Augmented reality as a marketing tool ?

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According to a survey conducted by NielsenIQ , 56% of shoppers surveyed said that AR gives them greater confidence in a product’s quality , and 61% said they prefer to shop at retailers that offer AR experiences. This data was confirmed by a study subsequently published in the Journal of Marketing and recently featured in the Harvard Business Review . Based on their analysis, the researchers found that the use of AR in online environments significantly influences customer engagement, behavior, and sales .



Specifically, the study highlighted that the use of AR has a greater influence on the purchases of customers who have never purchased a specific product through an online channel. This suggests that Augmented Reality can help reduce purchasing anxiety among customers who feel uncomfortable making online purchases.



Similarly, AR has a greater impact on customers shopping in the product category for the chinese overseas canada database first time than on those who have previously shopped virtually in the product category. This reduces the risk of making a potentially disappointing purchase.



The impact of AR use on product sales is greatest for less popular brands; in fact, by offering Augmented Reality, the ability to determine how well each product fits their needs, brand dependency in the purchasing process is reduced. Along the same lines, the use of AR also has a greater influence on the purchase of less traditional and more expensive products by allowing them to "try them on" first.



Of course, considering including augmented reality among marketing tools comes with challenges for brands. According to the study, there are six major areas of classification : implementation costs; lack of talent and skills; the ability to create AR filters and narratives; latency issues; and a lack of adequate resources and the ability to adapt to rapid technological changes .