The Atlantic, Teen Vogue Recognize AR as Cornerstone of Daily Life
AR experiences continue to be a dominant part of everyday social interactions, and the best way for brands to engage their fans. Today, social distancing makes AR experiences one of the few things friends can still do as a group while at home, and it’s cementing this behavior as a key part of relationships moving forward.
AR has become the space for fun, meaning, and community, and has transformed into a language between groups of friends.
Brands should pay close attention as they now have an unprecedented opportunity to be a part of and elevate those conversations, according to Teen Vogue.
Meet Consumers Where They Are
As virtual connections become the new normal across the world, AR has proven its ability to generate unlimited engagement, and brands don’t have to buy the exposure. Here are a few proof points:
- Snap Inc. announced over 75% of their daily active users engage with AR every day in Q1 2020.
- 900,000 effects have been created by the Snap community, up by 200,000 since end of Q4 2019.
- AR proves organic reach can be unlimited. Virally popular effects can generate hundreds of millions of impressions in a matter of weeks. In April, Christopher Gu’s “Guess the Gibberish” racked up 1.4 BILLION impressions in just 5 days.
- AR artist David O’Reilly reported that over 30 million IG users have posted videos of his latest experience, and those videos have been viewed by over 700 million people.
- Facebook is launching 50-person Messenger Rooms for group chats with AR effects as a central feature.
Collaborate With Audiences to Drive the Viral Flywheel
AR is driving an unprecedented level of engagement, with interactive quizzes and games, virtual try-ons, and effects that make consumers part of an experience. Wall Street Journal reports that AR effect play time on Snap is up 85% YoY.
The music industry is clearly taking notice and recognizes AR as one of the best ways to help emerging artists break through. A recent Rolling Stone piece chronicles how SAINt JHN’s “Roses” (released in 2016) unexpectedly topped charts this April simply because of a Snapchat effect featuring the song.
The company reports a 25% increase in time spent in Snapchat AR since shelter-in-place orders went into effect. Over 75% of Snap’s 229 million users interact with AR experiences every day, and there’s been a 37% increase in Snaps being sent with an AR experience during late March compared to late February.
Clearly the marketing industry is undergoing a major paradigm shift, and AR is a channel for emerging artists and major labels alike to hack engagement and build new marketing strategies from scratch.
AR Is the Next Beauty Counter
Shelter-in-place policies have had a corrosive effect on brick n’ mortar retail sales, but e-commerce is thriving. TechCrunch reports that over 100 million consumers are expected to shop with AR this year. Recently, Vogue reported that AR increases conversion by up to 250%.
Both consumers and beauty industry experts alike recognize AR is a way to play, with serious sales implications following closely behind. It brings make-up try ons and product samples directly to consumers—with lower barriers than traditional experiences, and the added benefit of being organically shareable with their friends and followers.
AR-First Marketing Campaigns Drive Impact In 2020
AR experiences have gone mainstream, and camera marketing is poised to be the leading touch-point between brands and consumers. Campaigns that span Instagram, Snap, Facebook and beyond are now a necessary ingredient for successful marketing strategies.
The Camera IQ platform empowers brands to build, publish and track these multi-channel initiatives from a single, intuitive platform. Above are some recent AR experiences published with Camera IQ.
Reach out today for a platform demo, or advice on your brand’s AR strategy!
