The term Augmented Reality (AR) was first introduced to the tech world’s glossary almost thirty years ago. Nobody foresaw augmented reality (AR) becoming a widely used technology when Boeing first introduced it as an internal tool to assist with designing. In actuality, no one could have predicted that AR apps would be so widely accessible. But we are all aware of how quickly augmented reality has assimilated into daily life.
Many commercial sectors prosper thanks to AR. Businesses use augmented reality’s many advantages across industries, from manufacturing to e-commerce. Among AR’s key advantages are increased user engagement, distinctive product experiences, accelerated sales, and elevated brand awareness. Although the technology is not new to the market, many business owners still fail to see the benefits.
If you are interested in the benefits of augmented reality, please read on for more information.
The Definition Of Augmented Reality
Augmented reality (AR), also known as mixed reality, enhances a user’s physical environment by superimposing digital content directly on top of it (i.e., it augments the user’s real-world surroundings).
If you look through your phone’s camera while inside your house, for instance, you’ll still recognize your living room and everyone in it, but there will be some digital augmentation, like text descriptions or a dog that isn’t actually there. If you go into your backyard, you might see a dinosaur charging toward you or a UFO landing in the distance. Anything is possible!
Here are some of the ways AR is already being used today:
- A route may be superimposed by navigational systems over the actual view of the road.
- To illustrate and analyze plays, sportscasters can draw lines on a football field.
- You can navigate large stores by using a map that shows what is in each aisle.
- Military pilots can view altitude, speed, and other data in their helmet visor
- Before using an actual patient and operating table, medical students and even experienced surgeons can plan out or practice procedures on a virtual patient.
Augmented Reality Vs. Virtual Reality
AR and VR are frequently confused with one another. How does AR differ from VR now that you are aware of what AR is?
Immersing the user in a brand-new reality is the main goal of VR. It takes a headset to completely obstruct the outside world in order to simulate an alternate reality where you can feel the rush of racing, skydiving, or going on a zombie hunt. Of course, both are being used in a variety of industries and are having an effect on marketing.
How Is Marketing Utilizing Augmented Reality?
According to a 2019 Deloitte survey, small and medium-sized businesses continue to adopt AR and VR technology at much lower rates than large businesses (those with annual revenues of $100M to $1B). Why?
Another major misunderstanding that some small and medium-sized businesses have about augmented reality is that it will necessitate a sizable financial investment in new technology, along with the idea that it is only a gaming technology. Once more, this is untrue. Everyone can now enjoy virtual experiences thanks to smartphones, and who in this day and age doesn’t own one?
Aside from entertainment, AR accomplishes a lot more. A brand differentiator that leaves enduring impressions in marketing is augmented reality. Those who are successfully utilizing AR are aware that it must offer value and not just be a gimmick.
Gimmicks can still be successful in the short term because the technology is still in its infancy, but it won’t be long before AR is accepted as a mainstay of marketing and its novelty wears off. At that point, benefits will only accrue to those who use AR properly.
How does AR add value? The name itself contains a portion of the solution: It must enhance users’ perceptions of reality and offer an engaging experience. It can’t just provide some extra content that is readily available on a website. In actuality, that is essentially what QR codes did, which is why they aren’t nearly as common today despite their brief resurgence as a channel for contactless menus during COVID.
Imagine instead that the filet mignon appeared in front of you using augmented reality technology, rather than being described on a contactless menu. In short, to provide value, augmented reality must do the following:
- Enhance the user experience
- Provide engaging and branded interaction
- Be an authentic part of the brand communication strategy
6 Strategic Benefits Of Augmented Reality
Creates Unique Customer Experiences
The primary benefit of augmented reality is the development of distinctive digital experiences that combine the best aspects of the physical and digital worlds. The experience can be enjoyed without any specialized hardware or software.
Augmented Reality can be experienced with standard smartphones and mobile apps. In fact, the most recent advancements in augmented reality (AR) now even allow users to access immersive experiences through web browsers.
