Are you ready for Google’s Page Experience update?
10 March 2021
With Apple announcing that augmented reality is set to become one of the key features on their new iPhone, Warwick Business School have researched into how it might influence shoppers of the future.
What is Augmented Reality?
You may have heard a lot about augmented reality in the past few weeks, with many tipping it to be the ‘the next big thing’ but what is it?
Essentially, augmented reality is a technology that merges reality with a computer-generated image. If you wanted a new wardrobe for winter, with augmented reality, you have the power to take a photo of yourself and then try on different outfits from your favourite shop, without having to leave your home, as the items are superimposed onto your initial photo!
It’s not just for clothes shopping though, from home interior design to your new car, augmented reality is something shoppers are going to rely on more and more in the future.
For a number of years now, converting consumer interest into store visits has been a challenge for marketers due to customers opting to shop online as opposed to in store.
With augmented reality, shoppers will have a range of possibilities they didn’t have before. They will be able to check the stock, price and any offers of a product through their smartphones, interact with incentives and activities in store and much more.
The technology of augmented reality is sure to bring a new element to in-store visits, driving higher footfall, increased engagement with the brand and ultimately, more sales revenue.
This is a fantastic opportunity for a number of our Boxed Red clients in a variety of industries to move with the times and trial this exciting and innovative technology.
What Do We Think?
We envisage that augmented reality will become a key feature for home buying of the future, so our property clients can really benefit from it! Imagine yourself wanting to see how your new home will look with your furniture and fixtures in place before you’ve even visited the show home.
The Stats
Warwick Business School surveyed over 21,000 smartphone users and found that shoppers who can view things like furniture and clothing virtually are more likely to make an in-store visit.
As well as in-store visits, augmented reality is tipped to be a key factor in driving brand awareness, as 41.1% of those surveyed said they were more likely to tell their friends about the brand they explored with it.
Augmented reality doesn’t come without potential pitfalls—31.4% of respondents were worried that the apps used requested too much personal data—but despite this, augmented reality offers a new avenue for marketers and retailers to explore which we are very excited about!
Augmented Reality… I Choose You
Who knew that when Pokémon Go launched in 2016, it would actually be paving the way for marketers to explore augmented reality as a tangible marketing opportunity? Not only did Pokémon Go show people what was possible, it also educated the wider public in how to use augmented reality as a technology, and how it can influence and affect their perception of reality.
Augmented Reality: The Possibilities?
The prospect of augmented reality, especially in the housing market, is definitely an intriguing one. We’ve already mentioned that augmented reality can assist with the planning of your new home layout, but the possibilities don’t end there – this new technology could allow potential buyers to explore show homes and see what an upgraded specification would look like with just the swipe on an iPad!
Augmented reality allows customers to interact with collateral like e-brochures by seeing advanced specifications and finishes, as well as the opportunity to ‘liven up’ hoardings around new developments.
With Apple rolling out augmented reality into their smartphones, Apple users can have the opportunity to become comfortable with the technology. For some, augmented reality may seem a step too far in the digital marketing landscape. However, we can only see this technology being more and more widely used.
If you want to keep one step ahead of the competition, get in contact with our team today and find out the possibilities augmented reality can unlock for your business.