As more consumers discover the awesome power and impact of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to engage and educate them on their favourite products, brands are responding by investing more into AR initiatives to increase its reach even further.
Because of this investment, the number of people interacting with AR technology is expected to grow exponentially over the next 2 to 7 years. For example, it’s predicted that by 2020 the number of gamers playing AR + VR-based video games will be approximately 70 million. That number is projected to swell to over 216 million by 2025 – an increase of over 300%!
The video game industry isn’t the only sector projected to leverage AR technology to boost its number of users. The food & beverage and retail industries are also using AR to influence customer behaviour through innovative, cost-effective experiences that build brand awareness and loyalty.
How AR is Changing the Food Industry
The food & beverage industry is making an impact with AR by creating amazing experiences to train their workforce, promote their brands, and further educate their customers about their products:
- Chef training: Chef trainees will be thrilled to be “side-by-side” with the chef in their own kitchen, while they create an amazing meal together with step-by-step instruction, reducing travel and training space costs
- Food events: Companies can showcase their brand with virtual tours of how their food and beverage products are sourced and produced, and augment them with actual scent and taste experiences
- Interactive packaging: Product packaging comes to life with games, nutritional information, and recipe ideas, all through an app on the user’s mobile device
Transforming Retail with AR
AR is already changing consumer behaviour in several different retail sectors by creating experiences that save time browsing at the mall and reduces buyer uncertainty:
- Furniture: Virtually allows users to place furniture in their rooms to see how it goes with their existing décor
- Fashion: See how items can look in other colours, match them with other items and accessories, and “try them on” without ever having to get changed
- Cosmetics: Try makeup products on to see how they look on you before you buy, or share images with friends to get their opinion on which products look best
- Paint: Simply point your camera at a wall to see how the individual colours look using an app that also reads wall edges for the best accuracy
It’s an exciting time to be a marketer, especially if they embrace AR now to ensure easier transitions as the technology evolves to meet changing consumer expectations. Brands who get on board now will be well poised for the future.
Customized AR Solutions in Toronto, Canada, and Around the World
Have a specialized need that will enhance your customer experience through AR technology? Talk to us! We’ll help bring your concept to life from the initial design and build stages right up through launch day. No matter how complex your idea, our development team has the experience to use AR technology to build interactive solutions that your customers will love.
You can try AR for yourself right now with the FREE Upcoming Media Solutions app, available for Apple iOS and Google Android. Connect with us at contact@upcomingmedia.com for more information!
