Using Social AR for Marketing Success in 2023

As the world becomes increasingly digital, businesses are turning to social media platforms to reach their target audiences. Social augmented reality (AR) is a rapidly growing technology that has the potential to revolutionize the world of marketing. In 2023, it is expected to be a game-changer in the way businesses interact with their customers and promote their products and services.

Among these social media platforms, Snapchat for example has been a pioneer in the use of AR in social media. The platform offers a wide range of AR lenses that users can use to enhance their photos and videos. As we know, Meta also pushes very much in the AR/VR industry. The platform has introduced Spark AR, which allows users to create their own AR filters and effects. TikTok is another social media platform that has embraced AR and started Effect House beta in 2021. However, it's worth noting that the Chinese platform Douyin, which is the basis of TikTok, already has much more advanced AR functionalities and it's expected to rapidly scale in the near future.

In this article, I will provide an overview of the capabilities of AR technology and showcase examples of how Byten21 has utilized it to assist brands. My goal is to inspire you to consider incorporating AR into your own business strategies.

What are AR and ARM?

AR is a technology that overlays digital information in the real world. It can be used to create interactive and immersive experiences for users. Social AR is Augmented Reality displayed, through various social apps: Meta, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and etc. It consists of a series of camera filters that are fun, and engaging and can provide a transaction between a customer and a brand.

Augmented Reality Marketing (ARM) is currently applied to application scenarios such as restaurants, exhibitions, entertainment, movies, travel, fashion, transportation, and shopping.

Social AR has a built-in audience as users are already actively seeking out and engaging with the technology on social media platforms. Brands have a natural social channel to promote the use of AR effects. On TikTok, effects are a relatively new phenomenon, so each effect is more likely to be viewed and used than it will be in a few years' time. This presents a great opportunity for brands to get involved now.

For brands that want to use TikTok's AR effects to promote their products, the cost of creating and promoting these filters is an important factor to consider. There can be a significant difference in cost between filters that include a brand logo and those that do not. Additionally, it's important to align the display of brand effects with the current trends and developments on the platform. By understanding the cost and trends, brands can use AR technology as a powerful tool to connect with consumers, enhance their overall brand experience, and drive more engagement, sales, and revenue.

Key findings:

1. Viral Reach and Large Traffic Impact

TikTok values videos that utilize effects, particularly those that are currently popular. These types of videos tend to get more attention and have a greater potential to be widely shared. Additionally, many effects have a long lifespan, meaning that even older effects can continue to be effective in generating engagement for a long period of time.

Police Runner: AR Effect + Entertainment

Using effects in videos on TikTok can simplify the process of creating content for users, as the effects can add visual interest and dynamic elements to the video without requiring additional effort from the user.

Results: The Police Runner was created by Byten21's founder and AR creator, Mikolaj Tobjasz. It received over 2.8 million interactions and 2.1 billion views on videos that used the effect.

2. Branded Interactive Games - Boosting Reach and Driving Engagement

Byten21 created a gamified TikTok effect for K-pop group NCT 127 to promote the release of their new album"2 Baddies". we extended the music video and successfully reinvented it into a fun and engaging game. The effect allows users to drive a sleek and futuristic "porsche" type car that they can control with head movements and earn points as they drive along the track.

3. Immersive AR Replication Offline Experience - Facilitates trying products & Supporting Sales

This AR effect special allows users to place a new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV in their garage. This allows the brand to give audiences a virtual product to experience at home and then go to the store to purchase it. The ability to see the product in its own environment helps strengthen the user's connection to the product, making the experience more engaging and immersive. This innovative approach can help drive interest and sales for the brand.

3D objects can be extremely realistic, creating an illusion of reality and blurring the lines between the real and virtual worlds. This means that the objects in the virtual world can be so realistic that it is difficult to tell the difference between them and real-world objects. This can create an immersive experience for the user, making it hard to distinguish between reality and virtuality.

4. AR technology has become a game-changer for e-commerce brands

Media is the information distribution channel, and the futuristic marketing approach based on AR technology represents an avant-garde style sense. For this reason, the integration of AR technology into marketing has naturally become a must-have campaign for social media. The games are extremely popular.

To promote Amazon Prime Day in the US market, Byten21 and Subvrsive created a simple falling object game from which players can capture the best deals. The game featured different products that fell at different speeds and became increasingly challenging as time went on. The campaign made a huge impact, and the game was very popular on TikTok at the time. Driving consumer interest and excitement.

5. In addition to the luxury and e-commerce industries, AR technology is also increasingly used in various brand marketing scenarios

The essence of marketing is to implant the brand into consumers' minds, traditional advertising bombardment can indeed make consumers remember the brand but may not leave a good impression. As the main force of consumption of young users, especially hate information bombardment, AR marketing with its own interesting and topical, so communication becomes interesting, and sometimes it is easier to surprisingly win.

To celebrate 20 years in the Hong Kong market, Panerai wanted to incorporate AR into a physical event. Byten21 cooperation with DG Innotech brought their static advertisement to life, allowing visitors to experience the atmosphere of the new Submersible QuarantaQuattro watch collection.

Attendees could use the AR effect at the Landmark Atrium in Hong Kong, or through the official Panerai Instagram profile. This provided a unique and engaging way for visitors to interact with the brand and its new collection.

In conclusion, using AR in marketing can be a game changer in terms of creating interactive and memorable experiences for your audience. Don't miss this opportunity to stand out in the crowded digital landscape and increase the engagement and reach of your brand.

Creating an AR filter can be a daunting task, but our team of experts is here to guide you through the process and ensure that your filter is a success. If you're interested in learning more about how AR can benefit your marketing strategy, please don't hesitate to contact me at?[email protected] ?or connect on LinkedIn. I'll be more than happy to discuss your ideas and help you create an AR filter that your audience will love.