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Amol Ghemud Published: August 14, 2018
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Before Augmented Reality
Do you remember, back in 90’s, when Jurassic Park movie came out, it turned into a global sensation – nostalgia (the reason is not simply “dinosaurs”!). Despite the fact that it wasn’t the first run through, Hollywood was exploring different avenues regarding augmented reality and CGI (Computer generated imagery) technology (remember ‘The Terminator’?), it was a wonderful experience for the audiences – young and old to see the prehistoric creatures on screen.
In yet another promoting masterstroke, Universal Studios followed up on the achievement of the motion picture with an amusement stop and a voyaging show of full scale working models of the dinosaurs utilized as a part of the motion picture. Too bad, Steven Spielberg didn’t have access to some of the technology in real life at that time.
What is augmented reality?
Augmented reality can be defined as reality made with the assistance of extra PC components.
It involves technology that overlays a computer generated image on a user’s view of the real world providing altogether a new view.
AR utilizes a few gadgets to improve the truth:
Cell phones and tablets through which “enchantment” winds up plainly conceivable, you can watch multi-dimensional images, 3D models utilizing various versatile applications and so forth;
PC and TV players to interface web camera or screen;
Glasses, focal points and head mounted presentations with the assistance of which you jump into new reality.
” Since we cannot change the reality, let us change the way we see it – Augmented Reality ”
Moving towards Augment Reality
However, technology has advanced enough since the first Jurassic Park movie hit the theatres that augmented reality is no longer limited to science fiction anymore.
However, is augmented reality constrained to sci-fi, films and motion picture advancements? Not in the least.
Augmented reality innovation has as of now changed the way we communicate with our environment. It has discovered its place in the sun with advanced promoting development driving the way and many brands have bounced onto the fleeting trend.
What stays to be seen is, the place it will head from here. Let’s take a look at what possibilities lie in the near future of augmented reality.
Where can Augmented Reality be used?
1.To get information tied to a place
2.Extension of advertisement and catalogs
3.Visualization (in real location)
With the wild accomplishment of the new Pokemon Go, many have been left pondering whether enlarged the truth is staying put. You may recall the fervor behind Google Glass and how it failed out, yet what different things can profit by the innovation?
Not quite the same as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) depends on “layering” virtual items onto this present reality. Rather than having a totally new scene, the procedure gives ‘genuine living’ an turn as overlays anticipated onto the gadget.
Past Pokemon Go, Augmented Reality can possibly essentially add to our worldwide economy in various ventures and additionally help propel fields that would demonstrate useful for not only our security or well being but rather and also our human progression in general.
Interesting uses of Augment Reality with instances
1) Movies
My ever favorite, one of its kind movie, Avatar, masked the lines amongst reality and movement. The advancement and promoting effort pushed Augmented reality more than ever. Avatar toys manufactured by Mattel included a card that can be scanned by a webcam.
The outcome was an Augmented reality robot or character that comes to life on your PC screen. The technology which was created by Total Immersion additionally incorporates intuitiveness by adding a button to the cards. Pressing the buttons causes the on-screen character to shoot a gun or even present piece of the script.
2) Make up Apps
Sephora‘s most recent mobile application update gives you a chance to attempt virtual cosmetics/makeup on your face at home with AR.
Sephora is joining numerous different organizations in perceiving the significance AR will play in future excellence beauty product shopping.
The cosmetics/makeup retailer presented a “Sephora Virtual Artist” this week in an update to its iOS application. The feature, which was produced in association with AR organization ModiFace, checks and scans your face, sense out where your lips and eyes are, and gives you a chance to attempt on various looks.
At this moment, you can just play with lip hues, eye shadows, and false lash styles. On the off chance that you like the look, well, you can get it. Likes it! The application likewise offers “virtual instructional videos” that demonstrate to you how to contour, apply highlighter, and make winged eyeliner. It overlays the instructional videos all over.
3) Gaming
As a result of AR, and the achievement of Pokemon Go, an ever increasing number of individuals are getting mindful of what it is like to play games utilizing smartphones as a window to virtual reality. Accordingly, development of different games and alike experiences are using Augmented reality so as to make recreations that are technologically cutting-edge and engaging with this generation.
