As companies compete for customers, there are more and more innovative ways to break through the pack. Augmented reality (AR) is an emerging trend that is helping brands connect with customers by tapping into their phones. AR experiences blend technology and reality. The experience superimposes computer-generated content over real-world experiences. This technology lends itself to flexible immersive experiences with many different applications.
Why AR?
AR first came on the scene with the wild success of Pokemon Go in 2016. The gaming experiences allowed fans to play the game in the real world. Brands quickly caught on to how technology could be expanded into different industries. It allows for creativity that generates more loyalty and commitment to brands and products. Here are a few ideas on how to implement AR into a brand’s marketing suite:
- Allow users to try a product or gain a more realistic view of the product
- Create dynamic sales presentation for B2B sales
- Build buzz around a brand
- Create a gamified experience for your brand
How Cohesive Gamified a Downtown District
With online sales rising, brick-and-mortar businesses needed a way to draw customers in. As the holidays approached, the Cedar Falls Downtown District partnered with Cohesive to find a creative solution. Each year the District holds a month-long holiday event for the community, which includes festivities such as Santa’s Workshop, live music, and holiday contests. We were looking to amplify this event and bring a new experience to the area that would support our local businesses.
Enter the Holiday Hoopla Raffle Hunt powered by Door Prize. The Holiday Hoopla Raffle Hunt was a month-long scavenger hunt with weekly prize drawings.
How it Works
- Businesses hang up image-specific signs in high-traffic areas.
- Shoppers download the Door Prize App and scan the image.
- The shopper experiences a custom AR animation.
- The shopper is entered into a drawing for a chance to win prizes.
The Results
By having weekly prize giveaways, it encouraged shoppers to keep going back to the downtown district week after week during the holiday shopping season. We saw 40 businesses participate in the raffle hunt and more than 400 entries.
I actually went into more stores than I normally would when I was downtown and made several unplanned purchases after I went into a store to play the game. - Linda A.
