Marketing with Augmented Reality

In my last article I defined augmented and virtual reality in the context I’ll be discussing it, and I talked briefly about the history of virtual and augmented reality. In this next article I’ll begin to look at how to use augmented reality for business, how the technology is developing, how it is delivered to an audience and how, as a company, you should consider using it.

There are 3 industries I would credit with bringing technology innovation into the mainstream. Gaming is the first, and an area I’m familiar with, having worked at Gamespot for several years with major gaming publishers like EA, Rockstar and Activision. These companies have helped bring many new technologies to the masses. You only need to look at the popularity of Pokemon Go to see how successful it can be.

The porn industry interestingly has also driven digital innovation, being largely credited for helping develop streaming video, tracking devices and online payment methods. We’ll skip jauntily on from this subject! 

The third is movies and TV shows, which are able to paint imaginative pictures of what the world might look like in 5, 50 or 500 years, allowing directors and writers’ minds to run wild. These vivid portrayals have often led to real world products being invented. As far back as the 1960s, shows like Get Smart were featuring phones in almost everything, a camera hidden in a bowl of soup and the famous Cone of Silence. Their ideas were on occasion a little too close to home, and the FBI more than once asked the makers how they knew about actual supposedly secret products in development.

Those from my generation might remember the 2002 Tom Cruise movie, Minority Report. In this futuristic movie, Cruise manipulates digital files on a screen using special gloves. Of course now in 2019 it almost seems a little dated, but it does predict a type of augmented reality quite possible today. In fact, Don Shin, founder of the software development firm Crosscom recreated this scene back in 2017 imagining how it might look if filmed now using AR.

Augmented reality can be overlaid or projected onto the real world in several ways: from wearables like Google Glass or the more advanced Microsoft Hololens, viewed via a screen on a mobile phone or projected onto a surface in a heads up display.

I was surprised that Google Glass didn’t gain adoption in the way I thought it would. It seemed to me to be the most seamless, least inconvenient and unobtrusive way to add this digital layer, without having to hold for example a mobile phone in front of you. 

Perhaps the world is not quite ready for this type of wearable. Perhaps it's a step too far, too quickly, in the same way behaviourally targeted ads have been labelled as creepy. Perhaps it was an aesthetics issue, and the design of the wearable needs to be given more attention. Either way, I don’t think it will be long before something similar hits the market and gains popularity. Facebook recently signed a deal to partner with Ray-Ban in producing glasses which can take calls, stream live video and project a small display.

In Aug 2018 Apple acquired a Colorado-based startup named Akonia Holographics. This company specialises in projecting a digital layer onto the real world. Tim Cook has stated many times he believes “AR is going to change everything”. This acquisition is the enterprise example of putting your money where your mouth is. iGlasses anyone?

Contact lenses seem an ideal solution since its removable, but unnoticeable when being worn. Remember DARPA who first invented the internet? Well they’re currently investing big dollars into a partnership with a French company, IMT-Atlantique around development of contact lenses for use in the defence forces. Microsoft are also ploughing big dollars into this company, and keen to be involved.

Less AR since it doesn’t offer a display, and more eye tracking and device control, you could consider this more of a ‘smart lense’, but it would seem like a natural progression to offer AR, as tech innovation makes it possible.

The extreme case is development by well known innovator and Silicon Valley genius Elon Musk, whose company Neuralink recently made public some of their designs of brain machine interfaces. Again, this technology is not necessarily about AR, probably closer to AI, but again, I think building in the AR functionality would happen in due course.

What excites me is the whole world as we know it is about to be transformed from the blank canvas it is now, to a world filled with new and interesting AR concepts to discover, explore and enjoy.

I recently heard Nancy Baker Cahill talk about 4th Wall, an app that allows artists to create digital 3D artwork, and then geotag it to appear at specific places in the world. Check out all the artwork at her Insta page 4thwallapp.

I like this example of artwork pasted on the side of the United Nations building:

Or this protest piece blocking out the White House:

However, this does raise moral  issues around ownership, rights and privacy. Who exactly is going to monitor this artwork? How do we avoid ending up with a cluttered world of hateful posts, crappy artwork and augmented spam, much like what the internet has largely become?

Companies who become involved in producing and publishing digital content, whether it be AR or VR, would be wise to consider the long term implications, self regulate and moderate where practically possible, without stifling the open world nature of an online community. Sure, I get this is not always easy, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be given consideration.

This digital layer, whatever its purpose, needs to be delivered in a way that doesn’t offer distraction or an obstacle, but a seamless method for delivering information that enhances an experience, adds value, entertains or improves efficiency. 

Too often I’ve seen technology used for technology’s sake. The end result is a poor user experience, which can often lead to a negative attitude towards the technology in general.

As the technology and devices have become more affordable to everyday consumers, many companies are now looking at ways they can use Extended Reality (XR) in a commercial sense.

If you’re currently considering using augmented reality for business, ponder these points before making your leap:

1. Understand the use case for AR. What problem are you looking for it to solve, or what experience are you expecting it to offer? 
2. Are your competitors using AR? If they are there’s a good chance you’re lagging behind, so think about how you can offer something they’re not, or future proof your technology by innovating
3. Who within your company is going to lead the project? Who will take responsibility for ensuring AR is implemented smoothly and benefits the end user
4. How will you measure the success of AR once its been implemented? How will data play a part in deciding whether you invest less, the same or more in this technology on an ongoing basis 

Like any new system, program or process that’s introduced, be realistic about your expectations in the early stages, and be prepared to make changes as you test and learn. This will help you and your business evolve. The alternative is not to change at all and as we’ve seen too many times, failing to change is a fast track to disappearing altogether.

In the next article, we'll look specifically at the use of virtual reality in business, specifically for marketing purposes, but we'll also look at some of the other ways its being adopted.

For more information about how to introduce XR into your business, feel free to drop me a line. I’m so keen to push this industry forward, that initial conversations and advice is given with no obligation.

If you’re a fan of AR, VR and 360 videos, be sure to check out my YouTube channel The 360 Biker.

Or follow me on Instagram @ The 360 Biker