Snapchat offers sneaker peep into future of sales
IF brands use augmented reality (AR), it has to be to make the purchase process easier.
Internationally brands like Ikea and Dulux are using AR to help consumers place scaled versions of products and colours in their homes.
Using a phone’s camera, customers can pick a couch, set it anywhere they’d like in their home and see how it looks.
They can change their wall colour at the tap of the screen.
But as these companies venture into AR, they’re being presented with challenges such as mass adoption and ease of use, plus the added challenge of solving a consumer’s problem.
But many are doing it successfully. United States home-improvement store Lowe’s has used AR and reports a 104% higher conversion rate when customers interact with 3-D objects in its app compared to those who didn’t.
This technology is still new for people, but over time and as they get more comfortable with it, you’ll see greater adoption.
Viewing a product in your room will be almost mandatory.
My advice when trying AR – figure out what issues consumers have and see if AR is a solution. And be prepared to have a budget behind you and a lot of patience. It’s not as easy as it looks – a lot of compelling 3-D visual content must be created.
Of course, AR isn’t new but it does offer a different way for brands to interact with consumers and we’re just scratching the surface.
For example, Snapchat is giving brands a chance to tap into its capabilities, such as the company’s latest e-commerce partnership with Jordan to sell new sneakers on the app, which was developed in conjunction with a special lens to show off the kicks.
Snapchat wants marketers to accept lenses as part of an overall strategy, not just a one-off novelty.
And to do this it’s embarking on its own strategy to end scepticism and show brands how lenses can drive engagement and deliver results.
Those Jordan sneakers? Sold out in 23 minutes.
Snapchat’s lens shareability might be the ultimate key to making AR a consumer-friendly experience. It makes the consumer the hero and allows consumers to have really cool participatory brand moments that feel natural and participatory.
It also makes it something that’s shareable and unique.