The Future of Augmented Reality in Social Media - Part 1

We’ve all heard of Augmented Reality (AR) but how does it play out in the real world? 

AR is when digital overlays are used to enhance and augment the world that we see around us. It is a way in which we can see and interact with 3-D images or objects in our visual space, altering our perception of what is real.  

When you think about AR in social media, one of the first things that must come to mind is the use of snapchat filters. Snapchat are the pioneers of AR within social media, however many other social media networks have been quick to adapt many of Snapchat’s features on their own platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook Messenger filters being particularly popular. 

So what are the main benefits of using AR?

According to The Drum - AR can capture people’s attention for over 85 seconds, increase interaction rates by 20% and improve CTR to purchase by 33%. Therefore, this makes AR a very appealing concept for brands and marketers who are constantly trying to find new and exciting ways to capture user’s attention.

How the pandemic has affected AR in social media

The pandemic has accelerated the use of AR in social media as people are spending more time online. Amazon and Google have even used AR during the pandemic to encourage social distancing!

However, the most significant rise of AR in social media is a direct result of the physical closure of many stores - resulting in a huge growth in eCommerce. Brands have therefore had to adapt quickly and try to find new ways to engage with their customers and encourage purchases. 

One issue many people face when it comes to online shopping is the desire to try things on before making a purchase. With the pandemic making this practically impossible for many brands, it has meant that AR has become even more desirable as a way for people to ‘virtually try things out’.

Pinterest has recently launched an AR ‘try on’ feature for makeup products such as eyeshadow and lipstick. This ‘test before you buy’ idea is already successfully used with external apps such as the YouCam make up AR App by L’oreal. However, the benefits of incorporating AR within social media is that as you already have millions of people using these platforms, you have more targeting options and therefore your audience is more readily available. This fluid way of enhancing the customer experience may be how brands will incorporate online and offline shopping experiences in the future.

How Brands have used AR 

The use of AR in campaigns is becoming increasingly popular and can have many different benefits, such as improving brand recognition, boosting engagement and encouraging impulsive and quick purchases.

A notable AR campaign was Ikea’s Place a Tree on it (2017) which used a filter to allow people to ‘place’ a Christmas tree in their very home before buying. Ikea is also well known for their IKEA Place app, utilising Apples AR Kit which features true to scale 3-D models of furniture. Allowing people to envisage what their products would look like in their own homes is a great tool towards purchase.

Another use of AR in advertising was Pepsi Max’s award winning‘Unbelievable Bus Shelter’ campaign (2014) which transformed bus stop displays into a window that augmented unbelievable scenarios into the real world. Using 3D animations combined with real-time footage of the street, it astounded people who passed by and viewed it! The results were over 8 million views of the YouTube ad that was created of people’s reactions and a 35% increase in sales. Examples like this really show the power of AR to captivate people’s attention and show them a whole new world, giving them an experience they will undoubtedly remember.

Many other brands are already using Snapchat filters to market their products with Snapchat’s shoppable AR feature. This essentially allows users to ‘try on’ different products or see a 3-D version of the product in front of them. Some luxury retailers have been quick to try Snapchat’s features such as Dior, Chanel, Gucci, and Kohls just to name a few. 

Louis Vuitton is an example where you can interact with one of their bags and also view a pop up shop showcasing the bag and other accessories. Toyota also recently launched a filter which enabled you to view the car in front of you or even see what it would look like as you sat inside. All of these experiences bring people closer to the brand and help people visualise themselves with the product, which combined with the option to purchase directly - can lead to more sales. 

This clearly has its benefits as Shopify have recently highlighted the benefits of using 3D and AR in they found that products containing these features showed a 94% higher conversion rate than products without.

Stay tuned for part 2 in our series about Augmented Reality where we’ll be looking at whether AR is the future of social media and what that future might look like.

Until then, thanks for reading.