4) Table Ice Hockey
Would you be able to envision transforming your front room/coffee table into a hockey arena? Table Ice Hockey serves as the speediest, most-hard hitting augmented reality game there is. The ideal approach to wow companions and visitors, Table Ice Hockey makes a really novel virtual experience, where you can see the majority of the game activity from practically any point in the room.
5) Real Estate
Augmented Reality is being utilized by real estate experts to bring conventional, flat print materials, such as plans and blueprints to life directly in front of the buyer. For instance, by utilizing AR innovation, a real estate expert can pop up an exact 3D model of a home that is totally intelligent.
The model is much similar to a multi-dimensional image, however a customer can alter elements of the home, for example, paint shading and experiment with various household items and furniture to scale, in the advanced home model.
What’s next in augmented reality?
For a couple of bucks, an average person can point their iPhone or smartphone at the night sky and view the layout of the stars and planets in their exact locations with full definitions.
Presently there are considerably more AR applications for the iPhone.
The smartphone industry is building up the processing power for many augmented reality applications; it is acquainting the world with this idea. Many researchers have indicated the smartphone industry as sparing their augmented reality examine programs by making it more standard.
Augmented reality is seeing bit of resurgence with the adoption of the iPhone and Android mobile platforms. Computing power is being packed in smaller and smaller devices. Privacy will become a concern.
For instance, directing your iPhone at somebody and naturally pulling up their Facebook page may make a few people weary but you can already utilize virtual reality with an iPhone now.
Apple launches its AR platform for iOS, making it possible for developers to build augmented-reality experiences. Read more.
Apple demonstrated how they are embracing Augmented Reality (AR) and a demonstration by Peter Jackson’s company Wingnut AR which brings a tabletop to life with a sci-fi adventure scene – here.
Impact on Digital Marketing
Augmented Reality (AR) is going to have a large influence on digital marketing. Unlike virtual reality which makes a totally immersive environment for the client AR figures out how to incorporate computerized data into the client’s genuine environment.
What this can do is give the client a much more improved and immersive experience inside its environment. The way consumers keep on interacting with this innovation will decide the genuine capability of this drifting innovation technology.
AR provides a way to bridge the gap between the physical and digital experience, empowering brands to better engage with their customers and drive real business results in the process.
From a technical standpoint, while AR technology can merge with social media, many brands are currently using augmented technology over virtual because it’s more accessible to a larger audience, and AR doesn’t require additional equipment.
Augmented reality intro for mobile apps
There are many reasons why AR is ready to reform the way buyers will see the brand. From offering customized answers for ongoing connections, from gamifying the shopping background to following the ROI, AR can change the ideal models of how organizations work. Following are five reasons how AR can influence buyer encounter:
Instant interaction
Augmented Reality makes an intelligent ordeal, drawing in the user more instinctively. The user feels lifted and returns for more. On the off chance that user was the king before, now he is the ruler.
Real-time feedback
The excellence of Augmented Reality is that the user can give instant input on the product purchased, regardless of whether different users shared them in different channels, or what sort of channels they shared them in, to what extent they looked at that specific product etc. This sort of feedback is an extraordinary information for a digital marketer.
Personalization
It encourages a seamless omni present involvement for users. Take for instance, L’Oréal’s Makeup Genius mobile application. Through the application, women can see makeup being applied to them utilizing facial acknowledgment technology. On account of Fashion industry, it will allow you to see how the dress you picked will look on you and also discovering more data, for example, the value, area, accessibility, outline choices and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Gamification
Procuring new users is costly and by introducing games, organizations inspire customers to satisfy their competitive senses to drive engagement. Along these lines, they experience the brand and acquire their way towards coupons, prizes, points and rewards that are profoundly modified.
Tracking of ROI
Augmented Reality enables brands to track the best course from initial contact to the payment/register enroll phase. By giving an ongoing picture of how items are faring in the market and the related analytics. It can help digital marketers to viably track the ROI.
