Inspiring ways New Tech i.e., AR is Impacting the New Future

Augmented Reality [AR] is a technology that perfectly suits the statement that Victor Hugo had said many many years ago – Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come

AR is a technology that allows virtual imagery to be overlaid in the real world. Such technology is slated to deliver the highest possible levels of growth not only in the current year but also in the years ahead. One of the biggest contributors to this is indeed the ongoing pandemic.

With the onset of the pandemic, businesses across the world started going deeper into alternative solutions for their new product launches, sales conferences, client meet-ups. customer engagements, research report rollouts, etc.

Also, as physical stores went for a complete shutdown, all frontline staff members sitting at home, using technology like these have come in handy for brands keen to reach out to the consumers. 

The advancements in technology have enabled us to explore the potential of AR in its truest sense. Some of them include – mobile processing speed, mobile storage capacity, cheaper cost of broadband leading to better and deeper accessibility, high rate of smartphone adoption amongst many more. We all are used to using AR in so many different ways including the built-in cameras, microphones, and GPS.

There are a growing no. of companies that have been generating results using AR/VR. While Virtual Reality (VR) aims to create an entirely immersive experience, Augmented Reality (AR) enables digital information to be superimposed and integrated into our physical environment.

AR is proving to be exceedingly useful, both in the personal space like ‘home’ and for professional category segments like beauty. AR allows users to “try on” products or “see” them in their homes before deciding to buy. Just by using a mobile phone, users can easily place a virtual center table in their living room or apply a virtual lipstick shade from anywhere at any time, before ever actually committing to the purchase.

To relate this to an FMCG product, how about the fact that a consumer can see where the coffee beans are grown or check out the video of the roasting process while accessing coffee beans product through the mobile camera inside a retail outlet.  

Brands that incorporate AR functionality in their apps are enjoying deeper engagement with their customers, higher online conversions, and fewer returns.

Now, where does all this leads to?

The answer lies in better and efficient Marketing since companies do not wish to compromise on growing their customer base exponentially by effectively working on this aspect.

AR has had a significant impact across many industries. The speed with which AR could innovate is so immense that for consumers to catch up with its growing trends could become a challenge. It has influenced how the consumer’s behavior has evolved post the pandemic.

What makes AR special?

It has immense potential to contribute to exponential market growth largely because of its seamless integration with smartphones, electronic gadgets, home appliances, headsets, etc.

How has augmented reality impacted the different facets of life?

With many of us now at home, AR is a tool that can help us to transform our immediate surroundings into learning, work, and entertainment spaces. AR simply makes use of the existing environment and creates a new layer of information on top of it.

Some of the noteworthy aspects we all are experiencing are as follows: 

E-learning platforms powered by AR: The students and the teacher's fraternity got a strong boost through this. For example, Teachers could use AR-led experiences on objects connected to 3D models thereby enhancing the learnings significantly. It is indeed a great boon for students with disabilities to overcome the challenges of the classroom. 

Face Recognition Authorisation: The most commonly found one is how people unlock their phones with their faces using another AR feature. Instead of resetting or looking up a forgotten password – which can often take several minutes, facial recognition software can be used in place of a username and password to any website or app in just a few seconds. Facial recognition software also allows users to authorize payments through Google Pay, Apple Pay, or Samsung Pay. This applies to mobile and in-person purchases where stores have readers for mobile devices.  

Retail Frontend: AR helps customers to visualize and even try on the products while sitting in their personal spaces. Ikea’s ‘Ikea Place’ uses AR and it encourages customers to reimagine a space by placing a 3D representation of furnishings. It makes the entire decision-making process so much easier. Another frontend example is from Walmart which uses AR augmented mobile barcode scanner to enable its customers to quickly compare product prices and also see product reviews and ratings. AR through smartphones plays a pivotal role and enables better choices for the consumers. 

AR win with Virtual Try Ons in Live Streaming: Do you remember receiving messages from your brands on this since the pandemic started? I received quite a few. Brands have taken advantage of this by live streaming and showcasing their assortment that would appeal to their target audience. This removed any barrier which was connected to distance or location and seamlessly brought one and all on the same platform. Beauty brands have played a huge role in this by reaching out to both their loyal base as well as newer prospects.  

Retail Backend: AR has been instrumental in simplifying several business process journeys in areas including Warehouse management, Stock management, Inventory control, and Sales. 

Exciting Virtual Backgrounds being used in Video Communication: AR is assisting in making the video meetings highly engaging and interactive with an embedded element of fun and comfort since people are no longer forced to show their personal spaces.  