How, then, are augmented reality experiences different from other types of experiences? The most typical audio-visual experiences that we are aware of can be found either in the real world or online. One technology that combines both realities is augmented reality. It creates a mirage effect by layering digital and physical components.
When close to a tourist attraction, users can, for instance, point their smartphones at it. The AR app displays digital snippets on the screen when viewed through the screen, enabling the user to simultaneously consume both physical and digital information. The Apple Park Visitor Center is a prime illustration of this.
It Eliminates Cognitive Overload
Have you ever attempted to repair a car using a manual as a guide? If not, try it and you’ll see right away how foolish it is. Although I have nothing against support manuals and documentation, they frequently fail to explain how to fix a problem to inexperienced users. especially if it is a new model that differs significantly from earlier car models and engineering.
Here, the cognitive information load is what we’re talking about. Cognitive overload occurs when your working memory is forced to process a significant amount more information than it can comfortably handle.
You become frustrated and have trouble making decisions when you are unable to handle them. This is the exact reason why inexperienced users found it difficult to resolve a problem despite consulting extensive and thorough support documents.
Can augmented reality provide a solution to this issue? In neatly condensed digital snippets, augmented reality presents information. It saves the user from having to consider too much data in order to draw a conclusion.
AR can help users make quick decisions without cognitive overload, whether it be to identify a component by size or to see the popularity of a restaurant with a star rating.
Although some may find this too far in the future, there are already companies using AR-based mobile applications to help users accomplish more in less time.
Heightens User Engagement
Augmented reality was primarily regarded as a gaming and entertainment-related technology when it first gained popularity. But as time went on, it grew to include a number of other scenarios that could result in significant economic gains. One such benefit is improved user engagement.
If there is one thing that most business leaders want to accomplish in 2021 and beyond, it is increasing user engagement. User engagement acts as a doorway to a number of additional advantages.
It can produce countless benefits for a growing as well as an established business, from increased spending to brand loyalty. Serving the right content to the right people at the right time will encourage engagement, which is the challenge.
Because of the large user base, brands used print media as their primary method of user engagement years ago. However, in 2020, 83.1 million consumers in the US were estimated to have used AR on a monthly basis
There are numerous ways to use AR to increase user engagement, including scannable product labels, interactive advertisements, catalogs, and store signage. Users find the technology engaging due to its novelty and capacity to deliver information quickly and conveniently.
As an actual case in point, Pepsi’s bus stop advertisement in London garnered more interest and attention than any print or television advertisement could have. Augmented reality was used to make it work. The campaign that best illustrates the benefits of augmented reality in advertising maybe this one.
Competitive Differentiation
It’s critical for brands to stand out in a market where everyone else is selling the same products at the same price point. Traditional advertising channels and the creative options they offer have been used by brands for a very long time to set themselves apart from the competition.
They can expand their reach and take a different position in a crowded market with the aid of augmented reality-enabled marketing campaigns.
Take Nike as an illustration. One of the most crowded and densely populated markets there is undoubtedly the sportswear market. Nike has been around for a while, but it still needs to put in extra work to keep its market share and draw in millennial customers. Particularly when the competition is close behind with fresh, creative products.
With its AR app, Nike was able to solidify its status as a leading global brand in marketing. You may be aware of how challenging it can be to find the proper size shoe if you’ve recently gone shoe shopping.
On occasion, the brand measurements don’t correspond to your actual size. Nike has introduced an Augmented Reality tool to make it simpler for customers to find their sizes. The tool scans your feet using the camera on your smartphone and then provides the precise size you should choose.
The app also provides a variety of other facts and information about the shoe, data, and other items that make shopping fun rather than a chore. The possibilities for developing standout campaigns using augmented reality are virtually endless.
Immersive Training
Businesses invest a lot of money in employee training and productivity enhancement. Practical training is not always possible, though. For instance, extensive equipment and a budget are required for training in the manufacturing sector. In addition to the size at which the training module must be designed, the evaluation process is difficult.
