Well-meaning people have told you all your life to face reality. That’s aiming too low. Today, you can go much further with augmented reality (AR).
Unlike virtual reality (VR), you don’t lose yourself in a digitally fabricated universe. Instead, with AR, you bring the computer-generated item into your world.
But there are a few guidelines to remember when planning an AR experiential marketing experience. Let’s look at some keys to using AR for brand experiences. And we’ll also give examples of how companies use AR for sales and customer activation.
Remain True to Your Brand
Your experiential marketing event must be on-brand. You don’t want to shock for the sake of shocking.
For example, two better-known augmented reality pop-up experiences happened at bus stops in Vienna and London. In Vienna, people thought the city was under invasion by zombies. And in London, the attackers were space aliens.
The scare tactics garnered a lot of publicity. But if there’s no logical way to link your unique branding with zombies and aliens, look for more relevant themes.
Treat Your Customers Kindly
Your AR must create comfort for the customer. That doesn’t mean you can’t give them chills and thrills, but you must honor an unwritten agreement with the public.
The consumer is volunteering to participate in your event, so in exchange, you should treat them with dignity and respect. Your street team should only expose the public to objects and experiences that wouldn’t violate the contract, such as inappropriate or unexpected disturbing imagery.
Address Your Customers’ Concerns
Remember to address pain points. Consumers enter your world because they hope to get answers to their questions.
While you want the experience to be fun and educational, make sure that you address specific concerns. You can see how various companies have done this with the following examples.
Pain Point: Uncomfortable in Unfamiliar Surroundings
You could offer people the chance to tour a new home, vacation spot, or senior living facility virtually. They can open doors, walk through rooms, and sample the view from the balcony. Instead of feeling that they have to tour a dozen options in person, they can narrow their choices.
Pain Point: Has Trouble Learning to Use New Appliances
No one wants to read a 500-page owner’s manual before they can use their new washing machine. However, they’re more likely to be willing to experiment with the appliance at a pop-up AR event. They have the assurance of knowing that whatever they do, they won’t break the machine and be liable for repairs.
Pain Point: Allergy and Sanitary Concerns Over Shared Personal Items
It’s simply too stressful for some people to try on clothes and shoes at a store or sample the latest makeup. The risk of adverse reactions and infections isn’t worth the risk.
Why not give them a safe AR environment where they can see how the clothing and makeup will look on them? There’s reason to believe they will choose to sample more items virtually than they would ever do if they visited a brick-and-mortar location.
Augmented Reality and AUCTUS
Augmented reality is helping to boost the marketing efforts of many companies. Similarly, what AR does for marketing is what AUCTUS does for companies.
We take an active interest in the firms we acquire, providing the necessary expertise and funding to grow the company. We pride ourselves on building not just market participants but market leaders.
To find out more about what we can do for you and your company, contact us today.