Increased Reality will end up being a goldmine in Digital Marketing in the coming years: in particular it is mobile friendly; It can go about as a scaffold between the various types of media that computerized advertisers as of now. Utilize and the capacity to track information and measure the ROI makes it an irreplaceable tool
The rise of new, more affordable equipment will put augmented reality technologies. Inside the grip of increasing number of businesses and people. In the coming years, prepare yourself for another range of experiences. That will in general change the way many of us do work in large portions.
Augmented Reality (AR) enhances your current environment by overlaying digital information, whereas Virtual Reality (VR) replaces it entirely. This core difference means AR is designed to integrate with and add context to your real-world activities, making it more accessible for daily use on devices like smartphones. In contrast, VR requires full immersion, often with specialized headsets, to transport you to a completely new digital space.
The value of AR lies in its ability to blend the digital and physical seamlessly. Consider these key distinctions:
Interaction Model: AR uses the real world as its foundation. Think of Pokemon Go, where creatures appear in your physical surroundings. VR creates a self-contained world, removing you from your immediate environment.
Hardware Requirements: AR is widely accessible through standard smartphones and tablets. VR typically demands dedicated head-mounted displays that block out external reality.
Application Focus: AR excels at providing location-based information, product visualization, and interactive advertising. VR is geared toward gaming, simulations, and training where total immersion is beneficial.
Understanding this distinction is key to developing effective applications that match the right technology to the user's goal. To see how this blend of realities is reshaping industries, explore the detailed examples in the full post.
Early cinematic CGI, like the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, provides a perfect analogy for understanding Augmented Reality's core function. These films didn't create entirely new worlds; they superimposed incredible, computer-generated creatures onto real-world footage, making the impossible seem present. This is precisely what AR does: it uses technology to overlay digital elements onto your view of reality, altering your perception without replacing your surroundings.
The evolution from cinematic special effects to personal AR technology shows a consistent goal: enhancing reality. The awe audiences felt seeing a T-Rex on screen is mirrored in the modern user's experience of seeing a 3D model of a product in their living room via a smartphone. Both instances work by adding a digital layer to a familiar setting. This approach is more about annotation and enrichment than escape, which is what sets it apart. Discover how this foundational concept is now being applied in advertising and visualization by reading the complete analysis.
The success of Pokemon Go compared to the failure of Google Glass highlights the critical importance of use case and social acceptance. Pokemon Go succeeded by offering a single, compelling entertainment experience on a familiar device—the smartphone. It turned the real world into a game board without being intrusive. Google Glass, however, failed because it lacked a clear purpose for the average consumer and its "always-on" camera raised significant privacy concerns, leading to social friction.
Developers should weigh these factors when designing AR experiences:
Purposeful Application: Does the AR feature solve a real problem or provide tangible entertainment? Pokemon Go had a clear, fun objective. Google Glass was a technology in search of a problem.
Social Norms: Is the hardware discreet and socially acceptable? The overt design of Google Glass made users and non-users uncomfortable. Smartphone-based AR is less intrusive.
Accessibility: Is the experience available on devices people already own? By launching as a mobile app, Pokemon Go reached a massive audience instantly.
The lesson is that successful AR is not just about technological capability but about creating value that seamlessly and respectfully integrates into users' lives. Learn more about navigating these challenges by examining other case studies in the full article.
The Avatar campaign was a pioneering example of using AR to create a connected product ecosystem. By embedding AR markers (cards) with Mattel toys, the campaign transformed a physical purchase into an interactive digital experience. This strategy, developed by Total Immersion, allowed consumers to bring movie characters to life on their computer screens simply by scanning a card with a webcam. It successfully merged the tangible appeal of a toy with the dynamic, engaging nature of digital media.
This approach offered a powerful lesson in extending brand narratives beyond their original medium. The interactivity, such as making the on-screen character shoot a weapon, created a deeper level of engagement than a static toy ever could. It showed that AR could act as a bridge, adding significant value to a physical product and keeping the consumer connected to the brand's universe long after the initial purchase. This model proves that AR is not just a gimmick but a tool for building lasting, interactive relationships with an audience. Explore other examples of how brands are using AR to enhance physical products in the complete analysis.
