The evolution of augmented reality in marketing.


After years of trial, experimentation and "almost-there" moments, augmented reality as a technology has finally come into its own, graduating from infancy through those awkward teenage years. It’s now found and established itself across industries, particularly in the marketing and advertising world. In fact, 67% of advertising agencies are already using AR, according to Vibrant Media.
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Augmented Reality, or AR, is possible within most budgets these days and creating these experiences is becoming more accessible with tools like Snapchat and Instagram’s native AR creator tools, as well as our own streamlined, drag and drop Web AR creator, which provides a simple 3 step process to turn 2D images into high quality AR for the web. 
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Perhaps because of this accessibility, we’re seeing all types of branded experiences, some fantastic, and some that give the tech a poor reputation. Whether you’re building with us or elsewhere, we want the experiences to be great.

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So let’s hit this issue on the head, with a definitive guide to augmented reality for brand and marketing teams by Experience Director, Saxon Dixon of leading Creative Technology Studio, Zebrar. 

‍First, let’s do a quick recap on AR’s recent maturation and the reasons behind it’s exponential adoption by brands: ‍
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1. Increased consumer adoption: most consumers already understand how AR works thanks to platforms like Snapchat and Instagram,
2. Great Connections: widespread availability of high speed data & adoption of 5G globally means the experience can be smooth for most users,
3. WebAR: users no longer need to download an app to experience AR thanks to new web technologies,
4. Impressive Visuals: thanks to technological improvements like face and body tracking paired with smartphones built with AR in mind (thanks Apple and Android!),
5. High Conversion: conversion and engagement metrics are mind blowing. Recent studies by Shopify suggest that products advertised with VR/AR content saw a 94% higher conversion rate than products without that content (I mean, if that isn't reason enough).
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Now, let's get down it with the 7 rules to create a super engaging augmented reality activation for your brand.