Your XR idea #6

Augmented reality sales tools

Read time 10 min
October 31, 2019

About XR idea

A few months ago, we started our rubric "Your XR idea", where we are describing our own, and other most effective cases of successful use of virtual and augmented reality for business. The main idea is that the development and use of such products allow you to do not only for simply and quickly sell goods. Marketers, CMO and creative directors of top brands use these technologies to build new channels of communication and interaction with their product. Now the user just needs to open his Instagram, link or application on the smartphone. In just a few clicks try on sunglasses or sneakers. To dye your hair, pick up lipstick or look at a new car. All this became possible to the use of augmented reality and we would like to describe the best examples.
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Impact/statistics

On the network, you can find a bunch of information about the current state of the AR / VR industry. As well as forecasts, what can we expect until 2025?! By the way, we talked about the future of immersive technologies quite recently.

If you analyze augmented reality into subcategories and sectors, each of them will show rapid growth. Technology is only at the stage of its development and has enormous potential.
Augmented/Virtual reality infographic
Credit: Digi-Capital
As you can see, AR and VR development graphics differ in the growth rate. Virtual reality is still concentrated around the gaming industry and is more perceived as entertainment. Moreover, it forces the consumer to purchase additional devices and headsets. Unlike Augmented reality, which is able to cover any area. You only need a written program! Which will also be available to more than 70% of users of smartphones or tablets.

From year to year, the high jumps in sectors are also associated with the fact that big brands are increasingly using this technology in their business.
"Invested a huge budget in the world's biggest "Starbucks" in Shanghai. And the main feature of this coffee place was a mobile application using Augmented reality.«The baseline for what seems "normal" in lighting is the direction and character of natural and artificial sources and the context provided by other clues"
Jack Ma Alibaba Chief Executive Officer
Jack Ma
Alibaba CEO
Furthermore, Alibaba is one of the leading investors for Magic Leap.

Growing e-commerce with AR is successfully proving its value and effectiveness. The first one, who publicly announce about impact was Alon Cohen, co-founder, and president of Houzz. He also told the audience that using the app consumers are 11 times more likely to make their purchase.

However, the furniture is far from being the most popular sector in AR eCommerce.
Augmented reality eCommerce Sales infographic
Credit: Digi-Capital
Current e-commerce giants such as Amazon, eBay, Alibaba or Facebook / Instagram with their huge audiences can benefit most. Mark Zuckerberg has already bought 11 VR / AR companies including Oculus. Facebook is already a monopoly of mobile advertising and is increasingly more effective than Google. We dare to assume that they will pursue the same goal in the world of immersive technologies.

Simple using, distribution and low cost of Mobile AR can also help implement AR. People are already massively crazy on Instagram from using various masks. A logical continuous will be the fitting of goods, but more on that later in the examples. In the meantime, look forward to news from Mark and Tim Cook. The latter has already recognized the power of AR and the network has a huge amount of news with possible prototypes of smartglasses.
2

What and how to sell using AR?

This product perfectly helps to close large transactions in construction, automotive and other large-scale production. Your representative will no need any big transportations, certificates and extra costs at the presale stage.

The representative makes a presentation of the car with its functionality right in the office. At the same time each participant can interact with a 3D object looking at it through the screen of his gadget.

Clothing in AR

Luxury houses Louis Vuitton and Dior, together with the editors of Marie Claire magazine, have created AR-content for their consumers. After downloading the free Live Portrait application and pointing the smartphone camera at the page, you can see videos from the magazine's editorial staff. Other world-famous brands - Givenchy, Guerlain, Polo Ralph Lauren, Freywille, Moroccanoil, expressed a desire to show additional video content in the same format too.
ar video on magazine page
Gucci launched a Virtual Sneakers App
Gucci introduced the technology of Belarusian startup Wannaby in their iOS application, which allows you to try on the shoes in augmented reality.
Gucci sneakers on phone screen in AR application
In the Gucci application, you can try on sneakers from the Ace collection. To do this, select your favorite model and point the camera at your feet. You can only use the application while online - it is connected to the brand's website so that after trying on, users can immediately place an order.
The brand ambassadors noted that new technology helps to reduce the number of returns already purchased shoes.

The BLK sportswear brand can visually present sport-season uniforms for sports squads anywhere in the world. Their sellers do not carry on bags of T-shirts. Just a catalog, phone or tablet, and application.
This kind of sales tool is not a short-term investment for one period. Many sports teams in football, rugby, basketball and so on change 2-3 sets of uniforms every season. This is a huge income in the short term. For the rest of the year, the brand is able to sell its other stuff through the app.
3

Instagram and Facebook allow you to try on a product before you buy using AR

Women chose a lipstick in phone with projection on her lips with AR
A number of brands that sell products on Instagram will be able to add a new augmented reality feature to their product pages. Initially, the new feature will be available to cosmetic brands (Mac and Nars) and glasses brands (Warby Parker and Ray-Ban). The function will allow customers to virtually try on products before buying. Instagram hopes users will share AR experiences in Stories by inviting their friends to try the product.
Women chose a sunglasses in phone with projection on her eyes with AR
Men chose a sunglasses in phone with projection on his eyes with AR
An interesting fact is that the Ray-Ban brand, which was already mentioned above in the news, in cooperation and production of smart glasses by Apple. At the same time, the Luxottica company, which is considered the parent of the Ray-Ban brand, is already considered a Facebook partner. Together they work on AR glasses, codenamed "Orion"

