How AR is creating highly personal brand experiences

Marketers are using augmented reality to reinvent the digital store.

Since the pandemic began, daily life for many of us has shifted to the home. To make up for the lost foot traffic, brands are creating immersive experiences that bring the store to the shopper. Enter the virtual showroom.

In the virtual showroom, augmented reality (AR) is more than just a fun feature.

It’s also a research tool, especially in the era of social distancing. Shopify found that products advertised with VR/AR content saw a 94% higher conversion rate than products without that content.

More than 90% of Americans currently use, or would consider using, AR for shopping.1

What’s more, 98% of those who have used AR while shopping found it helpful.2

More than 90% of
Americans currently use, or would consider using, AR for shopping.1

What’s more, 98% of those who have used AR while shopping found it helpful.2
“

Using our cameras to help us with our day-to-day activities makes sense at a fundamental human level. We are visual beings — by some estimates, 30% of the neurons in the cortex of our brain are for vision.”

Aparna Chennapragada

VP, GOOGLE LENS AND CONSUMER SHOPPING

When it comes to more personal items, such as lipstick and glasses, virtual try-on experiences make shoppers feel more comfortable with online purchases. In the beauty category, such features are quickly becoming table stakes.

43% of those who use their smartphones to shop expect all beauty brands to use AR.3

43% of those who use their
smartphones to shop expect all beauty brands to use AR.3

And with more people opting to travel by car, shopping searches for cars have grown. In response, auto brands are leveraging 3D graphics and AR to help people learn about different car models when they can’t make it to the dealership.

47% of those who use their smartphones to shop expect all automotive brands to use AR.4

47% of those who use their
smartphones to shop expect all automotive brands to use AR.4

With movie theaters closed, AR gives franchises a new way to reach fans at home.

But its uses go beyond entertainment: Almost half of those who use their smartphones to shop say brands and retailers that offer AR are more innovative.5

Advances in technology have made AR experiences more immersive, realistic, and accessible.

From virtual museums to home-transforming racing games, AR expands what’s possible for branded activations. But one of the most groundbreaking technologies to speed AR adoption is deceptively simple.

Today, using only their phone cameras, people can learn about the things around them. Visual search technology makes the world instantly shoppable.

Already, people are open to using their phone cameras to search and shop. With Google Lens, they can shop what they see, learning more about items in real time — from identifying a brand to locating a deal.

More than 90% of Americans currently use, or would consider using, visual search for shopping.6

When browsing online, shoppers can simply tap and hold an image of an item, or search by screenshot, to find the exact same item or similar products. That ease of use hasn’t gone unnoticed: Of those open to AR, more than half say they would use visual search because of its convenience compared with other search methods.7

Key Takeaway

Plan ahead.

Now is the time to invest in 3D assets for your marketing, digital storefront, and product offerings, especially if people are beginning to expect them of brands in your category.

Key Takeaway

Be present.

Upload high-impact visuals of your inventory to e-commerce platforms like Google Merchant Center to ensure that your brand will show up in visual search, which will become a mainstay of SEO in the coming years.

AR and visual search help customers to not only better understand your products, but to see how they fit into their lives.

Brands that adopt AR tools can help people make more informed and confident decisions, building brand trust and forming lasting connections with audiences eager to discover them.

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BY Alana Vieira

Marketing Lead, AR Thought Leadership

Credits

Designer: Kelly Sullan; Editor: Marianna Nash; Product Lead: Casey Fictum; Production Lead: Jenny Maughan.

Sources

1.
Ipsos/Google Shopping Technology Study, U.S., “Everything Is Shoppable,” S6. Which statement best describes your position on using augmented reality (AR) for shopping? Base: Gen. pop. n=1,835, Sept. 2020.
2.
Ipsos/Google Shopping Technology Study, U.S., “Everything Is Shoppable,” Q2. How helpful has augmented reality (AR) been with your shopping? Base: Augmented Reality Users n=272, Sept. 2020.
3.
Ipsos/Google Shopping Technology Study, U.S., “Everything Is Shoppable,” Q15. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about augmented reality (AR) for shopping? Base: Gen. pop. n=987, Sept. 2020.
4.
Ipsos/Google Shopping Technology Study, U.S., “Everything Is Shoppable,” Q15. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about augmented reality (AR) for shopping? Base: Gen. pop. n=987, Sept. 2020.
5.
Ipsos/Google Shopping Technology Study, U.S., “Everything Is Shoppable,” Q10. What would you think of companies, brands and/or retailers that use augmented reality (AR) for shopping compared to those that don’t? Base: Augmented Reality User/Considerer n=987, Sept. 2020.
6.
Ipsos/Google Shopping Technology Study, U.S., “Everything Is Shoppable,” S9. Which statement best describes your position on using visual search for shopping? Base: Gen. pop. n=1,800, Sept. 2020.
7.
Ipsos/Google Shopping Technology Study, U.S., “Everything Is Shoppable,” Q20. Which of the following are reasons why you would use visual search for shopping? Gen. pop. n=986, Sept. 2020.