Using augmented reality, immersive training modules can be created without the expense or need for expensive equipment. For training purposes, AR-based tools assist employees in visualizing and simulating various scenarios. For evaluating the effectiveness of training modules, organizations can also develop interactive AR-based evaluation processes.
The average US company spends $1071 per employee on training, according to the 2021 Training Industry Report. If a company has thousands of employees, the cost of training will be much higher. You can use augmented reality to develop an immersive training module and make a special evaluation system possible.
But before pursuing AR app development, it’s also crucial to understand the associated costs. Regardless of whether businesses want to measure employee productivity or operational efficiency, training is important, but data becomes even more important. Here, augmented reality can assist in producing interesting data analytics.
Real-time Analytics
Organizations can use data analytics to get actionable information for decision-making, operations monitoring, and security. 80% of businesses cited data analytics as a factor in higher profits, according to PRNewswire.
Real-time analytics can be integrated on-site for operators and staff using augmented reality. Real-time system performance monitoring enables administrators to make changes to increase effectiveness.
An organization can improve processes locally with the help of augmented reality, which creates a visual representation of data with insights. Here, a company that creates AR applications can assist you in incorporating crucial procedures into a data analytics system for visual presentations. For in-depth analysis, it is also crucial to align your objectives with the data analytics system.
Industries That Revolutionize With AR
E-commerce
Your e-commerce operation can prosper with the aid of AR. The proven benefits of augmented reality for e-commerce include:
- increase user engagement by 70%
- boost conversions by almost 50%
- reduce returns by 40%.
Virtual try-on, placement preview, interesting user manuals, gamification, and face filters are among the fundamental AR-powered solutions that revolutionize. Virtual try-on options enable customers to test products before making a purchase.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing companies’ business practices are evolving thanks to augmented reality. The most effective AR-powered solutions include:
- Virtual training
- Interactive collaboration apps
- Digital twin systems
- Digital product configurators
- alternatives for object visualization.
Virtual training systems make use of AR’s advantages to visualize 3D objects and add interactive manuals that take the place of traditional trainers and extensive documentation. It allows learners to virtually track their learning progress and access training materials at any time and from any location.
Military
Governmental and commercial organizations both benefit from augmented reality. For instance, the US Army Synthetic Training Environment (STE) is currently creating a training program for soldiers that uses AR and VR. In addition to XR technologies, this massive initiative also relies on Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and numerous other strategies to succeed.
The main objective is to centralize training sessions worldwide and to expedite and improve the level of warfighting readiness. As a result, training sessions are expedited and military units are guided from A to Z by data-driven real-time virtual feedback.
Healthcare
In the healthcare sector, augmented reality is revolutionizing. Technologies that use augmented reality (AR) enhance how businesses train employees, care for patients, and compete. First, augmented reality simulators assist businesses in training their pre-hospital staff.
A realistic AR-based simulator program like PerSim, for instance, enables EMTs, paramedics, and other professionals to virtually handle real-life causes. Professionals use AR’s advantages to learn, train, and advance in a variety of fields, including trauma-related injuries and mass casualty events.
Second, applications powered by AR aid in processing and visualizing patient data in a digital and engaging manner. It makes it easier for professionals to share data while reducing human factor risks and providing symptoms and medical diagnoses.
Furthermore, augmented reality applications eliminate the need for patients to struggle with problematic failed procedures.
Conclusions
We humans as a species spend more time gazing at screens of all sizes. Digital experiences have been deeply woven into our everyday lives. In fact, because of how well a brand can deliver digital experiences, we have been trained to rank them as superior or inferior.
Brands must use mixed reality technology, such as augmented reality, in such a situation. It is the only piece of technology that truly combines the realities of the physical and digital worlds.
The advantages of augmented reality for business are too great to ignore, regardless of whether you run an e-commerce, retail, or healthcare organization. We hope that our post on popular examples will make it clear how augmented reality functions and aid in your personal development.