5 Innovative Examples of Augmented Reality in Action

For now, augmented reality (AR) remains largely new - the novelty of AR alone contributes to its ability to outperform print, online, and TV ads in terms of impact factor. The Drum reports, AR can grab people's attention for over 85 seconds, increase engagement rates by 20%, and improve click-to-buy rates by 33%. Apple CEO Tim Cook said AR will one day be as important in our daily lives as "eating three meals a day".

Here are seven of the best examples of augmented reality technology we've seen so far.

1. Home deposit:

In 2015, Home Depot released its Project Color app, which uses proprietary technology to show users what a paint colour will look like in their home. AR technology takes into account the lighting, objects, and shadows in the room, so you can see how the shade will look like in actuality. Home Depot isn't the only home furnishings store using AR to create value for its customers: Lowe's and Ikea are incorporating similar AR technology into their applications.

2. Timberland:

Timberland created a virtual dressing room at the Moktow Gallery in 2014 for comfort and convenience. Using Kinect motion-sensing technology, Timberland's virtual dressing room allowed buyers to see a photo of her face and body of a similar size model, in outfits. If you are considering using augmented reality, you'll need to think of some unique ways to help your customers to avoid an otherwise tedious process. While dressing rooms may not be the end of the world, Timberland stands out as a useful brand by providing customers with a fun and useful alternative.

3. Sephora:

There is a reason so many women do not buy makeup products online – it is impossible to tell if the lipstick or foundation suits you if you buy it without trying. Sephora understands this struggle and has created an augmented reality experience, Virtual Artist App, with ModiFace to ensure users of the Sephora app can see what makeup products will look like on their face through their phone's camera. Users can also know about the tools or products they will need to apply certain products through the app.

4. AMC Theaters:

Sending a message when and where your audience wants to receive it is an essential part of a successful marketing strategy. AMC Theaters realized that their audiences are more interested in upcoming movie trailers when they are in the theatres, have incorporated AR technology into their AMC application. When a user views a movie poster in a movie theatre, they can open the AMC app on their phone, scan the poster, and receive relevant information including a cast list and trailer.

5. IKEA mobile app:

Along with the funny-named furniture that you have to put together yourself and the inexpensive Swedish meatballs, IKEA is also known in the tech world as one of the first companies to make good use of augmented reality. The retailer started experimenting with augmented reality in 2012 when buyers could use the app to see what tables and shelves would look like in various places in their homes. IKEA takes it a step further with its IKEA Place app, which now lets you select anything from the store catalogue and see what it will look like to grow anywhere in your home.

Wrapping Up

While various brands still cannot access augmented reality, marketers can still take note of how these brands have creatively implemented new technology into their content marketing strategies. Ultimately, as the media landscape changes and technology becomes more advanced, marketers at companies of different sizes may have more opportunities to implement the technology. And when marketers and leaders invest, they'll need to think creatively and innovatively about how they invest in it.