How AR and VR Marketing are Changing Customer Engagement
The marketing world is full of alphabet soup, and at our digital marketing agency in Raleigh, we’ve got experience making a meal of it. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are two of the most exciting new developments we’ve seen in the past few years, and we believe firmly they are going to change the way customers engage with products and services in a big way. But what exactly are AR and VR, and how do you incorporate them into your digital marketing strategy?
When we hear the term virtual reality, we often think of movies about online gamers getting lost in imaginary worlds. The truth is that it’s actually a safe and dynamic experience for customers. VR offers a complete, immersive experience that replaces the sights and sounds around the user with computer-generated scenes, making them feel as if they are in a different environment. This is usually achieved by using devices such as VR glasses to view 3D images.
Augmented reality, however, views the user’s live, current environment through a camera and overlays digital elements on it to provide location-specific information and images. A combination of these technologies is called mixed reality (MR), which gives users a chance to experience imaginary scenarios in live environments.
How to Use AR and VR in Marketing
One way companies are using AR and/or VR in marketing include allowing people to “try before they buy,” which is an excellent customer retention strategy. Shoppers have always responded well to the option to try out a product before purchasing it, and fitting rooms, cosmetic samples and test drives are all evidence of the success of this strategy. AR now enables clients to model or “try on” makeup, clothing and home-related items without having to physically handle the products. This means companies don’t need to actually carry inventory of the product, which requires storage, handling, transportation and oversight, and clients can test multiple different versions until they find the one they like the best.
VR, on the other hand, is being used in numerous industries to “transport” people to locations that they would otherwise have to travel to physically. For example, food processing system manufacturer Key Technology created a VR demo that enables prospective clients to experience a detailed, hands-on view of how the company's digital food-sorting platform works. In 2017, sportswear brand Adidas ran a VR campaign in which customers could follow a mountaineering expedition, climbing alongside two extreme athletes using a VR headset and two sensory remote controls.
There are currently no limits on how companies can use AR and VR to enhance the customer’s experience, but one thing is crystal-clear for our digital marketing agency in Raleigh: the technology is here to stay.
 The Effect on Customer Engagement
So, how does this new capability affect customer engagement? Provided AR and VR are used correctly, they can solve clients’ business needs and provide a meaningful contribution to the customer’s journey. Nespresso, for example, offers step-by-step descaling instructions for their coffee machines via AR that are incredibly useful for customers who traditionally struggled with understanding the process. Carmaker Hyundai has also joined the AR bandwagon, by producing a digital version of its user manual. When the driver aims a smartphone at the car dashboard, users can see the functions of the different buttons, check their oil levels, and discover instructions on how to refill windscreen fluid and other basic maintenance tasks.
The use of AR and VR in marketing will change the way customers engage with products and services, but they will also have an impact on how clients experience actual marketing, too. Physical marketing is very effective but difficult to do at scale, but technology makes it possible.
Advancements in mixed reality suggest that in the next 18 months users will no longer have to wear heavy headsets or download apps to enjoy the benefits. Marketing will be permission-based and customer-centric, and experiences will work on an opt-in basis like email marketing currently does. Companies will have to get to grips rapidly with these changes in the way they engage with their customers.
For more information on how to future-proof your company’s success, please call our digital marketing agency in Raleigh at 919-460-7978 to schedule a consultation.