Augmented Reality ads are the next big thing in marketing

A look at how the marketing industry is using Augmented Reality to gain more business.

Be it gaming, automobiles, or food presentation, Augmented Reality gets full marks for satisfying potential customers. Businesses are leveraging Augmented Reality to lure in customers and cut costs on sales training.

2020 has been a year of change for several industries mostly for marketing and e-commerce. Shopify, one of the largest e-commerce players, now allows its users to upload 3D models on Shopify websites.

Instagram and Snapchat have made running AR ads extremely easy with the help of Facebook Augmented Reality Ads Manager and Snapchat Lens Studio.

Amazon US and Flipkart India have also allowed users to upload 3D models on Amazon and Flipkart. Additionally, Google is also building AR Maps for the future.

With AR ads raking in new customers, peAR Technologies Co-founder Dharmin Vora thinks nothing can stop Augmented Reality Ads.

We believe Augmented Reality will change all the industries in this coming decade

“We believe Augmented Reality will change all the industries in this coming decade, especially Industrial Employee Training, Digital Marketing, Gaming, Automobile, F&B, and ecommerce,” he says.

With top quality AR software available in the market, any business can ‘augment’ their product’s presentation. AR gives businesses the chance to present the best face of their product. No matter what angle a customer looks at a product, it looks superb yet real. At the same time, it informs about particular features without missing any information.

Here is a look at how different industries are enjoying ROI from deploying AR.

3D & Augmented Reality Menu Coming to Major Indian Cities

A sector that’s able to give customers a truly wondrous and informative service through AR is 3D food presentation. peAR Technologies launched a 3D and Augmented Reality driven food and beverage app and has been enjoying the ride.

Vora says they have seen an overwhelming response from both users and restaurants and are trying their best to cope up with the demand.

As of today, we already have about 150 restaurants on our waiting list. Moreover, COVID has boosted our technology adoption at least by five years, way faster than we anticipated

“As of today, we already have about 150 restaurants on our waiting list. Moreover, COVID has boosted our technology adoption at least by five years, way faster than we anticipated. We are trying to capitalise as much as we can on this head start,” he recounts.

The startup has trained its algorithm on their proprietary dataset of over 10 lakh images and have launched Mobile to 3D, where now any restaurant can make a 3D AR model of their dish by clicking a small video via the Mobile to 3D app.

Currently, the startup is expanding into Delhi and Mumbai and has received a phenomenal response.

“Seeing such an increased demand from users and restaurants keeps us motivated in achieving our goal of changing the world from 2D to 3D,” he adds.

A Kit to Build a ‘Real-World Metaverse’

Businesses are beginning to seek Augmented Reality capabilities to build ads for their products like never before. Thus, software for the same is entering the market.

AR company Niantic, opened its Lightship Augmented Reality Developer Kit (ARDK) to developers that will make creating Augmented Reality experiences more accessible.

The kit will present several tools used in Niantic’s games, such as Pokémon GO and Pikmin Bloom, allowing developers to create games using real-time mapping and multiplayer sharing features.

We believe humans are the happiest when their virtual world leads them to a physical one

“At Niantic, we believe humans are the happiest when their virtual world leads them to a physical one. Transforming humanity’s relationship with technology by merging the physical and virtual worlds will require the ideas and perspectives of as many people as possible.

“That’s why we’re so excited to open the vault of technology that powers our own games, so developers, creators and brands globally can build inclusive experiences that push the boundaries of what’s possible in AR,” Niantic CEO, John Hanke, said.

Rising Conversion Rates with Augmented Reality Tech

A sector that is truly leveraging AR in promoting products is the automotive industry. There’s nothing like checking out a new model of car or motorbike from every angle.

As per a Mckinsey & Co. study, less than 50% of shoppers believe salespeople can provide all the information they need while purchasing a vehicle. More than 80% of customers are, in fact, already using online sources during the consideration phase, where they are deciding on the vehicle.

Recently, PTC, a NASDAQ listed, US-based software company, did an Augmented Reality project for TVS Motors‘ premium two-wheeler range, APACHE (310 RR and 200 4V).

Our customer base is consuming lots of information through their phones and computers, and they always expect an outstanding experience. That’s why we always need to be ahead of the competition: to meet their ever-increasing needs and provide better experiences

TVS Motor wanted to give their consumers an experience of their premium bike range, TVS Apache RR310 and TVS APACHE RTR 200 4V, rather than a sales-driven push. With the pandemic, they felt this was the right time to go one up on Augmented Reality.

TVS Used Vuforia, an Augmented Reality tool, for creating powerful, photo-realistic Augmented Reality experiences. It envisioned an application, TVS ARIVE, which has significantly improved customer engagement with the product, without human intervention.

Customers can enjoy walking around the motorcycle, clicking on feature highlights and reading about the next-generation technology they’d be purchasing. They can even customise colour options and other features directly in the application, giving them more control over the purchasing process.

Meghashyam Dighole, Head of Marketing Premium business, Associate Vice President New Product Development at TVS Motor Company, recounts why they employed AR.

“Our customer base is consuming lots of information through their phones and computers, and they always expect an outstanding experience. That’s why we always need to be ahead of the competition: to meet their ever-increasing needs and provide better experiences,” he says.

“The application has helped the salespeople in major ways. First of all, it has helped with reducing sales fatigue. If a salesperson is making four sales a day, by the fourth customer, they will be tired and potentially not able to remember every single feature. This way, there has been less burden on the salesperson, making it easier for them to be active and engaged throughout the process,” he adds.

“The AR offering has not only created new experiences for the potential customers comparing the bikes, but also enabled TVS with incorporating live demos on Facebook live to launch their new products, the response for which has been extremely positive,” Kalyan Sridhar, Vice President and Country Manager of PTC Inc, said.

Navanwita Bora Sachdev

Navanwita is the editor of The Tech Panda who also frequently publishes stories in news outlets such as The Indian Express, Entrepreneur India, and The Business Standard