The possibilities of Snapchat and Augmented Reality for brands
Since the acquisition of a Ukrainian based startup, Looksery by Snapchat in 2015, the company has been playing a pivotal role for brands to create interactive Augmented Reality experiences for consumers. In this article we’ll discuss the posibilities of Snapchat AR for brands.
As of today, more than 1.5 million lenses have been launched till date and over 200 million Snapchat users engage with augmented reality every day on average.
While brands have relied on social media marketing to engage with fans worldwide, Snapchat’s AR technology is turning out to be a camera marketing tool for brands to interact with consumers intuitively and increase their sales.
How brands can benefit from Snapchat’s AR to drive the purchase
Try before you buy with Snapchat AR
Snapchat’s AR capabilities allow users to try a product before they make the payment and visualise the product’s uniqueness. Brands and retailers have been experimenting with various try-on filters, from AR shoes to AR watches, not only to engage customers but also to increase profits and reduce customer returns.
Brands like Gucci and Nike have used Snapchat’s AR shoppable lenses, where customers can try different pairs of digital shoes on their feet and shop at the same time. According to research from consumer insight company Piplsay, 34% of Americans have already experienced virtual try-on technology, mostly for clothing and eyewear.
Product Demo and Visualization with Snapchat
3D product visualization with Augmented Reality allows brands to elevate consumer experiences. AR allows consumers to superimpose a 3D model of a chair, a TV or any other physical object in the real world. Further, users can view, rotate, and scale it as per the context of their own home.
Last year in 2021, Snapchat bought Vertebrae, a company that helps brands create a 3D model of their products to reach younger generations. According to Snapchat, the company projects that 75% of 13-69 years old users of social applications will be using AR/VR mediums to explore new things. Henceforth, brands should tap into this changing environment and behaviour of the consumers.
AR games and snapchat
AR games allow brands to move away from conventional marketing methods to one that is more immersive and interactive. Games and experiences can range from quiz-style to puzzles to first and third-person shooters.
IKEA partnered with one of the leading advertising agencies to create an AR game ‘Escape Room’ as a part to help people replace the chaos with order. To play the game, Snapchat users can search for the ‘Escape the Clutter’ filter.
A cluttered 3D room will appear wherever users point their smartphone’s camera at an open surface. Finally, users have to drag and drop the IKEA furniture to their ideal place and make the room clutter-free.
The Augmented reality market in retail is expected to touch $4612.7 million by 2026, it is important for brands to use new methods to reach out to consumers to build brand awareness and engagement. AR experiences are not easing consumers’ shopping experience but also helping brands to increase sales.
Looking for more? Check out the best examples of WebAR or for inspiration check the best ar marketing campings of 2021.