The Jurassic Park traveling exhibit was an early, analog form of augmented reality. It took digital creations from the screen and placed them into the audience's physical space, blurring the line between fantasy and the real world. This desire to interact with fictional elements within a familiar context is the exact psychological driver behind the success of modern AR applications like Pokemon Go. Both experiences create a sense of wonder by making the unreal feel present and tangible.
The fundamental appeal is the same: overlaying an extraordinary layer onto ordinary reality. The Universal Studios show used physical models to achieve this, while Pokemon Go uses digital overlays on a smartphone screen. The core value proposition remains unchanged—it allows people to engage with a beloved franchise in their own environment. This historical parallel demonstrates that AR technology is not inventing a new human desire but is simply providing a more scalable and accessible way to fulfill an existing one. Uncover more about the psychological principles behind effective AR in our full feature.
The phenomenal success of Pokemon Go validated AR's mass-market appeal and demonstrated a powerful model for real-world engagement. The game effectively turned physical locations into valuable digital assets, proving that users are willing to explore their surroundings when motivated by a compelling digital overlay. This provides a clear blueprint for other industries looking to use AR for location-based services and marketing.
Beyond gaming, this model can be adapted for several applications:
Retail and Advertising: Brands can create AR experiences that lead customers to physical stores or display interactive advertisements when a user points their phone at a real-world object or location.
Tourism and Navigation: Cities and museums can provide historical information or navigational aids that overlay onto a visitor's view, enriching their experience.
Real Estate: Potential buyers can visualize furniture in an empty house or see renovation possibilities in real-time through their device.
Pokemon Go proved that millions of people will embrace AR if the experience is intuitive, engaging, and delivered on an accessible platform like a smartphone. Discover the strategies for applying these lessons to your own industry in the complete article.
A retail brand can implement an AR product visualization feature by focusing on accessible, app-based experiences. The goal is to allow customers to see how a product looks in their own space, directly addressing a key barrier to online purchasing. This requires a clear plan that moves from 3D asset creation to a simple, user-friendly interface. A phased approach ensures a successful launch without a massive initial investment.
Here is a straightforward plan to get started:
Create 3D Models: The first step is to develop high-quality 3D models of your key products. These must be optimized for performance on mobile devices.
Choose a Platform: Decide whether to build a new feature into your existing mobile app or use a third-party AR platform. For simplicity, integrating an existing AR SDK is often fastest.
Design the User Experience: The AR feature should be easy to launch, perhaps via a button on a product page or by scanning a physical catalog. The interface must be intuitive, allowing users to place, rotate, and scale the virtual object in their room.
Develop and Test: Build the feature and conduct extensive testing on various smartphones and tablets to ensure it works smoothly across different environments and lighting conditions.
This strategy mirrors the simplicity of the Avatar toy campaign, which used a common device (a webcam) to unlock the experience. Explore more advanced implementation tactics in our full guide.
The choice of hardware is the single most important factor shaping an AR application's design and functionality. A developer must align the user experience with the inherent strengths and limitations of the target device, as an experience designed for glasses will not translate directly to a smartphone. This decision dictates everything from the interaction model to the complexity of the digital overlays.
Consider how device choice impacts design:
Smartphones and Tablets: These are ideal for session-based, "point-and-see" interactions. The experience is viewed through a small window, making it suitable for product visualization or short games like Pokemon Go. The user must hold the device, limiting physical interaction.
AR Glasses and Headsets: These enable hands-free, persistent AR experiences. Information can be overlaid constantly within the user's field of view, making them perfect for tasks requiring manual dexterity, like surgery or mechanical repair.
PCs with Webcams: This setup is best for stationary experiences, like the Avatar toy campaign, where the user brings an object to the camera. It is less mobile but can leverage greater processing power.
Matching the application's goal to the right hardware is essential for creating an intuitive and effective AR experience. Explore a deeper analysis of these platform-specific design considerations in the full post.
