How AR will Redefine Marketing Benchmarks

Geenee Inc. WebAR Demo

Augmented Reality enables a new dimension of commerce and sharing that can easily be enjoyed by global audiences. The camera has evolved from a lens that captures special moments in our lives, into a software-powered conversation, where audiences create and partake in digital experiences that reflect unique personalities and location.

No longer just a party trick, augmented reality is quickly morphing into a key feature capable of driving business KPIs, and engaging global audiences with results that far exceed traditional marketing metrics. When executed properly, AR can play a leading role in digital strategy, marketing and consumer engagement.

Integration

Platforms such as ShopifyAR and Apple Quick Look let users place detailed, digital 3D objects in a real-world context. These AR models transition visual assets from a passive to active viewing experience, demonstrating the product fit and feel, and assisting with buying decisions.

Resources such as Sketchfab make AR easy with ready to go 3D models that can be shared and embedded anywhere online, in the same way as images and videos. Across retail and consumer experiences, AR is becoming ingrained in the way we shop, share and socialize with brands.

This ecosystem of ready-to-go AR platforms and assets makes AR integration simple, seamless and low-cost. Unlike sending out physical goods or putting up physical promotional material, AR can be activated by clicking a weblink across the internet, or through image recognition by identifying a marker such as the QR code below, and all without requiring a time-consuming app download. WebAR is accessible everywhere, at any time, and can be instantly updated.

Source

Social platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok have flourishing AR creative communities that fuel growth through fun and interactive user-generated content. By integrating creator tools and customisable features on the consumer level, audiences are empowered to put a personalized touch on branded content. This is the foundation of built-to-last business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) platforms.

Source: AR marketing usage in mobile apps set to grow with new users Business Insider Intelligence

We are collectively experiencing a shift from pop-ups and auto-play ads, to engaging and interactive experiences that power far greater business results in AR than traditional advertising formats.

Geenee’s WebAR campaign for The Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes showed promising results on this front. Upon analyzing the behavior of inbound users across social platforms, we saw the campaign earn average session lengths that exceeded industry benchmarks on traditional social media ads.

Augmented Reality campaigns can leverage existing marketing collateral and IP to create new experiences that are available to audiences regardless of location. WebAR can bring your favorite superheroes to life, provide rich photo opportunities, immersive story points and allow the user to capture and share moments in film and novels at home or on the go.

The advanced image recognition (IR) software that Geenee provides is a powerful tool to transform 2D posters, images, and video into interactive channels. Geenee IR has near unlimited scale and ability to detect images at a distance even when partially occluded, in glare or at an angle.

Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, WebAR with Geenee.

Working with branded content including Warner Bros.’ It Chapter Two, Scholastics’ Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and Walt Disney Studios’ Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker 360º In-Home Experience, demonstrates a commitment from major studios to apply WebAR to reach and convert target audiences.

As we brought Warner Bros.’ audience into the multisensory world of Pennywise for It Chapter Two, the experience achieved a 49% completion rate, with 8% of people watching the trailer, 9% of users repeating the experience, and 6% opening the buy tickets link. In contrast, successful conversion rates for marketing content averages at 2%. You can learn more about the experience and try it out for yourself here.

Geenee WebAR demo

AR easily integrates across social media platforms, and extends existing content, boosting conversions by engaging consumers through interactive product discovery. Augmented Reality makes shopping more accessible from search to checkout. ShopifyAR, for example, has boosted conversion rates by 200%, and has reduced returns by 40% (VNTANA).

Returns are a multi-billion dollar problem, and companies that operate on thin margins can be hard hit carrying the burden of reverse logistics of large ticket items such as furniture and large screen televisions. AR visualization and evaluation instills buyers with choice, confidence, purchase intent and satisfaction.

Brands that have invested heavily in digital technology have earned significant returns on investment. In Q1 2020, L’Oréal saw a 20% increase in eCommerce powered by virtual try-ons for make-up and hair color. Pre-pandemic, consumers would spend an average of 2 minutes on their AR try-ons, and post crisis, the average spiked to 9 minutes. By shifting 30% of their total advertising budget to online marketing spend, brands have seen rapid growth, including a 300% jump in online sales in Latin America this April, and in the Middle East an extraordinary 400% increase (Financial Times).

The ability to instantly connect with consumers on a personal level through WebAR is giving brands the opportunity to actively engage audiences in ways never before possible.

WebAR can be seamlessly integrated into digital strategies, at a lower cost, resulting in higher engagement and conversion metrics, and increased brand affinity.

To learn more about integrating WebAR into your upcoming brand and product campaigns, please reach out at contact[at]geenee.me.