Augmented Reality — The Only ‘AR’ Americans Truly Need

In America, the acronymn ‘AR’ typically stands for assault rifle. This article is not about weapons of mass destruction or the carnage they ensue but instead about a digital technology brands and social media platforms use to deliver engaging, interactive content experiences to customers and users.

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that combines digital audio, video, graphics, and software with smartphones or headsets, cameras, and location software to implement 3D graphics in real-time.

AR technology is used to augment a person’s real-world environment with sound, visual elements, or other sensory stimuli by using the camera on a smartphone. This technology has the potential to transform how people work, learn, play, shop, and connect with the world around them.

According to Apple, ‘It is the perfect way to visualize things that would be impossible or impractical to see otherwise.’

AR technology has been successfully used in the retail industry to improve the customer shopping experience and decrease return rates. For example, IKEA uses markerless AR technology to allow customers to virtually place furniture items in their homes to see how they would look before making a purchase. Virtual try-on, using instant face recognition, has also been a successful use of AR in the beauty industry.

AR technology has the potential to transform consumers’ receptivity of marketing messaging and their lived experience with a brand. A report by XRToday showed that conversion rates from AR have skyrocketed by upwards of 90%. Additionally, 71% of shoppers said they would shop more often if they could use AR, and 61% said they prefer to shop with stores that have AR over those without it.

There are two main types of augmented reality experiences: markerless AR and marker-based AR. Markerless AR allows users to move virtual objects based on flat geometrical elements such as a table, floor, or box. Marker-based AR, also known as image recognition AR, requires users to scan a marker (such as a logo or icon) with their device’s camera to activate the augmented reality experience.

Brands that are considering implementing AR into their content mix should keep in mind that this technology has the potential to be a valuable gateway to the future promise of an immersive web 3.0.

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which I work and extend my deep respects.