Marketing Meets Augmented Reality

Like most marketers, augmented reality popped up on my radar when GE used it to unveil its Smart Grid technology.

The ability to create a digital hologram is intriguing, but it always seems to be applied to sci-fi technology or futuristic plans. I’ve wondered how someone might put it to more practical use.

Meijer*, a client of Empower MediaMarketing, answers my curiosity with the “Be Transformed in 3-D” promotion.

Having Fun with Masks
The microsite allows you to try on four different masks – using a web cam and augmented reality. You can record a :30 second video message using a voice to match each mask and send it to someone via email, share it via Twitter or post it to your Facebook profile.

It’s a lot of fun and reminds me of Office Max’s Elf Yourself with an augmented reality spin – a perfect mix for Halloween. But consider the practical implications at work here. Trying on a product in the comfort of your own home using augmented reality could easily become a long term must have for retailers. At the 2009 NRF, some of the latest dressing room technology contained similar holographic options to eliminate the need to change into several outfits.

The end result is a higher probability to purchase a product. Meijer’s site also offers the masks for sale on the site and in stores. There is also a coupon for purchasing a web cam on the site. It will be interesting to see if this use of augmented reality starts a trend of more practical and fun applications moving forward.

*As I noted above, Meijer is a client. I work on the account. I’m posting about it because I’m genuinely interested in this promotion.

Comments

[Meaghan]

"Trying on a product in the comfort of your own home using augmented reality could easily become a long term must have for retailers. At the 2009 NRF, some of the latest dressing room technology contained similar holographic options to eliminate the need to change into several outfits."

I hate trying on clothes as much as the next person, but do you really believe this 3D technology will ELIMINATE the need for change rooms? I'd say that despite the wonders of technology at our fingertips, the majority of people out there prefer to feel the fabrics and see if the clothing/costume/mask not only looks good, but is comfortable too. I think that this technology might seem redundant for retailers. Many times the sale comes from the clerk encouraging the customer to buy the item. Whose advice would you take about the new shirt you’ll buy next month, the clerk or the computer?

[Kevin Dugan]

I think the point is giving people as many options as they want to purchase. Will AR replace changing rooms? Nah. But keep in mind your last point about taking advice from the clerk or the computer...people take the advice of a catalog every day. I think people predisposed to buying online will continue to do so. This might encourage them to do so even more.

Thanks Meaghan!

[Anonymous]

I think that the holographic option is acutally a really good idea. I personally sitll prefer going to a store and trying clothes on in the dressing room, but sometimes it is just not possible. For many stores, they market the clothing items without putting it on a model, so it is harder to imagine exactly how it falls on a person. This will most likely encourage people to shop online more. A lot of people are reluctant to online shopping for the pure reason that you can't try on clothes before purchasing, but this will ease some of their nerves.
However, will this holographic option hurt the stores? A lot of stores make a significant profit from random impulse purchase that result from physically walking through a store. Do you think this will ultimately hurt a store's profit if more people start shopping online?

[Melissa H]

Augmented reality is something I have heard of, but had no idea that it would really take off. As much as I hate to admit, I have "tried on" hairstyles from a website and this new reality doesn't always fit on the person's uploaded photo correctly. If the user is using a photo of them that doesn't translate to the image offered by this new reality, it could hurt the sales of the company. So although it may work for some people, if the technology doesn't work properly for others, it could make them believe their company's clothes or whatever they're selling doesn't look good on them when in reality it just might.