster than traditional e-commerce over the next three years. The entirety of the shopping experience, from product discovery to check-out on social platforms, is expected to skyrocket from $492 billion in 2021 to 1.25 trillion in 2025. In the United States alone, social commerce is expected to more than double, reaching 99 billion,” (Hayes, 2020).
Millennial and Gen-Z consumers are the driving force behind the rapid increase of AR shopping and social media experiences. We can only imagine what the future has in store– the possibilities are endless. As a growing digital marketing agency, it is our responsibility to think outside the box, increase our creativity, and put forth new ideas that will one day change the way we look at products altogether. Looking to incorporate a new and innovative digital media marketing strategy for your brand? Look no further than BlueTickSocial!
Sources:
The Future of Augmented Reality for Retailers and Brands
Augmented Reality is the Future of Online Shopping
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