Social Media short-form Video content with AR: The short-form video content on social media platforms has been a huge hit amongst its users and followers. This also gained significant market share in the time span that people spend online. These videos became a hit on platforms like Instagram, Tiktok, Snapchat, etc. 

AR led Avatars ruling the live streaming space: Till a few years back, it wasn’t possible to have a video with your proxy on it. Now, AR Avatars have not only helped in building personal privacy but also making the communication hyper-personalized and unique to the target audience. YouTube has been one platform that has been tested the most in getting such Digital Avatars instead of the real face. 

Face Filters brought Happiness: This assisted in showcasing the face with aspects connected to skin smoothening, brighter face, teeth whitening, better camera lighting amongst many more. 

AR and Consumer handshake: What was one-sided once has truly become 2 way now. Consumers can express their viewpoints and feedback live through the power of AR. The look and feel of the product that the consumer's experience can be tracked live without any waiting period. While a lot of consumers may think this to be new technology, the reality is when we use translation-led apps, the base on which this work is AR. 

Marketing and AR partnership: Brands are still exploring the finest spot where they could connect with the consumers and real engagement can translate to conversions. Categories like Beauty, Fashion, Furniture, Furnishings, and Apparels have been quite successful in their foray, and series of trials have already been happening with continuous improvements.

The best part that Marketers feel about AR is the deep, emotional connection being built with the consumers and how their perception of the brand is getting developed as being tech-savvy and moving in tune with the times.   

AR and Get-togethers – Family members and co-workers can use AR to build a virtual representation of them from anywhere around the world. Imagine professionals sitting in a conference room together even though they are in reality sitting in different countries or imagine a family gathering taking place in someone’s living room, despite being in different cities or other sides of the globe.

Education Travel: Students and Travel enthusiasts can experience different realities and actually live through the AR-led experiences without having the physical need to travel.

Salon: Amazon opened a new hair salon in London. The salon is using AR wherein customers can try new hair colors virtually and capture their new look in a dedicated creative area. 

Real Estate: This industry is expected to undergo a big-time change wherein floor plans can be measured and drawn using AR. 

Gaming: When it comes to daily AR users, the Pokémon Go app comes at the top. Based on a playing card game that became popular in the 90s, this Nintendo gaming app skyrocketed in popularity when it was released as a free mobile app in 2016.

Sport – The goal behind AR in sports broadcasting was to increase viewership by providing additional information during a game. In this case, AR applies 3D graphics and interactive visual elements on top of the live video footage of the game. 

Automobile – Luxury automobile brands have taken a big leap by using AR to arrive at multiple data points on their windshields and dashboards. Imagine being warned about upcoming dangers, driving directions, wind speed, location data, navigational routes, and restaurant reviews as an added layer to the view in your car’s windshield. This is WIP with the global technology houses. 

Healthcare/ Medicine – AR is providing a lot of opportunities to bring doctors closer to the patients. Better treatments have been made possible through the usage of this. Doctors can use a system that combines natural language processing and AR software to auto-populate electronic medical records, reducing paperwork burnout. 

What is the role of such a technology for our upcoming future?

In simplest terms, what was once an option has now become a necessity. Although the old ways of visiting offices and in-person meetings will be back, our behaviors and ways of working would have reached a new minimum. Virtual communications can connect any no of people with global reach and scale, resulting in a lower impact on the environment coupled with a lot of savings of travel, stay, and other expenses. 

Conclusion:

With market leaders like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Samsung increasing their game as well as their fortune on both the virtual reality and augmented reality market, it is only a fact that the new start-ups are going to take this to a whole new level of market maturity with the inherent advantages of agility and costs. 

As per Cognizant’s report titled ‘The Real Reality of Augmented Reality’ …the biggest driver of all this is Brand Reputation. It is going to be one of the top qualitative benefits that brands are going to garner for themselves. I found some great inspiration in the research published by Cognizant. The link to the report is below:

While I may have spoken largely about one area, it is important to note that their real power is seen when they work together with other emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning(ML), and Virtual Reality(VR). For AR to function, AI becomes essential. Their partnership is clearly visible everywhere and as an example...see the image enhancement filters being used on social media platforms like Instagram.

Also, another one is how AR along with ML and AI are helping in seamlessly aligning online and in-store experiences. These technologies can be incorporated into physical stores to maintain self-check-out operations, reduce time wastage, and make product selection easier for the customers.

As per pundits' prediction, it is forecasted that AR will rule the roast as compared to VR however we are still in the early years and the usage patterns will define where the technology is going to evolve from here.  

What are your thoughts and experiences about AR? Your views will be great to know and learn from...