Glasses are designed to partially replace the functions of smartphones. They will be allowing you to make and receive calls, watch information on the mini-display and even stream. Facebook is also working on a smart voice assistant to activate points using voice commands. According to CNBC, Facebook has difficulty reducing the size of smart glasses to make them comfortable to wear. The release is scheduled for 2023-2025.
Mark Zuckerberg present his view of smartglasses
L'Oréal added the AR tool for the virtual selection of hair dye and color.
The Color & Co brand for the home dye hair, owned by L'Oréal has added Augmented reality to their site. So, the users can virtually pick up new shades of hair before placing an order. The See Yourself in Color function works with both uploaded photos and live photos. Users can see their pictures before and after hair coloring, which they can share on the networks and find out the opinions of friends. After a virtual fitting, they can receive a video consultation from a team of professional stylists Color & Co or run an online quiz to determine the perfect color for themselves. The technology was developed by Modiface, which the cosmetic giant bought last year.
Application design with selection a shade for women hair
4

Automotive AR

In the process of creating a new car for any brand, engineers and the team are faced with very difficult tasks:

  • Auto should look solidly and more prestigious than the previous model;
  • Cars should be more technologically advanced and richer on options;
  • It should be cheaper in production while maintaining its reliability;
  • The goal for marketing and sales are to increase the number of cars sold;

The last point is especially interesting. Marketers are constantly looking for new ways to advertise their products. Audi was one of the first to present their new models using Virtual reality and Augmented reality.

Volvo Cars use the full range of immersive technologies (VR / AR / MR / XR) in almost all of their life cycles. They use AR in the design of the new model, the production of car body parts, integrate artificial intelligence and trackers to avoid emergency situations. Also, the service center of trucks and cars use a tablet with AR for the repair of moving vehicles.
Together with Varjo, a technology start-up from Finland that specializes in high-end virtual reality and mixed reality headsets, Volvo Cars is now using cutting-edge virtual and augmented reality technology in their development work.

The partnership with Microsoft and using HoloLens also lets Volvo get new cars in front of customers quickly - sometimes before they're even manufactured.
5

AR Tools for Brand Loyalty and Seasonal Sales

Redbull, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi actively use Augmented reality to remind themselves, to raise a positive mood and activity from digital youth. After all, young people are actively using their smartphones and viral content is spreading along the way for increasing the sale of the product.

Coca-Cola invited users to the world of Augmented reality using an application and a can of soda. Special effects company Ogilvy Mexico created 3D elements for an interactive AR experience that came to life when shoppers pointed their smartphone camera at a can of Coke. In total, was created 12 stories. In the center of stories is a can of soda, with which everything is decided for the better side. They created a world that transferred consumer experience beyond a drink with the ability to interact with products, entertaining customers of all ages.
Pepsi also keeps up with sales and brand advertising through AR. Last summer, they developed and used their filters on Instagram.
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Augmented reality promotions on large screens

In large shopping centers, as well as places with a large concentration of people, it is also possible to effectively use large screens with Augmented reality. People willingly interact with both entertainment and clothing tools.
That's how in the Netherlands, visitors of the Rotterdam station whiled away waiting times. For both adults and children, interacting with National Geographic experiences has become very exciting.
Timberland Augmented Reality Campaign
Lemon&Orange created a virtual fitting room for Timberland where people could try out clothes from the newest collection without actually wearing them. Dorota Williams supported the action and gave some advice on fashion in Mokotow Gallery on 25th October 2014.

The device followed the person's movement and analyzed it in real-time thanks to Kinect technology. When a person got close to it, the app scanned the person's face, took a picture and looked for a good model for it. On an 80-inch screen, using their gestures, they could freely change their outfits- jackets, jumpers, trousers, and shoes. The person could go back to the previous outfit and make some changes anytime they wanted. At the end, their new look was saved and sent by e-mail to the person who created it and also put in the gallery on Timberland's fan page. The outfit could have also been shared on Facebook following the link from the e-mail.

A special app for iPad was enabled for customers visiting Timberland in Mokotow Gallery. Tablet version took a picture of the face and put it on a model. Later, by using the touch screen, the person could have changed the clothes freely. Like before, the outfit was sent by e-mail and could have been shared on Facebook.

A Facebook app is being created for those who could not use it in Mokotow Gallery. In a moment on Timberland's fan page, everyone will be able to create their own stylish outfits.
Interactive Augmented Reality experience for Adidas feat. Marcelo Vieira by INDE
Another interesting case using smart-screens with AR for football lovers from the company INDE and the brand Adidas.
The special experience of augmented reality with a large screen, developed by INDE, allowed the participants of the Tango League to impress - or, conversely, to disappoint - the football star of Brazil and Real Madrid Marcelo Vieira with their football tricks, reviving it in many places around the world.
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Conclusion

We have listed practical cases for you on how global brands integrate augmented reality technologies into the real world. Companies are able to achieve amazing results and solve tasks from establishing communication to direct sales in a smartphone. Also, the market for immersive technologies has not yet reached his limit. How much more convenient it is to use them in new gadgets, the more profit they can bring.

We have also included a number of our own solutions that are already successfully helping our customers increase their sales. If you liked our material, please support it by sharing it on your social networks.

Further materials

Your XR idea #3
Let's open on an example "INKAS Armored VR App". It's an Oculus Quest based VR application that helps to sell armored transport in any part of the world.
Your XR idea #2
The quality and productivity of training are fundamental keys to sporting success. It doesn't matter if you are preparing for the Olympiad or just putting your body in order. Any athlete focuses on achieving their goals! Extended reality solutions allow you to complete this and take classic workouts to a new level. We discussing the practical XR cases in various sports.
Your XR idea #1
VR solutions simplify communications when it is about special products and things. A count of business areas for these solutions is not limited. It is more important to understand that using this instrument even wrenches can be sold in a new way.
Written by Vladimir Fedorenko
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