Augmented reality technology is being more widely used and becoming increasingly common by marketers and event planners across various business sectors. Part of the AR universe includes Web AR, which is the New cutting edge technology that allows users to interact with AR Experiences on ANY mobile device including smart phone or tablet. Web Based Augmented Reality creates immersive Brand Experiences that run only on Web Browsers on ANY Mobile Device, not relying on downloading native apps on IOS or or Android.
Mobile WebAR is augmented reality that can be accessed via a web browser instead of a dedicated native app. A customer just has to open the camera function on their smartphone and point it at the code in question or simply access a web link to enter a branded immersive experience. We design WebAR projects and can create both web based and native applications depending upon customer needs. While native apps have their place, they can be a barrier to entry for AR. The process of creating an entire funnel for app downloads can create a pain point that may result in a drop-off in customer engagement. Web-based AR promotes audience engagement and enhances audience reach in three simple yet significant ways that are especially beneficial to marketers.
How it Works:
The user will tap in-app button, link, or scan the on-site QR code and point their phone to the printed target, business card or conference badge. This will unlock exciting, animated, 3D branded content designed to showcase your event sponsor’s brand in a fun and engaging new way.
3D content can be created to drive attendees to their booth, enhance promotions, offer interactive session information and more.
- Showcase your branded logo or product in animated 3D
- Create branded splash pages for your product or interactive floor plans that showcase your sponsor’s location at your show
- Add embedded buttons for additional interactivity
- Integrate 2D content or videos with or without added 3D elements
Some Great Benefits of using WebAR:
- Low maintenance vs. building Native Apps: The biggest and most direct benefit that WebAR poses to brands is taking the hardship out of creating and maintaining a native app. While it is becoming easier to develop AR apps, they still require time, money, and resources to construct, distribute and maintain. By using WebAR, marketers can instead focus on the quality of their campaign, which can be accessed seamlessly from any phone that has a camera and a web browser. With the global market of WebAR-compatible devices is approaching 3 billion, WebAR as a distribution method has the ability to reach nearly twice as many smartphones as AR deployed in a native app. However, there are benefits of using a Native app, including Native Apps can produce optimal resolution & quality from being directly installed on the user’s phone. From a consumer’s perspective, they may deliver a better product and experience, however WebAR is closing the gap quickly in technological advancements.
- Easier usage, No Downloads needed: The level of access and engagement that comes with hosting your AR campaign through the web is unparalleled. Removing the need to search for and download an app reduces the number of steps a user has to take between awareness and experience, which is particularly important when you consider the short form ‘on-the-go’ experiences typically served. Customers can simply jump right into the experience with capabilities their phone already has, without any major disruption to the overall customer journey. Puma deployed this thinking for the launch of their new flagship store in New York City as part of their wider in-store digitization strategy. The brand utilized WebAR to encourage potential customers to scan QR codes on signs and shoe tags to see branded content featuring Puma’s mascot. By digitizing every product in the store via WebAR, Puma enriched the direct-to-consumer relationship, delivering short-form ‘snackable’ experiences on the fly, all while gathering real-time data intelligence to inform business strategies. This campaign was part of and WebAR made it easy for customers to quickly engage with the content without the friction of needing to download a native app before any interaction.
- Mass Reach within your Niche: An ongoing debate among marketers, wider brands and businesses surrounding AR is centered around reach. “Who, and how many people can we target and ultimately engage with based on an app’s download numbers across iOS and Android?” That’s the question many are asking. The common choice so far for many marketers and CPG brands is to turn to AR-enabled social platforms like Snap, Facebook and, more recently, Instagram to reach that wider audience. These platforms are obviously very powerful, however they’re not the mobile web. By contrast, WebAR gives marketers access to over a billion AR-enabled devices (and growing) across the world — extending the reach, access and visibility of your AR campaign outside of Snap and Facebook. Coca-Cola has already used this technology by using QR codes on their Bottles to provide for an interactive experience. No social channels to hop through — just jumping right in through WebAR.
- High User Engagement: According to Neilson, interactive AR experiences are 4 x more effectieve than traditional ad formats. 80% of your audience will spend over 1 minute engaging with your web AR experience, and 50% will spend over 2 minutes. A great way to engage with your Audience and keep their attention.
Mobile WebAR bypasses much of the friction that other AR solutions can sometimes come with and funnels the user directly toward the AR experience in a way that is both fast and measurable. We expect to see big moves in the web-based AR space in the next year and are excited to see what forms it will take as more and more pioneering brands and businesses wake up to its potential.
Perhaps the best part about mobile WebAR is that it provides quality experiences that can change how your brand is perceived. With accessibility becoming less of a hurdle, marketers will be able to spend less time on logistics and more time on what matters — making creative, fun and engaging campaigns that drive meaningful results. That’s where Reality X Media comes into the picture: Designing, Creating and Deploying your ideas and fully maximizing this new technology for your marketing purposes.
