#Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR)—10 years ago, this technology would have seemed like a concept  that only belonged in “The  Matrix” movies. Flash forward  to 2018, and this technology is no longer just a concept, it’s  the next big thing for the  promotional products industry. In fact, according to Digi-Capital, AR and virtual reality are  expected to grow to $108 billion by 2021, with mobile phone AR leading the way. Doesn’t this seem like a business opportunity you could get behind? With tech giants like Apple making AR more accessible to the everyday consumer, it’s easier than ever to break into this market.

If the idea of incorporating AR into your promotional business seems inaccessible and  intangible to you, fear not.  Here’s everything you need to know about AR.
 
What is Augmented Reality? In order to use promotional products that incorporate AR, you have to understand the media. Our friends at Prime Line help to showcase how to incorporate this trend into your marketing & public relations projects. In simplest terms, it takes an outside computer-generated image and overlays it in a user’s current view. An example of this technology at work is the hot sensation, Pokemon Go, an  app that utilizes a player’s  smartphone camera to overlay images of fictional creatures on a user’s phone, making it look like there are Pokemon directly in the immediate surroundings. Another example is Disney’s  promotional “Star Wars”  campaign. Fans of the saga can use a mobile app to unlock exclusive experiences at 20,000 stores selling merchandise  worldwide. And for SXSW,  National Geographic promoted its new series “Genius” by using AR headsets to let viewers  experience Albert Einstein’s theories and research right in front of their eyes.

How Can It Help My Business? While AR might seem too  complex to layer in your marketing efforts, it’s actually  the perfect way to bring a  company’s branding to a wider audience.

• A company launching  a new product that requires a demonstration to truly sell its advantages could give ARenabled promotional products to prospective buyers. By scanning a promotional product with an AR app, prospective buyers can witness the interactive features and sophistication of these products from the comforts of their homes with their  smartphones or tablets. Rubik’s® and Magic Concepts items enabled with AR can  activate an experience such as an animated logo or product that appears in an alternate  reality or in the real world. In  a real-world scenario, the  user can interact with the logo or product and manipulate it to create amazing pictures that can be posted directly to social  media. It also offers AR  experiences that can activate a video or URL when scanned.

In the near future, other AR  enabled products such as  T-shirts, bags and journals are expected to be available in the  promotional products industry.