As AR technology evolves beyond smartphones to more integrated hardware like smart glasses, its potential economic and social impact will grow exponentially. The ability to overlay critical, contextual information directly onto our field of view will revolutionize professional fields by enhancing human capability. This moves AR from a marketing tool to an essential utility for complex, high-stakes tasks, driving significant gains in productivity and safety.
Consider the future implications for key sectors:
Healthcare: Surgeons could see patient vitals and 3D organ models overlaid on a patient during an operation, improving precision and reducing risk.
Manufacturing and Maintenance: A technician wearing AR glasses could see digital instructions and schematics while repairing complex machinery, minimizing errors.
Education: Students could dissect a virtual frog or explore ancient ruins in their classroom, making learning more immersive and effective.
This "human progression" the article mentions is about empowering individuals with immediate, relevant data, ultimately making us more efficient, informed, and capable. Read the full analysis to understand how to prepare your organization for this technological shift.
Businesses should prepare for a future where AR is no longer a novelty but a fundamental component of the user interface. The clear trend is a shift from standalone AR apps towards seamless integration within existing platforms and hardware, such as social media filters, e-commerce apps, and eventually, wearable glasses. This means AR will become a default expectation for visualization, information access, and interactive communication.
To stay ahead, companies must adjust their strategies in several key areas:
Content Strategy: Start building a library of 3D assets for your products and services, as these will be the building blocks of future AR experiences.
Skill Development: Invest in talent with expertise in 3D design, user experience for spatial computing, and AR development platforms.
Platform Integration: Prioritize integrating AR features into your primary customer touchpoints, like your mobile app or website, rather than creating separate, gimmicky experiences.
The evolution from the cinematic spectacle of The Terminator to pocket-sized AR shows a clear path toward ubiquity. Companies that begin building their AR capabilities now will be best positioned to compete. Explore a detailed roadmap for this strategic shift in the complete post.
The primary mistake of Google Glass was its failure to address social and usability issues, leading to its perception as an intrusive and awkward device. It was a solution in search of a problem, with a design that created social friction due to its conspicuous, always-on camera. Successful modern AR applications have avoided this by prioritizing a clear, specific use case on familiar hardware that respects social norms.
Stronger AR applications today succeed by following a different model:
Device Familiarity: They operate on smartphones, a device everyone already owns and understands, eliminating the need for new, socially awkward hardware.
User-Initiated Action: AR features are typically activated intentionally by the user for a specific task (e.g., playing Pokemon Go or viewing a product), rather than being passively "on" all the time.
Clear Value Proposition: They offer an obvious benefit, whether it is entertainment, utility, or information, which justifies the use of the technology.
By learning from the missteps of Google Glass, developers now focus on creating AR experiences that are purpose-driven and socially considerate. Dive deeper into the principles of user-centric AR design in our complete analysis.
The most common strategic error is treating Augmented Reality as the end goal rather than as a tool to solve a customer problem. Campaigns that focus solely on the "wow" factor of the technology often fail to provide lasting value, resulting in a gimmicky feel. To create meaningful experiences, brands must pivot from showcasing the technology to providing genuine utility, such as helping a customer make a better purchasing decision or access useful information more intuitively.
To avoid the gimmick trap, focus on function over flash:
Identify a Pain Point: Does your customer struggle to visualize how furniture will fit in their home? Do they need help understanding how to assemble a product? Use AR to solve that specific issue.
Integrate, Don't Isolate: Build the AR feature directly into the existing customer journey (e.g., on a product page in your app) rather than requiring a separate app download for a one-time experience.
Provide Contextual Information: Use AR to overlay useful data onto the real world, such as customer reviews appearing next to a product on a store shelf or nutritional information appearing over a menu item.
By focusing on solving real-world problems, as hinted by applications in visualization and advertising, brands can transform AR from a fleeting novelty into an indispensable tool. Find more examples of utility-driven AR in the full article.
Amol has helped catalyse business growth with his strategic & data-driven methodologies. With a decade of experience in the field of marketing, he has donned multiple hats, from channel optimization, data analytics and creative brand positioning to growth engineering and sales.
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